[ifonline]

Originally Posted by mikester

Do you have to take it completely apart like the video shows or only to a certain point?

You will take the phone completely apart.

[BaRTiMuS]

Of all the blackberries I have taken apart, and I take apart a lot of them at work, the Bold is BY FAR the easiest and safest to take apart.

[flash24]

Sexy

[mikester]

Well I received my black bezel this past Monday but I have to get my nerve up to doing the the replacement.

[ifonline]

Originally Posted by mikester

Well I received my black bezel this past Monday but I have to get my nerve up to doing the the replacement.

Go for it. Nothing but an expensive paperweight if you screw up!

Really, it's not all that bad if you have the right tools.

[mikester]

Thanks for the encouraging words. I do have the screw driver, needle nose tweezers and lots of patience.

[mikester]

Originally Posted by mikester

Do you have to take it completely apart like the video shows or only to a certain point?

What I did not understand is that in the video it shows that even after the board is out of the bezel he continues to disassemble parts like the screen and the track ball.

[ifonline]

Originally Posted by mikester

What I did not understand is that in the video it shows that even after the board is out of the bezel he continues to disassemble parts like the screen and the track ball.

That was just a video showing disassembly in general, and goes a bit beyond what is required for this mod. You don't need to remove the trackball, and it is not absolutely necessary to remove the screen. However, removing the screen does help a bit with putting everything back together. When I did mine, I did not remove the screen and got it back together okay, but it took a bit of fiddling because the screen is so snug in the case.

[mikester]

ifonline, I printed out your step by step description and will use that as my "instructions". By melting the little tabs over the rubber frames of the buttons does that make it permanent?

[ifonline]

Originally Posted by mikester

ifonline, I printed out your step by step description and will use that as my "instructions". By melting the little tabs over the rubber frames of the buttons does that make it permanent?

No more permanent than the original installation. As long as you don't melt the rubber frames, you will be fine. Just like with the original installation, you will be able to gently pull the rubber frames from your new bezel if you need to.

When I melted the tabs, I heated the tip of a mini flat-pointed screwdriver (tool abuse, I know) for about 30 seconds with a lighter. That seemed to be enough heat for one tab at a time. When I pressed the tip of the screwdriver to the tab, I pushed a bit (not pushing so hard that the bezel warped in my hands), and held it there for just a few seconds. I looked at the result, and if it appeared to be squashed, I considered it done. If not, I re-heated the screwdriver and did it again.

Of course, if something goes wrong, you can get replacement buttons with the rubber frames if you need to.

[ifonline]

By the way, do you have a case opening tool? If not, I understand that a heavyweight guitar pick will work. Just wanted to point this out.

The tools I used:

• T5 screwdriver
• case opening tool
• flat-tipped screwdriver (for the tool abuse part)
• angled fine-tipped tweezers

[jnelson2000]

Originally Posted by ifonline

No more permanent than the original installation. As long as you don't melt the rubber frames, you will be fine. Just like with the original installation, you will be able to gently pull the rubber frames from your new bezel if you need to.

When I melted the tabs, I heated the tip of a mini flat-pointed screwdriver (tool abuse, I know) for about 30 seconds with a lighter. That seemed to be enough heat for one tab at a time. When I pressed the tip of the screwdriver to the tab, I pushed a bit (not pushing so hard that the bezel warped in my hands), and held it there for just a few seconds. I looked at the result, and if it appeared to be squashed, I considered it done. If not, I re-heated the screwdriver and did it again.

Of course, if something goes wrong, you can get replacement buttons with the rubber frames if you need to.

You don't need to melt the tabs. The only reason that was done on the OEM silver bezel is to make assembly easier at the factory (The bezel is shipped with the buttons).

[berrywizkid]

sweet job man

[carsmovies]

Originally Posted by jnelson2000

You don't need to melt the tabs. The only reason that was done on the OEM silver bezel is to make assembly easier at the factory (The bezel is shipped with the buttons).

Only the silver bezel ships with the buttons.

[jnelson2000]

Originally Posted by carsmovies

Only the silver bezel ships with the buttons.

I meant the buttons are attached to the bezel at manufacture. They are not assembed seperately.

[carsmovies]

Originally Posted by jnelson2000

I meant the buttons are attached to the bezel at manufacture. They are not assembed seperately.

Yes and that's why the silver bezel from cnn comes with the buttons already installed.

[ifonline]

Originally Posted by jnelson2000

You don't need to melt the tabs. The only reason that was done on the OEM silver bezel is to make assembly easier at the factory (The bezel is shipped with the buttons).

No, you don't need to melt the tabs, but you said it yourself: it makes it easier when assembling. Besides, if it is done in manufacturing, I would argue that you should do it. They did it, and I'm sure they know a bit more about assembling the device than I do, or for that matter, than you do.

[adamzeit]

That looks AWESOME!!!! To bad I just don't have the balls or the patience to do this without ruining my phone!

[Technarch]

I did order the bezel but haven't installed it because I wanted to have it in case one day it wasn't available anymore, and to save the trouble of repainting a silver one.

One thing I have noticed that I am wondering about..

The lip for the front that sits underneath the keyboard, it seems to be a darker black than the bezel.. it also seems a bit shinier and smoother.

The lip is shinier and smoother than the Rogers lip which seems to have a very slight matte look to it but works well in 'muting' the shine. I'm not sure why this one is shinier.

The lip also has 2 small scratches on the plastic on the front. Sucks, because it should be me to make the scratches not someone else.

I have held off on installing it, because I am waiting to see if the javelin trackball is drop-in compatible with the bold, because I hate the white one on the bold and it does get stuck, etc. I do have a replacement ball, but c'mon. At this rate I have to replace the ball a few times a year.

[carsmovies]

Originally Posted by Technarch

I did order the bezel but haven't installed it because I wanted to have it in case one day it wasn't available anymore, and to save the trouble of repainting a silver one.

One thing I have noticed that I am wondering about..

The lip for the front that sits underneath the keyboard, it seems to be a darker black than the bezel.. it also seems a bit shinier and smoother.

The lip is shinier and smoother than the Rogers lip which seems to have a very slight matte look to it but works well in 'muting' the shine. I'm not sure why this one is shinier.

The lip also has 2 small scratches on the plastic on the front. Sucks, because it should be me to make the scratches not someone else.

I have held off on installing it, because I am waiting to see if the javelin trackball is drop-in compatible with the bold, because I hate the white one on the bold and it does get stuck, etc. I do have a replacement ball, but c'mon. At this rate I have to replace the ball a few times a year.

The Javelin trackball is not drop in compatible with the older bb's cause its a completely new tech ball that uses lasers to track the ball instead of rollers.