[papped]

Like I said...someone on ebay has them, but if there is no need for them as mentioned before then why does anyone have them for sale?

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

You drop one? They're easy to lose. You could strip it if you don't use the screwdrivers properly (which can happen to practically any screw).

I never said there was zero need for replacements. But taking the phone apart multiple times doesn't simply equate to needing titanium screws...

But your price listing for "other" replacement screws was more than 10x higher than what it took me 10 seconds to find...

[synwars]

Ok ok, everyone take a minute to relax. Breathe deeply.

Croe is obviously passionate about his work and understanding, there is nothing wrong with that. He is not trying to force his opinions or ideas on us either. I appreciate what he is doing here, because honestly having brushed aluminum/titanium parts for a Bold would be absolutely sexy.

Passion tends to stir an intense emotional response. So people, get your feelings under control, push aside the crap and think about the offer.

I personally like real, not faux. I can't say I would commit quite yet to purchasing something like this until I see the end product as well as the price. But I am intrigued by the sounds of super bad *** sexy titanium clothing my Bold. Kinda makes me horny just thnking about it...

On with the show!

[sperho]

Croe is obviously passionate about his work and understanding,

I'm all about passion, but misinformation, I'm not. Ti not a metal? Um... it's absolutely a metal. Further, titanium may not be magnetic, but it is certainly a conductor and as such, can shield EMF. Is it a problem for this device? Dunno. Test it.

All that said, go for it Croe. I might be interested in a battery door if it doesn't end up making a difference to the signal reception/transmission and the fit, finish, and price is reasonable....

edit: I just tested my phone completely wrapped in aluminum foil except for a hole placed to see signal levels; no apparent shielding affects in my location...

[sandos]

Just out of curiosity... With this new sexy Ti bezel... What should I do with my plastic buttons?

[papped]

It may not be magnetic, but it is certainly a conductor and as such, can shield EMF. Is it a problem for this device? Dunno. Test it.

And that was all that was really said at first before this spiraled into pointless. It's an unknown which could possibly have some issues. Factor that with titanium not being known to be cheap to manufacture and having a custom bezel made from it, the price is probably going to be the deciding factor to try it or not.

[max871026]

Post some pictures up when you get them! I'd be interested after looking at the pictures.

[Croe]

So let me get this straight... You post a question here asking us if we'd like to buy something from you. We point out our issues / questions and you proceed to berate us because we don't understand the "metalology." Here's an idea **** face... Why not present your product's benefits and uses before going for the close; this way you prevent 2 things from happening 1. you don't get a bunch of responses like: "what is this now?" 2. you don't set yourself up to look like a ****** rocket, tool shed by responding like you're talking to the "peasants."

So to answer your OP, no I will not buy your screws or bezels. If either of mine fail, I will happily buy from another source at a higher cost because your sales force just isn't up to snuff. Sorry.

Wow...it is hard to believe after so much repetition that you are even still responding to this thread. One more time...just for you as repetition usually works for most...I am not trying to sell anything for profit here. I am simply getting this stuff made for my own personal use and figured if anyone else wanted some I would get a few more made.

Does anyone have to buy them for me to get them made? No. These are solely for my apparently poor, food stamp using, yet highly educated pompous a$$ to use on hobby phones that I enjoy modding in my free time. If I was out for a quick buck I wouldn't have posted it here...it would be on ebay like the other guy, but most likely he is selling more to RC car/plane/etc buyers than blackberry bold users.

So...do I care if you in particular don't want to get any? No. Am I only going to have these made if others want them? No. If others want them and I only have a certain amount made, can I get more? Yes. Am I going to make anything on the sale? No. Just as free themers make their themes to give away because they love it, I am going to make these things for myself, but if anyone else happens to want some I am more than happy to give it to them at cost + shipping. I don't need the $5 for 6 screws headache of shipping so I am not putting these on ebay or even marketing them anywhere...just offering them here at whatever my cost is going to be. Now you can avoid the shipping fee if you are gullible enough to drive to my house and pick up your screws...

And one more time. Anyone can either say yah or nay...no big deal to me either way you go.

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[SVF]

Thanks for Considering others. Yeah I agree that the Bold is here for awhile and spare parts are essential. I may have misinterpreted the interest but it appears genuine to me and I appreciate when others consider others. Thanks.

