adapting a iphone6+ bluetooth keyboard cover/case? - Sony Xperia Z Ultra

I've never come across a keyboard cover/case for the XZU, but it occurred to me that some might appear for the iphone 6+, and found this:
http://www.boxwave.com/apple-iphone...uddy-apple-iphone-6-plus-case/bwpdd/pkz-pzfc/
this is quite expensive particularly for something that would have to be adapted for purpose, but I imagine much cheaper ones will become available in time.
we'd have to cut the rim off the keyboard where it would attach to the iPhone, and then extend the shell around it to make it as big as the XZU and find a way to attach it, perhaps double-sided tape would work?

speculatrix said:
I've never come across a keyboard cover/case for the XZU, but it occurred to me that some might appear for the iphone 6+, and found this:
http://www.boxwave.com/apple-iphone...uddy-apple-iphone-6-plus-case/bwpdd/pkz-pzfc/
this is quite expensive particularly for something that would have to be adapted for purpose, but I imagine much cheaper ones will become available in time.
we'd have to cut the rim off the keyboard where it would attach to the iPhone, and then extend the shell around it to make it as big as the XZU and find a way to attach it, perhaps double-sided tape would work?
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Your engineering can be better.
That is a great idea. But be careful so that the sides don't break more than you need.
I would with a knife make a cut to feel how flexible the plastic material of the keyboard is. If its too hard then you do not want to cut, use any pliers to cut because then you will break off big chunks of plastic.
If the material is stiff. Then use a hot tool to melt the plastic and cut it off that way very gentle.
Or you can use very rough sandpaper and start going at it ...ehe it would probably take a few hours go get flat.
Or if you have very sharp mora knife you could carve the plastic bit by bit just as if you had a piece of wood in your hand until you have a flat surface. But only use this method if the plastic turns out being quite flexible.
When you have a almost flat surface. Bring out sandpapers. Probably start with 120 and make a flat surface. You need the rough surface so that the glue will stick to the plastic.
When the surface is completely flat. Bring out the phone case you have purchased. Test fit the keyboard. Now mark out the area.
Frame the chosen area with protective tape. You can buy this at any diy store. Its often blue wide tape with a rough surface, sometimes shiny surface. Or use some tape that is durable and easy to remove.
Sand the chosen area down so that it will have the same rough surface as the keyboard.
Now degrease every surface surface with mild soap so that no dust is left behind.
DO NOT USE ALCOHOL OR ACETONE!!! It will melt the plastic.
Now mix the glue. Glue both surfaces. This is very important. APPLY GLUE TO BOTH SURFACES!! And then stick together.
Let it set for two days clamped down to each other so that it won't move around during the cure.
Now you can sand off any spilled glue that might have spread outside the desired area.
Parts needed
Use rubber/marine epoxy to fix it to a standard case
Order some simple cheap case like this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-Hard-Case-Cover-Protector-for-Sony-Xperia-Z-Ultra-XL39h-/271251192531
Examples of different glue suitable for this because they are flexible but very strong
g-flex epoxy
http://www.ebay.com/itm/West-System...Parts_Accessories&hash=item20edbce628&vxp=mtr
Flex set
http://www.ebay.com/itm/131224969275
I have used the Flex set to mold my lenovo thinkpad screen assembly together. Everything from the back, plastic > magnesium > steel > magnesium > screen > plastic is one unit.
I had trouble finding some epoxy that was strong enough to hold all this together and still stay flexible because thinkpad been designed quite bad when it comes to the screen assembly. The method used makes it fairly easy to break the magnesium in two pieces at the area where the hinges screws together.

