Blackwidow 2014 Vinyl Wrap + Clean Log.

[LegeNd-NZ]

So, I was looking up some keyboard facts and noticed that I really haven't cleaned my keyboard before and decided to have a go at doing it. At the same time, I thought about wrapping it. 

 

Before I start, I have NEVER vinyl wrapped anything before and read that it's really difficult to perform on the blackwidow. So I wasn't really confident about it.

 

Tools used: 

• Craft Knife ( £1.49 from a local DIY store)

• Craft Mat (pretty cheap I think)

• Steel Ruler (Around £2ish from the same DIY store)

• 3D Carbon Fiber https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B015MYHD1C/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505555863&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=silver+carbon+vinyl+wrap&dpPl=1&dpID=51mXlk2LPsL&ref=plSrch

• Random Loyalty card not used.

• Standard size screwdriver heads.

• Cotton buds (Cheap from your supermarket)

• hair dryer, heat gun.

 

What I did:

Tips/advice:

If you want to do this, go for it! Just be patient and take your time.

 

When taking off the shell, put light force away from the keyboard to unclip the shell from the keyboard. I did crack the shell in 3 places but the vinyl made it stronger.

 

Take your time when using the heat source, and don't stretch it too much. Usually I used 5 seconds of quick sweeping across the area you want to bend around.

 

Cut space around parts that clip into the base of the keyboard to make sure it pops back into place when finished. 

 

So yeah, my first ever wrap, went alright and my keyboard feels like it's brand new and feels good with a different colour.

 

Any suggestions then give me a reply.

 

[EunSoo]

Thanks for sharing! I have actually started collecting Razer Blackwidows to modify. My latest one was painting the case and plate white, replacing the switches with Gateron Blacks and putting white backlighting on it.

Pic of it if you want:

Spoiler

 

RIght now, I am collecting the supplies to do it again on one I got off eBay but instead use Gateron Greens and I might try to wrap it after seeing this post. I was also planning to wrap a Magicforce 68 too so your advice is very helpful. Quick Question: Did you need to use a heat gun or did you only need the hair dryer for the vinyl?

[LegeNd-NZ]

2 minutes ago, SCGazelle said:

Thanks for sharing! I have actually started collecting Razer Blackwidows to modify. My latest one was painting the case and plate white, replacing the switches with Gateron Blacks and putting white backlighting on it.

Pic of it if you want:

  Hide contents

 

RIght now, I am collecting the supplies to do it again on one I got off eBay but instead use Gateron Greens and I might try to wrap it after seeing this post. I was also planning to wrap a Magicforce 68 too so your advice is very helpful. Quick Question: Did you need to use a heat gun or did you only need the hair dryer for the vinyl?

These projects look very awesome! And I didn't need a heat gun, you can replace the hair dryer for a heat gun if you had one around. 

 

It was fairly easy to do and I really didn't spend loads of time putting heat on the vinyl as I knew it would stretch too much. 

[unknownmiscreant]

That looks pretty cool. Wrapping stuff is actually surprisingly easy. I managed to find a 2x1.52m sheet of carbon wrap for $25NZ inc shipping. 

 

Spent the weekend wrapping my laptop, looks much better now the worn paint is covered up.

 

My brother's trying to do diy phone wrap with it now. His prototype would've been good if it wasn't mirrored.

[LegeNd-NZ]

6 minutes ago, unknownmiscreant said:

That looks pretty cool. Wrapping stuff is actually surprisingly easy. I managed to find a 2x1.52m sheet of carbon wrap for $25NZ inc shipping. 

 

Spent the weekend wrapping my laptop, looks much better now the worn paint is covered up.

 

My brother's trying to do diy phone wrap with it now. His prototype would've been good if it wasn't mirrored.

Thanks! It's a lot easier than I thought but still took a lot longer than expected. 

 

I wouldn't know where to begin on a laptop.

[unknownmiscreant]

Just now, LegeNd-NZ said:

Thanks! It's a lot easier than I thought but still took a lot longer than expected. 

 

I wouldn't know where to begin on a laptop.

Get a bit cut out for the top, get that stuck down, then start folding/cutting the sides. Here's a pic of what mine looks like currently. The corners are a bit sharp still, but I'm hoping time will largely see to them.

I have attached a pic of it. It takes ages. I spent the better part of a day doing it. 

As for how to do it, just watch a few dbrand tutorials to see how they manage corners, and folding etc. The rest is really just origami that is better done in-situ.

[LegeNd-NZ]

11 minutes ago, unknownmiscreant said:

Get a bit cut out for the top, get that stuck down, then start folding/cutting the sides. Here's a pic of what mine looks like currently. The corners are a bit sharp still, but I'm hoping time will largely see to them.

I have attached a pic of it. It takes ages. I spent the better part of a day doing it. 

As for how to do it, just watch a few dbrand tutorials to see how they manage corners, and folding etc. The rest is really just origami that is better done in-situ.

Hey that's pretty cool! 

 

If I had to do a laptop I would probably take it apart. But like my old laptop, it's too much of a pain to take laptops apart as it's all squeezed into a slim body.

 

To me, it looks like you used the heat too close or too long? I wouldn't know.

[unknownmiscreant]

Just now, LegeNd-NZ said:

Hey that's pretty cool! 

 

If I had to do a laptop I would probably take it apart. But like my old laptop, it's too much of a pain to take laptops apart as it's all squeezed into a slim body.

 

To me, it looks like you used the heat too close or too long? I wouldn't know.

I may have used too much heat, as I used a heatgun which is designed to remove paint (2kW, 600C max temp), but I turned the temp down to what a hair dryer is. But then again, alot of the edge lines are caused by the fundamental design of the laptop. Its an old brick machine which is (comparatively) easy to pull apart, and hence has alot of lines due to lots of nesting plastic parts. Also, wrapping the somewhat useless trackpad and fingerprint scanner hasn't helped. But it means I can use the entire palmrest as a mousepad.

 

Heres a link to some pics of what it usually looks like:

https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=dell+e6430s&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjj1L7fqa3WAhVJv5QKHe3yBlsQ_AUICigB&biw=1304&bih=678#imgrc=bwVlQyptS0BqaM:

[LegeNd-NZ]

22 minutes ago, unknownmiscreant said:

I may have used too much heat, as I used a heatgun which is designed to remove paint (2kW, 600C max temp), but I turned the temp down to what a hair dryer is. But then again, alot of the edge lines are caused by the fundamental design of the laptop. Its an old brick machine which is (comparatively) easy to pull apart, and hence has alot of lines due to lots of nesting plastic parts. Also, wrapping the somewhat useless trackpad and fingerprint scanner hasn't helped. But it means I can use the entire palmrest as a mousepad.

 

Heres a link to some pics of what it usually looks like:

https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=dell+e6430s&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjj1L7fqa3WAhVJv5QKHe3yBlsQ_AUICigB&biw=1304&bih=678#imgrc=bwVlQyptS0BqaM:

Ah! Yeah I don't have one of those. Maybe that's why it worked out well for me. *Shrug*