[eskimochaos]

I take back what I said, what kind of finish will the Ti bezel? Will it be gunmetal color?

Depending on fit and finish - I'm down!

[Croe]

I'm all about passion, but misinformation, I'm not. Ti not a metal? Um... it's absolutely a metal. Further, titanium may not be magnetic, but it is certainly a conductor and as such, can shield EMF. Is it a problem for this device? Dunno. Test it.

All that said, go for it Croe. I might be interested in a battery door if it doesn't end up making a difference to the signal reception/transmission and the fit, finish, and price is reasonable....

edit: I just tested my phone completely wrapped in aluminum foil except for a hole placed to see signal levels; no apparent shielding affects in my location...

Sorry....I guess I should have said transitional metal instead of not a metal per metallic standards. In short, titanium is not a good conductor of electricity. If the conductivity of copper is considered to be 100%, titanium would have a conductivity of 3.1%. From this it follows that titanium would not be used where good conductivity is a prime factor. For comparison, stainless steel has a conductivity of 3.5% and aluminum has a conductivity of 30%.

There should be no issue with the bezel or battery door being as thin as they are and seeing how the rest of the phone is not covered. Radio signal will get out.

I do think I may have misspoken earlier when I said the screws in the Bold are steel....I believe they may be an alloy similar to aluminum which is why they have such a soft feel to them. I plan on calling the RIM manufacturing number tomorrow to ask about them and see if they can give me some info on the materials used.

As far as the bezel and battery covers go they will be further down the road as they will require some CAD, waterjet, etc... As luck would have it I also am a co-owner of a production knife manufacturer in MS and we have a full shop and plenty of Ti to get the prototype made. And no worries to all the super $$$ conscious people....I am eating the cost of the blanks and protos because I want one of these for myself. This really started out as a personal project I wanted to see if my engineer could get done.

I probably should have held off on mentioning those parts, but if/when we can get to CAD'ing them out and building a few to test I am more than happy to pass along the coolness.

Oh, and to answer the plastic button question above.....I have no intentions of trying to CAD buttons out, so it will have to be used with whatever buttons you have when it is done. That or you can take the buttons you have and paint them to match maybe. I may make a pair or two to see if it can be done, but the will definitely not have the indentations and ridges on them as the OEM ones do....that is way too much work to get in to.

The screws I will have priced out tomorrow and anyone that has asked about them on the thread I will reply on here with an update when I have it. I plan on ordering 1-200 so I am sure I will have plenty if anyone wants them. I typically use larger screws and 1-200 will last me all year, and I don't predict that large of a want for these so I am not really altering my typical order.

I am over the drama now....if your interested great, if not then feel free to ask questions and I will answer as I can and I will try not to be an a$$ anymore.

[Croe]

I take back what I said, what kind of finish will the Ti bezel? Will it be gunmetal color?

Depending on fit and finish - I'm down!

Fit will have to be dead on for me to even consider passing them on to anyone else. I personally am a very obsessive person when it comes to fit and tolerance levels. If it doesnt work then they will never be available. If it does then they will be. Most likely it will fit just like the OEM bezel as we will be using and OEM bezel for the CAD mockup so the dimensions will be the same. The issues will come in with how hot the material will get when we cut, thin, and shape it.....could cause it to expand in which case we will have to try other means. No doubt there will eventually be at least one or two, but can't guarantee any more.

Finish is a completely different beast. There are sooooo many finishes you can do to Ti it is endless. I am a fan of the typical gunmetal finish, but really like it when the Ti is anodized a bit darker than the natural color. However, my favorite finish on Ti is "orange peel". It is a really eye pleasing finish that tends to resist the appearance of scratches better than most. I can also bead blast, ceramic tumble, satin finish, or fairly smooth polish it. I will be trying most all of these to see what works best and go from there.

As this is not a business for me I won't be taking orders so WYSIWYG when/if I get them done. But I do promise that I will have a variety.

I also have the advantage of having bought an A$$LOAD of Ti last year at a much lower price than it is now, but if the cost to make these, after my engineer gives me an idea, is ridiculous then I will post that they will not be done.

