DIY Black VZW battery cover (pics!)

vzwdts · #1 (**permalink**) 10-01-2009, 03:20 PM

As soon as I got my TP2 I decided that I hated the way the gray VZW back looked. Sure it's better than Sprint's orange holes, but I don't like the black against gray look.

After seeing the success Sprint TP1 owners had with dying their covers, I gave it a shot. Here's what happened!

I think it turned out quite nicely! I first used a really crappy dye which took most of the black paint off of the camera surround, but didn't actually dye anything at all. I thought this looked sweet, so I finished taking it off using a really mild abrasive paste of water and powder laundry detergent. It's now a nice looking brushed aluminum. It tinted the volume rockers bronze. No effect on the camera lens or, unfortunately, the world map. the What do you guys think?

**meatgel** · #2 (**permalink**) 10-01-2009, 03:23 PM

Looks great! Wacky that it didn't get rid of the world map!?!

vzwdts · #3 (**permalink**) 10-01-2009, 03:29 PM

Thanks!!

I guess it's not porous and won't suck in the dye.

Here's a picture with better lighting. This is more accurately how it looks

**MightyMike** · #4 (**permalink**) 10-01-2009, 03:57 PM

Very nice

PPCFreak · #5 (**permalink**) 10-01-2009, 04:21 PM

Does the dye come off on your hands at all?
When it gets hot, does it the dye come off?

I like the mod and would like to do it just worried about the dye coming off on my hand or pocket.

Thanks.

**jmorton10** · #6 (**permalink**) 10-01-2009, 05:05 PM

Now, you just need to do what I did & fill in the map with a black permanent marker.....(I did that the first day I had the thing)

I can't imagine who thought it would look cool to make it look like all the paint is falling off....(it's definitely better looking than the Sprint back, but if they had made it all black it could have been perfect)

~John

**Pegasus"143"** · #7 (**permalink**) 10-01-2009, 05:08 PM

Truly AWESOME !
I'll be doing mine this weekend.

eldersoul · #8 (**permalink**) 10-01-2009, 05:29 PM

What did you use to bronze the rocker?

vzwdts · #9 (**permalink**) 10-01-2009, 05:36 PM

Thanks again, guys!

I'm just glad this worked as good as it did on the TP1's! Honestly, better cause it lost that ugly black camera border. I've had no dye come off on my hands at all. Once it's on there it's on there pretty good. After I took it out of the dye I washed it in cold water with Dawn and then washed it in hot water with the same soap. Nothing came off but the excess.

Nothing came off on the paper towel when I dried it. The volume rocker bronzed on it's own. It's just a side product of dying the back!

**jmorton10** · #10 (**permalink**) 10-01-2009, 05:44 PM

In case anybody needs a spare cover, you can buy them right on the Verizon website & they're fairly cheap. The VZ cover fits on a Sprint phone also for anyone who wants to bag that ugly Sprint cover.

~John