[jonsidneyb]

In a lot of hobbies areas, there are people who alter or build products to suit them.

I was wondering if anyone has done this on a cellphone.

What I am thinking, Is to first build a case made from milled 7075 aluminum and have it HA3ed to give it a finish that is bulletproof. I have a HA3ed custom flashlight that has been in my pocket with car keys and change for 3 years an not a scratch on it, the other option is to mill this in a titanium alloy. The case would be shock isolated an potted with a thermal potting compound to reduce shock, make the circuits water proof and yet still allow some thermal transfer. I would have to create a seal around the halves of the body. I am not sure about the key area, I have not examined how they are put together. I am sure there has to be an existing phone that has a key bad that fluids cannot penetrate. I guess the thing to do is study what phones are suitable for this Mod.

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› See More: Has anyone done major Physical mods to a phone to make it tougher?

[BlkBear]

Sounds like something my dad would have liked to try his hand at when he still had a metal shop at home.

As for keypads, all I have seen have been plastic or latex, both of which flex over a membrane contact sheet (which is the true keypad), at least the few cells phones that I have taken apart had these.

What would you use in place of the easy to scratch plastic LCD cover?

How would you seal any ports, for charging, ear pieces (if not bluetooth), usb cable, etc, to make them waterproof as well?

[jonsidneyb]

I would use either sapphire or synthetic sapphire to cover the LCD.

I will need to figure out which phones guts would be the best and easiest to do with this project.

[BlkBear]

Does sapphire or synthetic sapphire, come in clear sheets? I know there is a clear mineral used to sub for glass in fireplace inserts and cast iron heaters (just can never remember the name of it), as my dad used it a lot in his rc ship and plane models.

As for phone guts, their pretty much all the same really. The main diff between bars and flip/clam shells, will be the use of the flexible ribbion cable to the LCD screen. Which you can still may wish to construct as a one piece unit (to lessen points of entry for liquids).

[jonsidneyb]

Sapphire is used on watch crystals like rolex, military grade laser window, and in flashlights above the 200.00 range. I think it is made floating on a fluid. I have not seen it in sheets, I get some custom made. Mass produced saphire .50mm disks 1mm thick are costing me about 18.00 each.