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Second generation of iPhone. Model A1241 / 8 or 16 GB capacity / black or white plastic back. Repair is more straightforward than the first iPhone. requires screwdrivers, prying, and suction tools.

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Laser Engraving?

I'm not sure if this is the place to ask this, but I want to engrave a design on the back of my iPhone and was wondering if anyone else has done this. I've found information about the specific laser settings required to engrave the original iPhone but I've found nothing about the iPhone 3G or 3G S.

If I can't find that information I was wondering if someone has a dead iPhone 3G or 3G S with an in tact back shell I could have to test the strength (I just want to engrave the shell, not the circuits below it :D). I bought a replacement shell from a site online but it is clearly a different material making it rather useless for testing.

Thanks for the help.

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I have taken Electronics as a subject for 4 years and I am currently taking it for GCSE. We always house circuits in plastic cases and these are either vacuum moulded or laser cut. The laser cutter is perfectly safe for cutting plastic provided it has a ventilation device, which is really should. In the program we use, Black lines engrave on the surface of the plastic, red lines cut through and blue lines rasta. I have laser cut on Acrylic and Formex.

Also, Apple provide a laser engraving service for iPod or iPhone on purchase. You only get a few lines of text but it shows it can be done.

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I would say start with the lowest intensity setting then keep going over it if it's not enough. Of course, that would mean you'd have to leave it in place so not to adjust the alignment in the engraving devise. Good luck.

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I think it'd be a bad idea, burning metal is one thing, that's supposed to work, but plastic is another. Burning plastic can give off noxious chemicals which while they may not be damaging to you in small quantities, they can be to your phone. You also weaken the back of the phone, and the engraving would not be like metal, so you could easily get more scratches and CRACKS, in their. Bad idea if you ask me.

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I disagree, as I explain in my answer

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I agree with you

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check out http://www.adafruit.com/laser/

they also have forums.

the basic gist is that laser etching plastic is ok, be wary of chemicals and don't etch anything white as you tend to get an ugly burned brown color as opposed to a clean line.

a black iphone should be okay though.

hope this helps

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We engrave plastics all the time and iphone's engrave extremely well on a CO2 laser - as drock has said engrave on the lowest power and highest speed to avoid burning the item and then run over the iphone again if the engraving is too feint.

We mainly engrave wedding gifts such as glass and crystal in our business but iphone engraving is very popular.

Regards

andy

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