Just Polished My Black iPhone 5 Bezel (Pics Added)

[Merkie]

I don't really get how people get the chamfered edges so damaged. I've been carrying mine without a case for a month, and it pretty much still looks exactly the same as it was when I just got it. I have been careful ofcourse, but not extremely careful (I have zero protection around my phone).

[serialtoon]

People like to use the word "chamfer" now. It's hip.

[AFDoc]

Originally Posted by PNutts

I forget what a good looking phone the 3G is. It's my favorite iPhone design.

OP: That looks fantastic.

Wow.... You honestly think the 3g design is the best looking? Shoot me your pay pal addy, Ill pay for your eye exam!

Originally Posted by Sedrick

But it's expected of the 5? I'd be ashamed to make a statement like that.

Guess you don't have much experience with anodized aluminum products. Take any anodized aluminum part and rub it in and out of your pocked 100 times a day. Set that same part down and pick it up off a table 100 times a day ect ect. Use it as you would a phone and let me know what that part looks like in a day, a week, 2 weeks ect. I've spent a LOT of time with anodized aluminum, both using and manufacturing parts that are anodized and trust me, phones are abused more than most other items. The iPhones are NOT wearing faster than other aluminum parts anodized to the thickness the iPhone 5 is anodized. Of course they could of gone a bit deeper with their anodizing but then the back plate would of had to been thicker which wold of added weight. NOW the manufacturing issues aside, I have 1911s that had holster rub after 1 hour of practice (which is about 20 in and outs of the holster). My custom 1911 was $1400 so would you call their anodizing cheap? No, anodizing rubs off with NORMAL daily use. That daily use can be obtained in a few short days depending on how the item is used. Tight jeans + spaz that looks at phone 200 times a day = rub in anodizing. Facts are facts and complaining about it isn't going to change them. Now we can debate if Apple should of used black anodizing in the first place but that has nothing to do with the properties of aluminum and anodizing.

I bought the black Mini... use it in a much different way and it still looks pristine (even after a drop and dent on the bottom R corner the anodizing is still there). Now it is probably because the could go deeper with the anodizing because the back case is thicker. If I was to put it in and out of my pocket many times a day the anodizing would surely look scuffed in the affected areas.

[travis.hansen]

Originally Posted by TM WAZZA

Looks nice! Was waiting for someone to fo this.

So you left the front bit the way it was?

Yes I did. IT's not messed up like the back was. Plus I don't want to have to take the screen off and whatnot.

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Originally Posted by AFDoc

Wow.... You honestly think the 3g design is the best looking? Shoot me your pay pal addy, Ill pay for your eye exam!

LMAO! It was a good looking phone though, at the time everyone thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Personally the plastic looked a bit cheap to me.

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Originally Posted by serialtoon

People like to use the word "chamfer" now. It's hip.

We just want to sound smart like the guy in the iPhone 5 Ad. We should all start saying Aluminium here in the states too

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Originally Posted by Merkie

I don't really get how people get the chamfered edges so damaged. I've been carrying mine without a case for a month, and it pretty much still looks exactly the same as it was when I just got it. I have been careful ofcourse, but not extremely careful (I have zero protection around my phone).

Some batches were defective, others weren't, that's how. Consider yourself one of the lucky ones who didn't get a defective phone and stop thinking that you somehow manage to take care of your iPhone better than everyone else in the world.

[GrandPhrase]

Wow, that actually looks amazing.. 3G/3GS feel to it.

[viewfly]

Good job, but not sure it is my personal preference.

But get back to us in a few weeks, when the aluminum begins to oxides, and see if you still like it. It will be come a bit 'dull' looking grey, a slightly different patina, when it becomes aluminum oxide.

[chevvy]

off topic.

What song is playing in your video? Shazam couldnt tag it

Thanks

[Vitrum]

Originally Posted by viewfly

Good job, but not sure it is my personal preference.

But get back to us in a few weeks, when the aluminum begins to oxides, and see if you still like it. It will be come a bit 'dull' looking grey, a slightly different patina, when it becomes aluminum oxide.

