how to: make a factory bezel

**KOoLkOnDuCt** · 04-29-2008, 04:13 PM

Hi Ya, what did you use to seal the space between the actual screen and the bezel ?? what brand of screen did you use ? Is the carputer fabricated too ??? Im thinking about installing a lilliput monitor but Im not sure if I should expense myself and buy a complete computer or just build one

**turbocad6** · 04-30-2008, 10:25 PM

ok, this has been very slow going as I've had several delays on my end & I apologize to the guy I'm building this for. here are the next steps in this fabrication. in order to get a perfect opening for the DVD drive I tape up the face of the drive, then insert it with about 7mm protruding & then fill all around the drive. the way this is taped for a clean release is, the face of the drive gets taped flush, no wrapping of the tape around the face. the edges of the drive face need to be done with just a thin sliver of tape separately so the face can be released when the dynatron dries.... this thin sliver of tape will remain in the bezel as it is released, & then it can be removed easily. also notice that the little felt disc wiper is removed to be reinstalled after, & the slot is shimmed to retain the shape of the face before it is taped... if you try to do this without shimming the opening won't be square as there is no support in the center of the slot otherwise...

I do the opening in 3 stages here, fill around a 3rd of the way around the drive(picture shows first fill), let it set & then wiggle the face loose slightly, repeat another 3rd, release it by wiggling it loose again, then finish the last part... once it's all done the drive is slid out... if you tried to do the whole opening in one shot it can be difficult to release the drive, better to do it in several shots...

then the rest is all filled & left to set up well... normally I'll do a rough cut when the filler is just setting & still softer & easier to cut, but with problem plastics like this it's better to let it get rock hard & fully set before attempting to sand it down for better adhesion .... a few days should do it, I let this one sit a little over a week before sanding it all down like this.... I got 0 peel back & good adhesion all around at this point, just need a few minor filling & finish it off... I'll update when it's done, but here are some shots of this stage...

**turbocad6** · 04-30-2008, 10:29 PM

.... last picture in this set is after the dynatron is dry & retestfitting the drive in the opening... I left it this rough till it fully cured...

**turbocad6** · 04-30-2008, 10:33 PM

ok, these pictures are after fully cured & sanded...

**turbocad6** · 04-30-2008, 10:35 PM

last for now...

**steelbluesleepr** · 05-08-2008, 04:43 AM

wow, you make it seem so easy, lol! i really want to try this now, i jaut have to wait a week before i can go home for the summer and work on my car.

**Nermin** · 05-13-2008, 09:40 PM

turbo - I got the Dynatron 660 and I'm in process of sanding corners off, it looks awesome and it seems pretty easy - thanks for all your advices

**turbocad6** · 05-13-2008, 11:46 PM

hey thanks, it's nice to know it helps someone

latest shots of this bezel... I used the same dynatron to fill the larger pits & low spots, sanded again then coated with bumper primer, a high build flexible primer made by sem that sticks very well to plastic. then sanded & coated again with another high build primer. blocking & shaping in between each step.

a few shots...

**turbocad6** · 05-13-2008, 11:49 PM

and...

**turbocad6** · 05-13-2008, 11:59 PM

after the bumper primer I'm using an aerosol primer that is really good stuff. it's expensive & you may have to get it from a specialty paint supplier, but as far as spraying primer, the pro stuff is just so much better than what your going to get in a hardware or auto parts store. sprays like this are equivalent to pro materials sold in quarts & gallons, but easier for a home user/hobbyist to use...