[synwars]

Sorry....I guess I should have said transitional metal instead of not a metal per metallic standards. In short, titanium is not a good conductor of electricity. If the conductivity of copper is considered to be 100%, titanium would have a conductivity of 3.1%. From this it follows that titanium would not be used where good conductivity is a prime factor. For comparison, stainless steel has a conductivity of 3.5% and aluminum has a conductivity of 30%.

There should be no issue with the bezel or battery door being as thin as they are and seeing how the rest of the phone is not covered. Radio signal will get out.

I do think I may have misspoken earlier when I said the screws in the Bold are steel....I believe they may be an alloy similar to aluminum which is why they have such a soft feel to them. I plan on calling the RIM manufacturing number tomorrow to ask about them and see if they can give me some info on the materials used.

As far as the bezel and battery covers go they will be further down the road as they will require some CAD, waterjet, etc... As luck would have it I also am a co-owner of a production knife manufacturer in MS and we have a full shop and plenty of Ti to get the prototype made. And no worries to all the super $$$ conscious people....I am eating the cost of the blanks and protos because I want one of these for myself. This really started out as a personal project I wanted to see if my engineer could get done.

I probably should have held off on mentioning those parts, but if/when we can get to CAD'ing them out and building a few to test I am more than happy to pass along the coolness.

Oh, and to answer the plastic button question above.....I have no intentions of trying to CAD buttons out, so it will have to be used with whatever buttons you have when it is done. That or you can take the buttons you have and paint them to match maybe. I may make a pair or two to see if it can be done, but the will definitely not have the indentations and ridges on them as the OEM ones do....that is way too much work to get in to.

The screws I will have priced out tomorrow and anyone that has asked about them on the thread I will reply on here with an update when I have it. I plan on ordering 1-200 so I am sure I will have plenty if anyone wants them. I typically use larger screws and 1-200 will last me all year, and I don't predict that large of a want for these so I am not really altering my typical order.

I am over the drama now....if your interested great, if not then feel free to ask questions and I will answer as I can and I will try not to be an a$$ anymore.

That's the Croe we know and love! Honestly, great ideas! I'm down. Please keep us updated with your findings.

Thanks for your contribution to this site!!!

[CBRfanatic]

I'm an aircraft engineer in USAF and I deal with a lot of Titanium, it is **** strong and light as a feather, that's a good thing unless your trying to flex ducting to get flanges to line up...what a ***** that is sometimes!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Croe]

I'm an aircraft engineer in USAF and I deal with a lot of Titanium, it is **** strong and light as a feather, that's a good thing unless your trying to flex ducting to get flanges to line up...what a ***** that is sometimes!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Haven't had to deal with flexing ti for anything that large, but have had to do it for some special projects and yes....it is a *****. I would guess that you guys are most likely not allowed to heat it up in order to bend it either. As long as the Ti is anodized after you can heat and bend it without ever being able to tell it was done that way. It makes it a **** of a lot easier to work with. I guess you could also bead blast it after heating it, but again....for a part as large as what you are working with it would be hard to find a blasting cabinet that big....

[leroypinto123]

OP seems like a nice dude that just isn't being appreciated for his novel idea... I'd be interested... I recently moded my bold, and have developed a taste for moding. I want my bold to look like the nokia E71... all metal... and if titanium can do that without reducing my signal strength, then I WILL DEFINITELY BUY IT. cant wait to see pics of ur final product.

[sperho]

Sorry....I guess I should have said transitional metal instead of not a metal per metallic standards. In short, titanium is not a good conductor of electricity. If the conductivity of copper is considered to be 100%, titanium would have a conductivity of 3.1%. From this it follows that titanium would not be used where good conductivity is a prime factor. For comparison, stainless steel has a conductivity of 3.5% and aluminum has a conductivity of 30%.

I debated whether to send you a PM on this or just make this public. I decided on public for education's sake (I'm not berating you...). There are many transition metals, including copper, aluminum, gold, platinum, on and on. A transition metal is simply a metal with a certain electronic configuration that gives them certain chemical properties. In fact, the majority of metals are transition metals.

Yes, titanium is a lesser conductor than aluminum and copper, but "less" is relative. It's still a pretty dang good conductor in the overall scheme of things and can shield reasonably well. That said, RF is a strange thing and the shape and proximity to the antennae as well as other metallic components can make significant differences on how a passive metal can behave. It's hard to predict and devices simply have to be tested at the end of the day. You'll learn if things work well in the proto process...

