my Carbon Fiber vinyl wrapped Captivate

So I was searching on eBay for cases or skins for my new phone, and came across some knock-off DecalGirl.com carbon fiber skins that looked terrible - then I thought to myself.... "Self, I can do this on my own with some scrap 3M Di-Noc Carbon Fiber I have lying around!"

And so I did, and my Galaxy S now has hidden buttons, AT&T and Samsung branding removed, and is MUCH easier to grip since the 3M Di-Noc material is TEXTURED just like real carbon fiber! What do you think?







You can see higher (12MP) resolution pics by going to my album on Picasa:

http://picasaweb.google.com/garciam25/SamsungCaptivateCarbonFiber

Before anyone asks.....

• I got the live wallpaper from HERE!
• For anyone wondering why I didn't do the aluminum battery cover.... this vinyl CAN make the item you're wrapping trap in the heat, and the sides and top don't expel heat like the battery cover does. With over 9 years in the business of doing vinyl graphics, I have a LITTLE knowledge on the subject....
• I am not taking any commissions on doing this to your phone, sorry.... the other vinyls available on eBay will just have to do because this stuff is too expensive and this was too time consuming to do for any customer, plus, I am NOT soliciting my services on here to do it, so don't ask! I do this professionally and install the material, I do NOT sell it for you to buy. Google it if you want this for yourself, but expect to spend well over the 2 hours this took me to do if you don't have any experience. Don't forget your heat gun and X-Acto knife with lots of fresh blades!
• Again, all the buttons function exactly as they did from the factory. I have NO issues with this, so don't try and bash this concept because you think the buttons don't work - if they didn't work, I wouldn't leave this on! FUNCTION over FORM
• I am a carbon fiber junkie - if this isn't your thing, that's okay! I appreciate you being able to appreciate my hard work on my day off, finally....

Thanks for the comments! 3M Di-Noc does sell other patterns including wood and brushed metals, I believe, but when it comes to high-tech, nothing beats carbon fiber, IMO. As my grandfather used to say, "for different tastes, they invented colors"

The pattern is a standard 2 x 2 carbon fiber weave. When matched up with my other carbon products that I've made sure to buy only 2 x 2's, it looks to be right around the same size, but I see what you're getting at when it comes to the difference between it and the aluminum battery cover. Prior to installing the carbon vinyl, I have been told a few times that "the battery cover even looks like carbon fiber!" by friends who know how much I love the material. Now, and while I was installing the vinyl, I noted that it looks more like a flat checkerboard pattern, and the contrast between the two looks a little more aesthetic to me, personally. My 80GB Zune has a pattern on it that is similar to this skin from eBay:



Which was the only carbon fiber skin available for the Zune at the time, but I hate the small, tight weave on it. I believe that carbon should look 3D and have strands large enough to see the actual pattern on it, not be so tight that it really does look like a checkerboard with no depth to the weave! This one would have been a better choice for me if I didn't have this in stock and didn't have the time to do it myself yesterday:



but printed-on vinyl being what it is with no texture to it..... I still would have been disappointed by the outcome (and also wonder where the Galaxy S logo went to on the battery cover!). I remember back in 1997 when I bought my first roll of printed-on carbon fiber vinyl and thought it was so cool, putting it all over the interior of my car! I look back at those pictures and I'm thankful for how far 3M decided to take it 12 years later when they released Di-Noc last year and I bought 30 yards of it immediately!

benclayton said:

I think the application is phenomenal, and although I'm not a huge fan of carbon fiber, I can appreciate the fact that you used REAL carbon fiber. Congrats, looks sick.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

well.... it is still not REAL carbon, the 3M Di-Noc material is the only vinyl used that has both 3D effects and texture - many printed carbon vinyls may have 3D or some textured vinyl may look close, but none have both like this does and look as real as it gets - thanks though!

Yep, my wrap covers both logos on the front, including the softkeys. They don't stay on long enough to be worth anything, and after using for 3 weeks now, I know where they are

The stuff IS pretty thick.... In some of my pics, you can see the depth of the product, it will add about 1mm to the overall width of the phone, which makes me interested in how it will work in the ProClip holster for the car I plan on buying when they make it! Since it has a nice amount of texture, it has to give it some thickness, but much of that is pretty negligible when you use a heat gun to wrap it nicely....

The question about sticky residue is something I get every time someone sees the work..... It leaves NO residue, same quality you can expect from all 3M products..... My best advice is to take it SLOWLY and use a heat gun when necessary, not on every surface! Just use it for edges, straight or curved, and cut with the sharpest x-acto blades you can find!

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