Related

Simple "Padfolio" Case for GTab

I thought I'd share some pix of a simple and cheap case for the GTab based on the foam from your original packaging.
This uses a simple "padfolio" from the office store. This is a Buxton Classic Writing Pad, but there were many versions at my local store that would have worked. The only real qualifications are that the spine be wide enough to accommodate the 1/2 inch depth of the tablet and thin enough to fold back over to form a stand.
I carefully removed the foam outline from the original packaging, and glued it to the folio using a paste glue that I hope is sufficiently strong. Be careful, though, as I expect many super-glue products would melt the foam rather than bond with it.
As you can see, the foam outline fits nicely into the space designed for a writing pad (11.5 inches). It props up nicely in my lap or on the table (and with these lousy viewing angles, adaptability is nice).
I don't like the idea of tape or velcro on something like this, so I don't have it secured within the foam. It does fit relatively snugly, though, and as long as you hold it in the closed position, the tablet cannot fall out.
Until we find some better choices made for our rare (but amazing) device, this might do the trick for some of you.
Noticed that Sears still shows the Viewsonic case as a holiday Special for $5.99. Web site accepted order and shipped. Not a super great case, but offers some protection and has a handle for carrying.
Rumbleweed said:
Noticed that Sears still shows the Viewsonic case as a holiday Special for $5.99. Web site accepted order and shipped. Not a super great case, but offers some protection and has a handle for carrying.
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You mean the case logic one ? how tightly does it fit ? looks more like a square sized.
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Might want to consider the $4.21 case crown cases from amazon.
dbhouston said:
I thought I'd share some pix of a simple and cheap case for the GTab based on the foam from your original packaging.
This uses a simple "padfolio" from the office store. This is a Buxton Classic Writing Pad, but there were many versions at my local store that would have worked. The only real qualifications are that the spine be wide enough to accommodate the 1/2 inch depth of the tablet and thin enough to fold back over to form a stand.
I carefully removed the foam outline from the original packaging, and glued it to the folio using a paste glue that I hope is sufficiently strong. Be careful, though, as I expect many super-glue products would melt the foam rather than bond with it.
As you can see, the foam outline fits nicely into the space designed for a writing pad (11.5 inches). It props up nicely in my lap or on the table (and with these lousy viewing angles, adaptability is nice).
I don't like the idea of tape or velcro on something like this, so I don't have it secured within the foam. It does fit relatively snugly, though, and as long as you hold it in the closed position, the tablet cannot fall out.
Until we find some better choices made for our rare (but amazing) device, this might do the trick for some of you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great idea, let us know how it holds up over time.
Looks like your tablet sits in there loose, but nice try

Poor man's perfect custom traveling case.

this is a modification of the original box of the g-tablet.
after having issues with my net-book's screen while carrying it on my backpack i realized that needed to start protecting my devices from my clumsiness in the future.
so after careful thinking a i decided that the perfect way was to use the original box since it already had the edges to fit well the tablet in such a way i wouldn't move and a top cover protecting the screen. well, i pretty much was broke after buying the tablet so i had no choice. besides i don't plan to sell it forward. too bad it ruins the collectors value loll.
i didn't cut it well due to lack skills with the scissor but i bet anyone else can do a better job. i ended gluing everything up and so far has served the purpose.
heres some pics of my masterpiece lol.
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Interesting... You should've posted a video on youtube "how to make a case for your tab"
Sent from my S using Tapatalk
shopcity said:
Interesting... You should've posted a video on youtube "how to make a case for your tab"
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Click to collapse
yeah i didn't think of that when i bought it back in February but the idea is basically taking the rubber parts that fit the tablet still and putting them on a stronger base made of the same box. then taking the top cover and cutting the edges to fit the base.
you could just use a different box or material along with the rubber parts as well.
i also made a stand with a cheap Chinese-made car stand for GPS. I'm so frugal he! and now i even have the money to buy these stuffs but i just feel better doing it myself.
Done on the cheap!
Now what you do is go to your local thrift store and find a pair of leather or pleather pants or jacket and get some spray on adhesive and a heat gun. Cut the material to fit the outside of the box there and spray both the box and material with adhesive. let them set up for a few min to get nice and tacky and stick them together making sure you dont get any air bubbles. Make sure you leave enough to wrap around the edges about an inch or so and stick to the inside of the case as well. Get some felt or something soft and cut a piece to go on the lid to hide the overlaps of the leather and give the front of your tablet something soft to rest against. Same Idea goes for under the tab inside the foam rubber. Add yourself a clasp with a button or Velcro on the bottom side and walla you have a nice looking leather/pleather case for your tab on a very very cheap budget.
bigd5783 said:
Now what you do is go to your local thrift store and find a pair of leather or pleather pants or jacket and get some spray on adhesive and a heat gun. Cut the material to fit the outside of the box there and spray both the box and material with adhesive. let them set up for a few min to get nice and tacky and stick them together making sure you dont get any air bubbles. Make sure you leave enough to wrap around the edges about an inch or so and stick to the inside of the case as well. Get some felt or something soft and cut a piece to go on the lid to hide the overlaps of the leather and give the front of your tablet something soft to rest against. Same Idea goes for under the tab inside the foam rubber. Add yourself a clasp with a button or Velcro on the bottom side and walla you have a nice looking leather/pleather case for your tab on a very very cheap budget.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought this was funny. I could almost see someone in a thrift store folding up pleather pants into a small rectangle and holding it under their arm to see what it would look like....
Totally genious! I still have my box from when I got my tab in February. I'm totally doing this and then spray tack a pair of cut up jeans onto it!
Ghetto Fabulous!

