Project: Dark Carbon

[DonT-FeaR]

nice template man.... perfect!

[The boy 4rm oz]

Nice work. I was under the impression you were using a CF vinyl, not the real thing. Should look awesome. Isn't the surface of the keyboard slightly curved though? How will you bend the CF and keep it in place?

[rendermandan]

Nice work. I was under the impression you were using a CF vinyl, not the real thing. Should look awesome. Isn't the surface of the keyboard slightly curved though? How will you bend the CF and keep it in place?

Nope, I'm using real CF. Its just one very thin layer. .015" thick. so its basically as thick as a few sheets of paper. it bends easily up to a 3/4" dia. radius. so the slight curve the keyboard has will not be a problem. It also has a 3m adhesive on the back side. So All I have to do its cut it out and apply it. then clean up the edges.

It should arrive today.

[scar~face]

OMG.....a g15 with CF...... that is going to be BEAUTIFUL

[EspoNation]

wow... you never stop. please dont stop anytime soon. thank you looks awesome dan!

[billygoat333]

thats way cool. where are you ordering this sweet CF out of curiosity? on the net? +rep for sure.

[DonT-FeaR]

um paper is 0.09 mm thick so like 1 and a half sheets of paper

[The boy 4rm oz]

um paper is 0.09 mm thick so like 1 and a half sheets of paper

Depends on what type of paper . Either way it's gonna look awesome.

[rendermandan]

Either way it's gonna look awesome.

Well, I'm normally more modest, but yeah, It does look AWESOME!!!

lol.


Ok, and to prove it, here is the update.

The sheet of CF did get delivered yesterday. But it had a slight defect.

Here is the sheet.

and here is the defect. Its from the damn Post office. The corner of the box was dented in and smashed, Its a VERY GOOD THING, that its happens to be in a spot that will get cut out. So its still usable.

I figurd I'd start by working on the video card. Here is the EVGA GTX 280 that I'm using.

I pulled the "plastic" stickers off the videocard to use as a template.

After some quick cuts with the exact knife, I had my template.

Here are two of the pieces layed out on the CF. You can see the damage area and how close it came to the keyboard.

So I started to cut the CF sheet with an exacto knife. -After going through 10 blades, I have this.

-This CF sheet doesn't cut very easily. I knew it would be difficult, but its much harder than expected. It does cut easily with Tin snips though.

Then, sanded the edges with some 600 grit sand paper. and applied it to the back of the video card.

I used the same procedure for the front.

But I forgot to do the small sticker on the edge of the card. -Have to do that tonight. I'd like to find a way to add "GTX 280" to the face of the card somehow in a red anodized aluminum, but not sure how to do that just yet. I need to look for some precut thin aluminum letters and numbers.


Next, I started on the keyboard. I rough cut the piece first, and then instead of using the template, I applied it to the keyboard directly first.

I didnt' use the template because of knowing how hard this stuff was to cut. So I came up with a different method. I used a straight carbide tip for my dremel, and just ground away the CF. I used the actuall plastic as the tempate really. and I think it turned out great.

I did some more rough cutting before getting too close to the edges.

Then I just followed the shape of the plastic very carfully.

Not too bad.

I finished the piece with some 600 grit sand paper to clean the egdes up, just like the pieces on the video card. Then I re-assembled the keyboard.

And here is the finished Keyboard.

Damn, that is one sexy keyboard!!!

[EspoNation]

amazing! can i send you my g15? pretty pretty pwease?!?! i am actually at a lose for words. ill get back to you