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This is my first Instructable YAY! In this Instructable I will show you how to apply a wood veneer finish to your laptop to achieve an old school look to modern tech.
Disclaimer: I'm not responsable for any permanent damgage to your laptop, if you don't want to permanently change your laptop than this is not for you.... this is not reversable. Be sure to take proper percaution when using liquids near laptop.
Disclaimer: I'm not responsable for any permanent damgage to your laptop, if you don't want to permanently change your laptop than this is not for you.... this is not reversable. Be sure to take proper percaution when using liquids near laptop.
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Signing UpStep 1Materials
The materials you will need for this project:
1) Laptop
2) A sheet of wood veneer(you can pick this up at most hardware stores like home depot)
3) Gold paint( if you can disassemble your laptop safely then use spray paint to give an extra shinny smooth look, I simply used a gold paint pen, I tried many different paints including enamels and acrylics,but they all chipped too easily... but the paint pen held up well. use a plastic primmer if possible(any tips you could leave me in the comment section of better ideas would be appreciated))
4) Brass wire(for edging)
5) Misc. ornamental jewelery(for decorating the top)
6) Paper(for tracing design)
7) Xacto knife
8) Super glue
9) Masking tape
10) Wood stain (i used cherry)
11) Polyurethane
12) Double-sided heavy duty adhesive sheet
Helpful Links:
flink Suggests:
"When choosing wood veneer, please be aware that there are different types of veneer as well as different wood species. Veneer can be found unbacked, paper-backed, and adhesive backed.
Make certain you have the right type. Needless to say, adhesive backed is what you should use here unless you have experience with contact cements :-)
Some sources of decent veneer:
www.rockler.com
www.woodcraft.com
The borgs have veneer, but seldom have a wide selection. From Rockler or woodcraft you can get some really exotic stuff. Some real lumberyards have veneer, too. Typically those that carry a good selectino of hardwoods.
You could also try www.woodfinder.com to search for a veneer supplier in the US or Canada."
And heres a good link for hardware suggested by XaqFixx: Whitechapel, ltd.
1) Laptop
2) A sheet of wood veneer(you can pick this up at most hardware stores like home depot)
3) Gold paint( if you can disassemble your laptop safely then use spray paint to give an extra shinny smooth look, I simply used a gold paint pen, I tried many different paints including enamels and acrylics,but they all chipped too easily... but the paint pen held up well. use a plastic primmer if possible(any tips you could leave me in the comment section of better ideas would be appreciated))
4) Brass wire(for edging)
5) Misc. ornamental jewelery(for decorating the top)
6) Paper(for tracing design)
7) Xacto knife
8) Super glue
9) Masking tape
10) Wood stain (i used cherry)
11) Polyurethane
12) Double-sided heavy duty adhesive sheet
Helpful Links:
flink Suggests:
"When choosing wood veneer, please be aware that there are different types of veneer as well as different wood species. Veneer can be found unbacked, paper-backed, and adhesive backed.
Make certain you have the right type. Needless to say, adhesive backed is what you should use here unless you have experience with contact cements :-)
Some sources of decent veneer:
www.rockler.com
www.woodcraft.com
The borgs have veneer, but seldom have a wide selection. From Rockler or woodcraft you can get some really exotic stuff. Some real lumberyards have veneer, too. Typically those that carry a good selectino of hardwoods.
You could also try www.woodfinder.com to search for a veneer supplier in the US or Canada."
And heres a good link for hardware suggested by XaqFixx: Whitechapel, ltd.
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I'm curious; Now that it's been a few years since you made it, how has the wood veneer held up? I'm thinking about a similar laptop mod, and debating between veneer and contact paper. I'm sure veneer would look nicer, but I'm concerned that it might crack, split or chip with everyday use.
Any chance of seeing a photo of this after a few years wear-and-tear?
Did this with my Toshiba a few days ago but with a plastic wood-lookalike-foil.
it looks like wood but is easier to apply and cheaper.
had it at work yesterday and my (female) coworkers were impressed. ;-)
heres a pic of the laptop
What's next? Veneered iPhone?
Love to do the iphone if i could afford the 100 bucks a month to own one.
Hide Glue (the synthetic stuff from Tite-Bond works as well as traditional hide glue) is used by instrument makers because a little bit of steam releases the glue so that any errors can be corrected.
If you apply the veneer and it doesn't come out correctly simple take an iron and on the low setting (no steam) and "iron" the veneer until the glue softens and the veneer will slide right off. If you are careful you can even reuse the veneer.
Cross Link - http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Woody-Laptop/
I dig your embellishments :) I wanted to do this to my EEE, but there'ssome nontrivial compound curves in parts of the case that just destroythe look when veneering. There are grander ideas peculating though :D
Do you notice your laptop heating up more than usual now?
And the prices of stain and such vary depending on what you get.....I'mbasically answering your question by not answering your question, sorry.
Maybe stitch it onto some stretcy fabric, and put some kind of thin mesh (like window screens) over the fan areas