Home made TPU grip case

I made this grip case out of a cheap TPU case and some neoprene fabric I had lying around.
It works really well!
Here's how I did it:
Cut some neoprene (or any thick stretchy) fabric 5cm x 12cm
Get a needle, some pliers and a gas or electric stove (gas works faster)
Hold the needle with the pliers and heat the pointy tip until it is red hot
Then, poke a hole into the back of the TPU case, this is where you're going to sew it on
Poke a row of 10 holes at the bottom
Poke another row of 10 holes just under the camera
When threading the needle, do a "double thread" meaning, run 2 threads into the hole instead of one. This way, you are sewing double the amount of threads and it should be more strong.
I sewed the neoprene on in one direction and then back again
Do this for the top and the bottom.
You're done!
This case costed me <$5 since I bought the TPU case on Amazon on sale. My TPU case is rough because my initial idea was to glue the neoprene onto the back so I roughed it up, but I didn't think that would be strong enough to hold, plus it just seemed hard to glue in place since the neoprene would be stretched out.
I really like this type of case because:
It's very secure.
It's not bulky.
It comes on and off easy if I need to swap the battery.
It lies down flat without any issues.
It works just fine in any car mount.
It works just fine with wireless charging.
In addition, I added a tempered glass protector on the front, so my phone is protected on all sides. I bought the .40mm 9H glass protector from aliexpress.com for $6 shipped.
If you can't sew, they make cases like this except they're really expensive, and the strap isn't very wide at all. I think mine is superior to the ones you can buy because the strap is wider but the whole thing is less bulky than a FlyGrip or other brand name options.
Obviously, a bulky case will offer more protection but the best protection is to prevent yourself from dropping the phone in the first place.
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Very good job! Necessity is the mother of invention. :laugh:
Neo3D said:
I made this grip case out of a cheap TPU case and some neoprene fabric I had lying around.
It works really well!
Here's how I did it:
Cut some neoprene (or any thick stretchy) fabric 5cm x 12cm
Get a needle, some pliers and a gas or electric stove (gas works faster)
Hold the needle with the pliers and heat the pointy tip until it is red hot
Then, poke a hole into the back of the TPU case, this is where you're going to sew it on
Poke a row of 10 holes at the bottom
Poke another row of 10 holes just under the camera
When threading the needle, do a "double thread" meaning, run 2 threads into the hole instead of one. This way, you are sewing double the amount of threads and it should be more strong.
I sewed the neoprene on in one direction and then back again
Do this for the top and the bottom.
You're done!
This case costed me <$5 since I bought the TPU case on Amazon on sale. My TPU case is rough because my initial idea was to glue the neoprene onto the back so I roughed it up, but I didn't think that would be strong enough to hold, plus it just seemed hard to glue in place since the neoprene would be stretched out.
I really like this type of case because:
It's very secure.
It's not bulky.
It comes on and off easy if I need to swap the battery.
It lies down flat without any issues.
It works just fine in any car mount.
It works just fine with wireless charging.
In addition, I added a tempered glass protector on the front, so my phone is protected on all sides. I bought the .40mm 9H glass protector from aliexpress.com for $6 shipped.
If you can't sew, they make cases like this except they're really expensive, and the strap isn't very wide at all. I think mine is superior to the ones you can buy because the strap is wider but the whole thing is less bulky than a FlyGrip or other brand name options.
Obviously, a bulky case will offer more protection but the best protection is to prevent yourself from dropping the phone in the first place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to see some DIY stuff on here. I won't try it, as i'd surely end up poking myself more than the case with that needle.
Looks bad but make a real production and it might be useful for someone else.
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

