The Eve iBook Mod

Eve iBook


This is my Eve iBook mod. Awhile ago I wanted to do something different with my iBook, having grown bored with the plain snow-white surface. Now that it's way past its warranty, I figured this would be the perfect time. After checking out Applefritter, I was inspired by some rather creative mods that mostly involved removing the white inner paint and replacing it with an image. I came up with the idea for Eve because I wanted to create a mod that acknowledged the Apple logo, rather than just ignoring it. I also wanted something more feminine.

Rather than experimenting with my own case, I bought a used one on eBay. It was unfortunately pretty scratched up, but fine for a first attempt.

Front
Back

The first step was to remove the inner plastic elements and padding. You can see them somewhat in these images. On the top shell, there is a piece glued to the plastic on the inside that lets the shell snap to the frame. Removing this was fairly easy. The foam padding in the edges of the bottom part was a pain though, I suggest tackling it only if you have a good solvent and long finger nails.

The second step was to strip off the paint. It's only a thin layer, but tough to remove. I found that 91% rubbing alcohol works quite well by pouring some, letting it sit, wiping away, and then repeating. An old toothbrush also works for the tough spots (of which there are quite a few).

Alcohol


The top shell was relatively easy, but the bottom is a pain with all of the nooks and crannies. The battery lock took a lot of prying, but once it came up it was easy to separate the two pieces, then just snap them back together after repainting.

The Apple logo also came up with some prying. It's just a solid piece of frosted plastic that makes up both the apple and the leaf.

Pry

Once the case was clear, It was time to place my image. The image of Eve and the snake I drew in Illustrator and painted in Photoshop, then printed on Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy. I cut it out with an exacto knife, and to make sure that the edges wouldn't show the white of the paper, I carefully darkened them with a permanent marker (I had to be careful though, because permanent ink will bleed through and cause dark spots in the image).

Next was the toughest part, by far. I had to figure out how to attach my image to the case so that it was facing out from inside, and adhere it well enough so that paint would not sneak under any gaps. I also couldn't tape it down, because the paint had to reach to the exact edge of the image. I thought about using a clear spray glue, but I didn't try it for fear that it wouldn't be clear enough, or would foul up my image, or that it would erode the photo paper. The next time I do this though, I think it's worth experimenting with.

The first thing I tried was a glue stick, just barely along the edges of the graphic. This worked for awhile, but as soon as it fully dried the image just flaked off. Since I wasn't able to paint it right away, this didn't help much. I had to touch it up with clear Elmer's glue just before I was ready to paint. The glue stick also left a white residue on the black edges (barely noticeable, but still there). If you use this technique, I suggest waiting until the glue is dry, and then painting immediately before the graphic has a chance to peel off. You should also do it keeping in mind you might end up with a white residue. As my image extended all the way to the bottom edge of the case, it also had to curl in a sharp curve, one that the glue was definitely not strong enough to hold down. Paint snuck in under this gap during the repainting, but later I was able to remove it with more alcohol and a cue tip.

After the image was in place, I cut out the shape of the apple from the front, again with an exacto knife. This was fairly easy, but I had to be careful not to cut too much or there would be gaps for the light to shine through. I then made sure to tape the edges and front of the case with masking tape, in case any paint got around the sides. Then it was ready for painting.

Clear

As for the background, I wanted more than just a plain color or graphic, so I thought I'd look into color-changing paint like the kind they use on cars. At first airbrushing seemed like the obvious choice, but while there are plenty of color-changing airbrush colors, airbrushing itself is expensive if you're just starting.

I then looked into using brush-on paint, in pearlescent and interference colors. Interference colors, if spread thinly, will cause an effect much like a color change when layered over another color. However, when I did some testing on the cover of an old battery, I found the streaking from the paintbrush much too obvious, and I wanted something very smooth.

Color-changing paint, the tests


The interference colors are to the right and left. The paint I ended up using is in the middle.

Finally I found a 3-step spray paint by Dupli-Color called "Mirage" at Kmart. They have it in many colors, I chose purple/green. You're supposed to spray your surface with the matte opaque black first, to give the color change a good base. It apparently only works over black. Then you're supposed to put on 3-6 coats of the color-changing paint, and finish it with a clear top coat to enhance the effect.

Paint

Unfortunately, I was working from the inside-out so to speak, because I wanted the paint to be visible through the case from the inside. After some testing, I realized it was possible to use the clear top coat on the shell first, then the color-changing paint for the next coat, and finally the black last to act as the "base" for the color. Unfortunately when you do it this way, the 2nd step appears clear rather than color-changing, because it isn't sitting on a black background yet. I would suggest working on top of a dark surface so you can begin to tell how effective your color is, and how many more coats you may want to add. The directions say that the more coats you use of the color-changing paint, the more dramatic the color shift will be. They recommend 3-6, I must have put on 10 at least, and I'm pretty pleased with the end result. The only thing I noticed was that there was some cracking in the final coat of black opaque, which shows through slightly on the front. This may be because I put on too many coats, or didn't let it dry enough before recoating it, or it was too hot out and dried to quickly. However it happened, I learned that caution and patience are definitely necessary when working with this kind of material.

Black


The finished painted case.