He can just use a cape cloth and polish once a week or when he think it needs to.

I recommend cape cod metal polish cloth or use mothers polish with a microfiber.

[bembol]

Great job!

[gsugolfer]

Originally Posted by serialtoon

People like to use the word "chamfer" now. It's hip.

Agreed. I'm glad someone else has noticed this.

[XboxMySocks]

I reallllly want to do this now, ****

[Rocko1]

Originally Posted by AFDoc

Wow.... You honestly think the 3g design is the best looking? Shoot me your pay pal addy, Ill pay for your eye exam!



Guess you don't have much experience with anodized aluminum products. Take any anodized aluminum part and rub it in and out of your pocked 100 times a day. Set that same part down and pick it up off a table 100 times a day ect ect. Use it as you would a phone and let me know what that part looks like in a day, a week, 2 weeks ect. I've spent a LOT of time with anodized aluminum, both using and manufacturing parts that are anodized and trust me, phones are abused more than most other items. The iPhones are NOT wearing faster than other aluminum parts anodized to the thickness the iPhone 5 is anodized. Of course they could of gone a bit deeper with their anodizing but then the back plate would of had to been thicker which wold of added weight. NOW the manufacturing issues aside, I have 1911s that had holster rub after 1 hour of practice (which is about 20 in and outs of the holster). My custom 1911 was $1400 so would you call their anodizing cheap? No, anodizing rubs off with NORMAL daily use. That daily use can be obtained in a few short days depending on how the item is used. Tight jeans + spaz that looks at phone 200 times a day = rub in anodizing. Facts are facts and complaining about it isn't going to change them. Now we can debate if Apple should of used black anodizing in the first place but that has nothing to do with the properties of aluminum and anodizing.

I bought the black Mini... use it in a much different way and it still looks pristine (even after a drop and dent on the bottom R corner the anodizing is still there). Now it is probably because the could go deeper with the anodizing because the back case is thicker. If I was to put it in and out of my pocket many times a day the anodizing would surely look scuffed in the affected areas.

Wrong. Proper anodizing does not wear off that easily. And your gun? That is a prime example of a piss poor anodizing job. I have parts that are 20 years old and have been abused with very little to none of the coating being removed. The poor anodizing job coupled with the non-tempered 6061 used is the issue.

[adamirox]

Originally Posted by travis.hansen

I just got done polishing the bezel on my black iPhone 5 like shown in the video below. I must say I am very pleased with the way it looks. (actual pics of my phone below)

link to previous thread: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1484402

YouTube: video

damn, that's cool! my ipad mini in black was beginning to look the same just after a few days

[tymaster50]

lol yeah everyone used the word chamfer and bezel now.

[AFDoc]

Originally Posted by Rocko1

Wrong. Proper anodizing does not wear off that easily. And your gun? That is a prime example of a piss poor anodizing job. I have parts that are 20 years old and have been abused with very little to none of the coating being removed. The poor anodizing job coupled with the non-tempered 6061 used is the issue.

What is the depth? I'll bet you money none of those prestine parts are anodized to the shallow depth the i5 is. OK, your last statement says more to the issue than the "poor" anodizing job. Product quality and thickness determines how deep the anodizing can be applied and therefor how durable a part is. You can only anodize so deep with the thinness of the back casing of the i5.
Again, it seems many people have no clue what the process of anodizing is about. I am in no way an expert but I at least educate myself before making statements OR admit my statements are being said mostly out of ignorance. The video is good because near the middle/end he spacifically talks about how hard the iPod's ano is..... kinda helps link it IMHO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZhVOy-ytJY
http://www.focuser.com/atm/anodize/anodize.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodizing

[viewfly]

Originally Posted by Vitrum

He can just use a cape cloth and polish once a week or when he think it needs to.

I recommend cape cod metal polish cloth or use mothers polish with a microfiber.

I don't think that cloth will rub off Al oxide.

[iforbes]

Originally Posted by tymaster50

so glad I didn't get black

So, so glad I did not get white!

