At 8:04 PM -0400 on 8/4/99, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>Hi,
>
>After spending a lot of time looking through the PowerBook 2400c
>Museum, I've become really interested in the possibility of
>customizing the case of my 2400.
>Probably nothing radical, like the PowerBooks with translucent cases, etc....
>
>But some of the modifications people have made, such as the
>woodgrained PowerBook 2400 look really nice.
>
>Does anyone know of any source of information on how one goes about
>doing something like this? I've seen a couple of Japanese language
>pages that look like they explain it to some degree, but nothing in
>English.
Hello Justin,
The easiest modification is to use adhesive vinyl film to add
color(s) to the case of your 2400. Your best place to start is at a
sign printing shop. You want to get opaque film that can stretch a
little bit, and get the most durable stuff they have (since your PB
probably takes a lot of little dings, etc.) It should be stuck to a
paper backing that you can peel off as you apply the film to your
PowerBook case.
I made my 2400 into a Rally Mac by coating it with red film over
which I placed two carefully cut white strips to create rally
stripes. It took me the better part of a Saturday afternoon.
Unfortunately, the film eventually got a largish tear in it so I
peeled it all off. It lasted about two months, during which time I
took zero pictures (d'oh!) I'll probably redo my 2400 pretty soon,
and I'm sure it'll go much quicker than before.
Anyway, this project can be done with the following tools:
- sharp utility knife, with extra blades
- toothpick, or similar pointy non-metal object (I used the plastic
toothpick from my pocketknife.)
- toothbrush, for cleaning out the seams in the case
- blow dryer (for helping to stretch the film--use sparingly!)
- a steady hand and patient demeanor
Follow the pictures on the following web site:
http://www.powerbook.org/mobiledog/gurentai/cuttingseat/index.html
Obviously, the text is in Japanese, but the pictures are very
helpful. I printed them out on our color printer here at work, since
you won't really be able to look at them on screen while you're
trying to work on the book.
A few hints:
- Make sure you clean the case very well (and let it dry) before
starting to apply the film.
- The toughest part is getting the vinyl film applied without any
wrinkles. Luckily, the film is pretty forgiving, and you can unpeel
it and apply it again 3 or 4 times before it starts to stretch too
much.
- Be very patient with the rounded corners. You have to stretch the
film quite a bit to get it molded on there without wrinkles or
creases.
- Don't cut the film anywhere there isn't a seam to follow. You
don't want to scratch up your PowerBook's case since eventually the
vinyl film will come off.
- Use the toothpick to mold the film into the seams of the case
BEFORE you start trimming the film. Otherwise, you'll end up
trimming too much off and it'll look silly.
If you want to get really fancy, the same sign shops that sell the
vinyl film will often laser-cut said film into any design you give
them. I wouldn't go this route for the basic coverage, since you'll
have to stretch it around the corners anyway, but it might be neat to
have an extra-large Apple logo, a la the newest PowerBooks, or
something. If you plan to do this, find out what image format they
need for their vinyl-cutting workflow when you go pick up the initial
batch of film. Then once you know how the stuff is to work with, and
you still want to do a custom job, bring them a camera-ready printout
or a Zip disk with the EPS file (or whatever.)
Best of luck to all who try this, and don't forget to take pictures!!!
Dan Blaker
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