After the painting step was finished, I used black electrical tape to hold down the edges of the graphic and against the sharp curve, which filled in any gaps and ended up being much more secure. However, if you ever do a mod anything like this, here's what I suggest you do and what I intend to do the next time:

Print two copies of the graphic you intend to use, a rough one and a final one. Cut out the rough, creating the shape that you want to have "stenciled" within the spray paint. (Make sure that the final version has a thicker border than the rough, and will overlap the final paint job so that you don't have to align it exactly.) Adhere the rough version (temporarily) to the case, perhaps with a glue stick or with spray glue (I have a feeling rubber cement would work well, because it peels easily off plastic). Make sure your edges are clean of glue spots etc., and paint your case. When the paint is dry, carefully remove your rough graphic. Replace it with the final graphic, make sure it is aligned correctly, and then adhere it to the case. If you don't want to use something like glue, tape seems to work well. I was afraid that it might pull up the paint, but the Mirage actually seemed sturdy, perhaps because of all the layers. I was also afraid that the heat from the computer might make the paint or tape peel, but I've only noticed a large amount of heat emanating from the bottom of the chassis, none from the top. So I assume this is safe.

One thing I noticed: scratches. On a white surface they're barely noticeable, but because the Mirage colors are so dark (especially indoors and away from any direct source of light, they appear almost black), the scratches appear much more noticeable. I'd like to have a brand new case to work with the next time I do this, I would suggest it for anyone else as well.

After painting, I concentrated on changing the color of the Apple logo. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to change the color, but wasn't sure what to expect when I removed the top part of the case for the first time. I found that the only thing between the case and the light source is a thin piece of plastic-like paper.

Paper

I decided to just replace this paper with one of my own design. However when I tried regular printer paper, the pulp would show up as blemishes because the paper was not evenly translucent. I went to Kinko's, and found a paper that was as smooth as I could get. I think it was opaque white, or something to that effect. They sell it by the sheet, so I could get enough to experiment with without spending an arm and a leg. I was told that it wouldn't work on an ink jet printer, only on laser jets, but I found it worked fine on my photo printer.

I decided on a psychedelic-looking graphic, again created in Photoshop, something that would look cool when lit up. Then it was just a matter of adhering it to the back of the Eve image, again with tape.

Apple closeup
The lit Apple logo


Here is a close up of the apple, and when lit.

I put the case back on, and voila! One iBook mod. The color-change appears best in any direct light, especially sunlight. From straight on it appears a blue-ish green, from a slight angle a purple, and from an extreme angle anywhere from gold to blue. Here it is taken from different angles, so you can see the color change in action:

Color change angle #1
Color change angle #2
Color change angle #3

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Comments

Jon's picture

Nice job! The color-shift paint looks great, even though it is applied in reverse order from the instructions. :coolmac: I wonder if it would work without the clear coat, as the iBook plastics would act as a clear coat on it's own. You're forging some interesting new ground in iBook painting here.

tmtomh's picture

Great job! The scratching is probably not as noticeable in regular room light, as compared to a camera flash, yes?

Matt

Tom Owad's picture

I thank everybody for their concerns. Given the artistic and unpornographic nature of this hack, I have no objection to the images. While I certainly can't speak for the artist, it appears temptation is a central theme in this artwork, making the exposed breast particularly appropriate.

JetStar's picture

Nicely done! Using paper and paint together is very dificult, expecaly with as many layers of paint that you used, and I'm amazed it turned out that good! Oh, and do you have any 'original' pictures that you can link to, without the censoring? I like the artwork, but I can see how *some* may be offended. Do you cover it up when you go to a public place?

Thanks for the compliment! The paint instructions say that the clear top coate not only adds a gloss to the finish, but also enhances the color shift, so I assume it's necessary to get the desired effect. I hadn't tested without the clear coat though, so I couldn't tell you.

This is very true. I've also been told that something like Novus plastic polish would take the scrathches out, but it says it's not recommended for polycarbonate plastics, which is what the iBook is made out of. Hopefully I can find something that would help smooth the surface over.

I hope my images didn't offend anyone. Thank you for the tasteful censoring, though. And your assessment of the theme is pretty right-on.

Jon's picture

IMHO the bare breast was a matter of artistic realism. The theme, person, and pose lend to it being shown as it was, as TO mentioned and AsraiLight confirmed. Nudity is a basic part of humanity. But, I do feel this drawing is more tastful than it could have been with the use of the snake to cover the "naughtiest" bits. By taking that artistic move I feel leaving the breast exposed was a good lead-in on the theme and if someone would care to quote Genesis on how Eve is portrayed in the garden it might just support this level of exposure. I'm rusty on my biblical quote knowledge so I'll leave that as an exercise for another reader...

Tom Owad's picture

As I believe my earlier post indicates, censorship was never intended. The original images have been restored.

dankephoto's picture

certainly a standout!

For masking, use self-adhesive masking paper. Local auto paint supplier will have it. Cut to the required outer shape, peel off backing and stick down. Peels right off when done. Much better than glued down inkjet paper!

In fact, and I've mentioned this before, custom automobile painting techniques and tools are very applicable for these types of projects.

Polycarbonate can be polished, google and ye shall find.

Dan K

A great suggestion! I'll try that self-adhesive masking paper next time.

Thank you! I completely understand though if anyone objected to the material. Smile

DrBunsen's picture

I've been told toothpaste and a soft cloth is a good way of getting light scratching out of delicate surfaces. It has a mild abrasive in it.

westieg3's picture

try clear car wax. ive used it on my ibook g4 to get out a scretch from a seat belt buckle (whoopsie). it makes the scretches less noticeable, but my ibook has opaque plastic so i dont know what itll do on clear over paint...

Hey! Awesome case mod Smile
The color-changing paint is really cool, and your Eve and snake are so cute!

I also have an Eve design for my iBook G4, which I haven't yet figured out exactly how I'm going to implement (thanks to the solid white plastic). My design has Eve laying in a tree, wrapped up in a very long snake, and chewing on the apple (offered to her by the snake's tail).

I might just paint it on black velvet and glue it to the surface, with a clear red plastic film for the apple light. I'll post pictures if I ever get around to actually doing it. Wink

I think the old G3 case top may fit on the G4. You might want to check into that.