[Thatcher]

I really like it, you may have started something here now people know what the end result is. If mine wwas half as bad as yours was before the polish then I'd go for it. May even bring in more interest on places like eBay if you sold it.

[Vitrum]

Originally Posted by Thatcher

I really like it, you may have started something here now people know what the end result is. If mine wwas half as bad as yours was before the polish then I'd go for it. May even bring in more interest on places like eBay if you sold it.

Yeah im thinking about polishing by shaft now; maybe get rid of the satin look on my macbooks lol

[bad03xtreme]

Originally Posted by Vitrum

Yeah im thinking about polishing by shaft now

Wait, what...

[Rocko1]

Originally Posted by AFDoc

What is the depth? I'll bet you money none of those prestine parts are anodized to the shallow depth the i5 is. OK, your last statement says more to the issue than the "poor" anodizing job. Product quality and thickness determines how deep the anodizing can be applied and therefor how durable a part is. You can only anodize so deep with the thinness of the back casing of the i5.
Again, it seems many people have no clue what the process of anodizing is about. I am in no way an expert but I at least educate myself before making statements OR admit my statements are being said mostly out of ignorance. The video is good because near the middle/end he spacifically talks about how hard the iPod's ano is..... kinda helps link it IMHO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZhVOy-ytJY
http://www.focuser.com/atm/anodize/anodize.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodizing

Of course I know about the process. Of course depth is relative. Again, the fact that they did not do a proper coating to a depth that would last longer than a few weeks is one issue. Another issue it you can not properly coat soft aluminum without losing the coating, which is what we are seeing. It needs a more solid/dense substrate.

[A420Turbo]

Hey OP you made it to iDownloadblog congrats!

http://www.idownloadblog.com/2012/11...ffed-iphone-5/

Looks great BTW mix of old school and new school...

[pman219]

Nice job OP.
I will be doing this tonight for sure.
Thank you for sharing

[viewfly]

Originally Posted by AFDoc

What is the depth? I'll bet you money none of those prestine parts are anodized to the shallow depth the i5 is. OK, your last statement says more to the issue than the "poor" anodizing job. Product quality and thickness determines how deep the anodizing can be applied and therefor how durable a part is. You can only anodize so deep with the thinness of the back casing of the i5.
Again, it seems many people have no clue what the process of anodizing is about. I am in no way an expert but I at least educate myself before making statements OR admit my statements are being said mostly out of ignorance. The video is good because near the middle/end he spacifically talks about how hard the iPod's ano is..... kinda helps link it IMHO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZhVOy-ytJY
http://www.focuser.com/atm/anodize/anodize.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodizing

Originally Posted by Rocko1

Of course I know about the process. Of course depth is relative. Again, the fact that they did not do a proper coating to a depth that would last longer than a few weeks is one issue. Another issue it you can not properly coat soft aluminum without losing the coating, which is what we are seeing. It needs a more solid/dense substrate.

You know (and check your own references), the thickest anodized coating you can get is 0.002" (2 thousands of an inch or 0.050 mm). And half of that is above the surface; the other half into the metal.

So the iP5 back is much, much thicker than that. For the bevel polish, it is brought to a highly reflective mirror finish (white or black phone) by sanding with a very fine grit diamond polisher, so that removes material as well.

My point being, it is not the thickness of the coating causing any problems. And even at its best, a scratch of greater than 0.002" will show the bare metal through.

Plus the MacBooks are the same metal and anodized the same. My iP5 is doing fine; I think some of the first batches were done improperly, and then the mechanical handling of the parts cause problems too.

[righteye]

I had not appreciated that the bezel was black ( have't got mine yet) in the "making of" i remember seeing something about diamond polishing and thought they all had that finish.
Anyway i like the silver edge maybe an Apple revision will occur because its pants that it should look that tatty after such short time after purchase.
My trusty old 3Gs just keeps going and thats in the pocket of a Chippy on site in all sorts of conditions (does look a bit sad now though).
When Mapgate is sorted (or there is Google maps for iOS6 i will by a 5.