BL**DY XDA2 (Brushed aluminium coating) - HELP PLEASE?

Shadamehr

Senior Member
Mar 10, 2004
388
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Blaydon, North East England
Well it went and happened last night...

While getting out of a car, the belt clip release button got pressed in by my stab-proof vest that I wear for work (this is a design flaw in it's own right, in that any other belt clips like this I have seen, slot the handset 'down' into a channel, and not hang on a hook like the default XDA2 one does - this means that at least then, if the button release becomes pressed, it still needs the device to defy gravity before coming detached - with the XDA2 belt clip, as soon as the button is pressed, as it's just a hook, it falls off).

So my XDA fell just a couple of feet, if that, onto the ground. And even then, it had its standard leather cover on. But of course, the standard cover is less than cr*p, in that it leaves nearly all of the sides exposed!

And now I find I have a slight dent on the side of my previously impeccable XDA2. But worse, slight scuffing or scratching too.

And this is where my issue comes from. With any other device, a rough scratch could be polished out. But with the bl**DY stupid XDA2 material, this is the opposite, in that the normal finish is a brushed, fairly matt aluminium.

But if it gets even slightly scuffed, what actually happens is that it reveals the under layer, and produces in effect, a shiny polished scar. So polishing it is no use at all.

I have owned 28 mobile phones, blackberries, and various other devices in my time. And this is the first device I have ever owned, that has been scuffed beyond apparent easy repair. And worse, I have only owned it a month at most.

I am foaming about this - especially given the series of shortcomings with the device and cover/clip etc, that lead up to this.

But what I need to know now, given that my XDA2 works fine, is this:

Has anyone yet discovered a good way to 'get rid' off minor scratches or scuffs on the material of the XDA2, to cover the shiny material that gets exposed, and leave it with the same sort of brushed matt finish the it normally has, or any paints/primers/touch up cans, that match it?

Please help anyone!

I've attached a photo below, but it doesn't capture it too well, especially as what I HAVE done, is cover it all in lead pencil, then rub it in.

This has reduced a lot of the shine, but of course, this will soon polish off again, so I need a proper solution.

:cry:
 

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XDA-II

Member
Mar 31, 2004
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Not sure how to get the dent out, but just get another leather case, a better one than the free one in the box. That should cover the unsightly mark and you won't have to look at it any more. Either that or claim off the insurance if you have it, but then again they may not pay out for cosmetic damage
 

Shadamehr

Senior Member
Mar 10, 2004
388
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Blaydon, North East England
Some fair advice there mate - cheers.

Only thing is though, you can see it all to well when its on the cradle, and I don't like it cased up too much (both issues of perception I know).

Additionally, I do have insurance, but it's an extension to Home Contents, so my premiums would jump up next year, they would not pay for cosmetic damage, and if I were to even consider a failed ROM upgrade death by pulling power half way through (and I wouldn't dream of that now would I?), then the problem is, the scratches would make it look like the (THEN) failed unit was caused by dropping it.

So I couldn't do a warranty claim, and would be back to the insurance one.

So, given that I can live with the minor dent, has anyone found any cure or solution for scratches, to cover it up back to the original finish of the XDA2?

There must be some solution, paint, primer, filler, or something out there?
Sob sob...
 

thumper

Senior Member
Feb 4, 2004
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This is funny... I have some scratches too (my XDAII I mean :) ) but underneath these scratches ale looming some dark material, nothing shiney at least.

I couldn't get rid of the scratches, but polite polishing removed the jagged edges so I won't cut my ear anymore while on the phone.
 

CPGOD

Senior Member
Jun 11, 2003
113
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Nottingham
You could try going for a radical approach and give it a paint job.....either a can of spray silver/aluminium effect, or metallic or matt black - WOW. There are some great effect paints (although less is more in my view).

Use insulation tape (or masking tape) to cover off the screen, buttons, holes etc. You can use the covering as you see fit - you might want to leave some areas (top) silver.....
 

XDA-II

Member
Mar 31, 2004
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Although i haven't done it before, i would have thought it was a few torx screws on the back of the case to undo?

Dummy phones are usually proper phones without the internals, usually display models in shops. From my experience the ones in shops are the full casing, just without the inside.

Best thing to do is ask the seller what his is before you bid any money for it. Also ask the conditoin, as if its been mauled in a shop, it could be scratched as well
 

sublimatica

Senior Member
Nov 26, 2003
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Ex-display shop ones also usually have some sort of anti-theft bolt through them, which might be less visually appealing than a little scratch on the side. :wink:
 

Shadamehr

Senior Member
Mar 10, 2004
388
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Blaydon, North East England
sublimatica said:
Ex-display shop ones also usually have some sort of anti-theft bolt through them, which might be less visually appealing than a little scratch on the side. :wink:
Yeah - that's the bit that worried me too...

I'll ask about.

Also, to remove the torx screws, means puncturing a Warranty Void label, which is a bit steep for a scratch.

Oh well...
 

Shadamehr

Senior Member
Mar 10, 2004
388
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Blaydon, North East England
Er no - I paid a mere £120 british pounds (around 150-170 USD?) for it on contract.

And more importantly, as I just put in one of my last posts, that would invalidate the warranty.

So if I HAD paid that much for it, there's no way I would invalidate the warranty for a few scratches.

They bother me a lot, for sure. But spray, or paint, is a bit different to invalidating the warranty on a one month old XDA2.

Cheers for the input though.
 

chef

New member
Apr 25, 2004
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1
0
your damaged xda2

you can buy a new O2 XDA II Aluminium case athttp://www.mobiledatadirect.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=136_129&products_id=975
ok try that :p