NABI 2 Rear Panel Replacement

I know I'm not the first to do this, but I don't think anyone has done any kind of step-by-step.
First thing I did was turn the Nabi off to be sure I didn't hit any buttons while I was working.
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After I made sure the device was off
I flipped the device over, removed the protective bumper, and found a small screwdriver.
Remove the six screws holding the grid square panel in place.
Select a material to use for the replacement rear cover. I chose a white lid from a RubberMaid container.
I then traced the grid square panel on the lid with an Xacto knife.
I made my first attempt with a cutting wheel on a Dremel, but it melted the plastic and made the edges too rough.
For the rest of my cutouts I just used the Xacto knife, tracing the lines over and over until it cut through.
I then placed the square grid panel on top of the cutout, marked the holes with a fine tip Sharpie, drilled the holes out with a small drill bit, and rounded out one side of the holes with a round tipped bit on my Dremel.
I then screwed the new rear panels on and decorated them for the kids with some paint markers. (Orange and Black were the only colors I had...)
Other users have used this method in the past to attach velcro straps to the back of their Nabis to use for children in the car.
katinatez said:
After purchasing multiple car seat dvd players to entertain my children on long trips, but only last 3-6 months because of lousy materials. The last straw was the RCA DVD player from Target lasted 2 months; every bump and pothole the DVD would skip or jump or all together stop playing.
I decided to find a permanent fix since we are heading on a 5 hour trip. I then looked toward the Nabi and since I have two of them and two kids I tried a few attempts to mount the Nabi to the car seat but found a better solution that turned out to be free. And here are some pictures.
I took a DVD case and cut it to dimensions and drilled 6 holes to screw back in with two slots for velcro straps I removed from previous car seat dvd player. The pictures are self explanatory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Feel free to post your own rear panel mods in this thread!
New Rear Panel Mod!
Hey guys, was trying to think of something new/different to try with my Nabis last night while not working at work.... came up with this. I didn't pour my heart and soul in to it, it was more of a proof of concept.
I followed the same instructions for cutting out a new rear panel, but then cut out the middle (slightly less than half an inch inward on all sides).
Spray painted.
Cut a piece of plexiglass slightly larger than the hole in the new panel from an old plastic picture frame. (For this I found it was better to use the Dremel than a utility knife or Xacto knife. Using a knife caused the plastic to crack.)
Super glued the two together.
Printed a picture from the computer. (Dimensions for printed image were 5.25 side to side and 2.75 top to bottom, not that it matters how exact you are... the frame covers it up. )
Put back together. (Be careful not to scratch the plastic with your screwdriver)
TA-DA!!!
That's very creative. I like that. Now make the nabi look somewhat like a steering wheel and that would be cool for driving games.
New ideas!
Don't have the money to spend on random little things I'm just going to cut apart right now, although who doesn't love taking things apart?!
So I sketched these in paint really quick.
If anyone has any other ideas please share!
And if you like the ideas hit me with a thumbs up! :good:

DIY bike mount

Measure your phone's width and height (or look it up).
Assemble 1/4 inch hardwood sticks to match your phone's 2 dimensional size.
Buy a sheet of 1/8 inch polycarbonate scrap (Tap Plastics in US)
Cut the sheet into a fat cross shape.
Apply double-sided tape to the hardwood sticks and adhere it to the poly. Align the center of the cross towards the bottom of the phone.
Use a heat gun to soften the poly and pull it/push it around the sticks. Use as little heat and as much force as possible because bubbles form around 260C.
Cut the bottom and sides so that the poly curls slightly over the sticks.
Cut the top so that it's flush with the top of the sticks. This is the release latch.
Break the sticks out and remove remains of the tape.
Bend down the top piece of plastic and begin to slide your phone into the case.
Note where the phone touches the poly sides first. Grind/cut away the inside of those edges to make insertion easier.
Grind/sand the center of the poly top side so that it doesn't catch on the cameras when the phone is inserted.
Scrub the holder thoroughly under water with a brush to remove any grit.
Insert the phone and note any adjustments needed. Mark on the poly where the USB and speaker ports are.
Remove the phone and finish all grinding/cutting to improve the shape.
If needed, adjust sides with a heat gun to be looser or tighter
Cut a hole in the bottom poly side for the USB port.
Drill a small hole in the bottom poly side for the speaker port.
Use a special epoxy for plastic to bond the holder to a bicycle clamp.
Scrub the holder thoroughly under water with a brush to remove any grit.
Add thin adhesive felt along the back to reduce vibration.
That's it. Done in a day.
Upload some pictures!
wormeyman said:
Upload some pictures!
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Here's a test build:
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The side plastic grips are touching the front glass and I'm worried about dirt causing scratches there. I think I'll try again and take photos of the progress. One mistake I made on the first try was starting with too small a piece of plastic that was difficult to work with. It takes a lot of force to bend the plastic without heating it to the point where it bubbles, and I didn't have enough to grab hold of.
I used to make these by encasing my phone in plastic bags and soft copper sheet metal, wrapping it with fiberglass, vacuum sealing, then carefully cutting the phone out. It makes for a beautiful fit that weighs almost nothing. On the down side, fiberglass and epoxy are messy as hell and I was terrified of destroying my phone. Bending polycarbonate over sticks is a lot less stressful.

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