You mentioned using a knife for land mine clearing. I don't know anything about land mines, but perhaps the triggers sensed metal via EM field distortion. That is, they sensed something that was in proximity that was ferrous, which has magnetic properties. i.e. when a tank track rolled overhead, it sensed the proximity and detonated. Just a thought.

Enough of that. Like I said before, my interest is piqued in a battery cover, certainly. Possibly a bezel - keep us up to speed on your prototyping (pictures!)...

[Croe]

That's the Croe we know and love! Honestly, great ideas! I'm down. Please keep us updated with your findings.

Thanks for your contribution to this site!!!

Ha! Not sure how lovable I am, but if anyone knows how, I am more than willing to try a giant thread hug, or maybe a cyber trust fall or something.....

Any takers.....just imagine a fat, sweaty, hairy dude in a banana hammock, reach out with both arms and embrace the love. LOL!

[c5ryan312]

Is this the thread where I get to fling ****? LOL

Seriously though...the OP's ego is crushed because of little interest in his idea (I don't get it, but maybe someone will?). I've read through all the OP's posts, and if he does come across as condescending, it's because of a crushed ego. Croe, I don't think anyone here was out of line (they're entitled to their opinion too). I just don't think many people take kindly to being lectured in a condescending manner. You may, indeed, know more on the Ti matter than some of us (myself included), but how you came across to this forum was just ridiculously childlike. I think people may have been just a tad unresponsive to this, and that's why your idea met such a poor reception. If that's what you're used to, and what works for you, then fine, disregard anything I've said and continue...just don't expect anything to change on our end. This forum is for constructive persons and ideas...why don't you jump aboard and be a part of the solutions with a better attitude on this forum?

Croe, here are some imaginary flowers to cheer you up.

Ryan

[Croe]

Thanks for the flowers, but again I think you have missed the point of my thread. I was not asking for opinions on my project, just if anyone else would be interested if I made a few extras.

I can assure you my ego is not crushed. If there is interest then so be it. If not, no big deal...my life will go on even if nobody cares about poor little ole me and my silly ideas and condescending attitude.

As far as being a helpful contributing member of this forum, before you begin handing out flowers and kumba yah's you might try searching for some of my helpful, friendly posts. I actually have a pretty good track record.

Ok...this thread has become useless. When I do get this project done I will post some pics and my findings on any interference with the radio. Until then...I will stick with what I know best...escreens, app development and beer.

Is this the thread where I get to fling ****? LOL

Seriously though...the OP's ego is crushed because of little interest in his idea (I don't get it, but maybe someone will?). I've read through all the OP's posts, and if he does come across as condescending, it's because of a crushed ego. Croe, I don't think anyone here was out of line (they're entitled to their opinion too). I just don't think many people take kindly to being lectured in a condescending manner. You may, indeed, know more on the Ti matter than some of us (myself included), but how you came across to this forum was just ridiculously childlike. I think people may have been just a tad unresponsive to this, and that's why your idea met such a poor reception. If that's what you're used to, and what works for you, then fine, disregard anything I've said and continue...just don't expect anything to change on our end. This forum is for constructive persons and ideas...why don't you jump aboard and be a part of the solutions with a better attitude on this forum?

Croe, here are some imaginary flowers to cheer you up.

Ryan

[cmenglish]

I'm interested but as syn said, let's see the finished product first.

[Dogmann]

Hi Croe,

I am very interested in a Titanium Bezel and Battery Cover and some higher quality screws for my Bold, although I'm in the UK i can get someone to pay in $ and have them shipped to LA and then onto me. Please let us know how things progress and looking forward to the results.

Marc

[hivewax]

My plastic chrome OEM bezel has a few chips and a Ti bezel would be pleasing. Maybe a BATT cover.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[anon(112479)]

ti could be cool but i thought one was available aready thru an indo seller.......nit sure of the quality or even if its real ti

[hivewax]

Looks like the OEM BATT cover was painted blue... plain cheesy.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Lost_Cosmonaut]

Sounds like a cool idea and all, I just wish I knew when Titanium wasn't considered a metal anymore. Someone better let everyone know.