How to remove / cover up engraving?

Wicho · Post by **Wicho** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 10:38 am

So I've been searching the forums for the best method of covering up or removing engraving short of recasing a radio. Can't say I've found much. Hopefully someone will have some input.

I know you can stick one of those lexan or whatever they are stickers over the front of the radio, but I was looking for something more along the lines of filling in the engraving. Anyone every tried filling with silicone?

Any ideas are appreciated.

Thanks!

d119 · Post by **d119** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 11:45 am

This is just asking for trouble. The silicone will undoubtedly peel out, and it'll just look god awful.

Recase the radio. That's the correct and proper way to do things, and you can't beat the results.

Anything else is just a waste of time, it's never going to look "right", and it'll always end up looking half-ass no matter how much time and effort you spend on it.

Dorpmuller · Post by **Dorpmuller** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 1:26 pm

I was hoping for the same thing... but try finding System Saber housings!

Got two radios that are beautiful except for the damned engraving.

Rich

Post by Pj » Tue Dec 26, 2006 1:41 pm

Isn't the systems saber housing and the secure saber housing the same? You could always pick up a really cheap Saber 3/DOA unit pretty cheap and swap them out. I've seen them at shows for well under $100 at times.

Hightower · Post by **Hightower** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:16 pm

Good question....

If you have old/broken/unused /\/\otorola radios, peel off the /\/\otorola sticker off, and use that to cover up the engravings.

I've used Astro Saber 1 stickers to cover marks/engravings. The AS1 stickers are nice and big and cover a large area.

3M makes a good spray adhesive if the sticker has lost it's stickyness.

Cheers

Post by **akardam** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:41 pm

If this is professional engraving (e.g. not someone who scratched their name into the plastic), I've seen black plastic filler used to good effect. Using a little putty knife, you can fill in the engraving, level it out, and it shouldn't look too shabby.

High_order1 · Post by **High_order1** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 4:03 pm

TOTALLY guessing here, but the main issue will be getting the texture right.

It would seem kind of like auto body work. Gotta match the paint....

Having said that, I think many of the cases are made with ABS or something very similar to ABS. You could buy a dicked up radio, make similar marks on it, and use it as a test bed.

You could try filling it with ABS plumbers glue, having figured out a way to dye it.

Or, you could find a piece of donor ABS, route out a chunk, and dump the new piece in.

Maybe you could find a stick of ABS and a way to melt it and pour that into the engraving?

...... Just thinking out of the box. Flame away!

-Shawn

FireCpt809 · Post by **FireCpt809** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:29 pm

as simple as it sounds. If someone engraved it with a hand held engraver. Ive used a Black Crayola to fill in some of the makrks and a good buffng . Its not perfect but it works.

mikegilbert · Post by **mikegilbert** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:57 am

I've melted black plastic before to fill in the cracks. I push a piece of sandpaper against the hot plastic to make the texture.

-Mike

Post by **escomm** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 10:11 am

depending on what kind of radio it is, you might be able to get away with buying a new case for $10-15

slm1964 · Post by **slm1964** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 10:43 am

How about using a router to make a big square over the engraved text?
You could then use the area to apply a nice black sticker that has your favorite text on it.... perhaps "BATLABS RADIO 1"

or a SKYPRON sticker?

How to remove / cover up engraving?

How to remove / cover up engraving?

hmm

why not create a area for a new sticker