Ethno-Look Laptop Hard Cover

Make a fun-looking removable hard cover for your laptop. It protects the lid and makes your laptop unique!

You can personalize some softwares with "skins", so why not the hardware (literally)?

Gluing fabric on the lid would be much easier, but not easily removable. This cover has to be hard because it is removable. Why is it removable?

• because the laptop belongs to my company, so I should not do potentially irreversible things to it (so, installing Linux is fine!), and
• I might need to remove it occasionally, e.g. for some meetings  (it's what I thought in the first place. In fact I never had to, so far. Icebreaker).

Credits: inspiration from the furry laptop.

Every laptop model is different. This project may not even be doable on some models. On mine, the lid is very flat and edgy, so it makes it easier.

Study your laptop very carefully.

• Imagine where the cover could get a grip on the lid.
• The lid hinges are a critical place, you may have to shape/cut the cover very carefully, in order to let the lid open/close smoothly.
• Some lids have very rounded edges and corners, making this project difficult, to impossible.
• Locate particularities. In my case, the top surface has two angles, one of which is almost unnoticeable.

Aesthetically it is better to cover the lid sides too.

Tools and glues:

• Cutting mat
• Metal ruler
• Cutter
• Pencil
• Clamps
• Contact adhesive and spatula
• Plastic adhesive
• Masking tape
• Hot air gun

Materials:

• Plastic plate:
  • I used 4mm thick, medium hard, black PVC plate that I already had
  • pick a plastic color that will not show through dependant on the fabric (comment by gmjhowe)
• Square-sectioned electrical conduit, to make the sides
• Synthetic fabric with e.g. cow skin pattern
• Decorative item: e.g. swiss flag patch

The electrical conduit was chosen so that its inner size corresponds to the lid thickness.

Experiment how the cross-section must be rectified, using a small piece of conduit.

Then rectify the cross-section. I used a vise and some scrap wood to help cutting.

Then cut it to length, and tape it to the laptop.

Make sure that the sides remain taped on the lid, because their presence matters for a proper sizing of the plastic plate.

Lay the laptop lid down on the plastic plate, and mark the boundary on the plate. Take the various angles, lid hinges, etc. into account.

I sticked masking tape on the plate, because the pencil marks are better visible on tape than on the black plate.

Think twice several times.

When sure, cut the plastic plate.

With the hot air gun, bend the plastic plate.

I used a vise and some scrap wood to get an even bend (and not burn my hand).

Repeat progressively until it fits.

Tighten the sides on the lid as follows:

1. one large layer of masking tape directly on the lid, to protect it against the glue
2. then, the sides
3. then, few small pieces of tape to hold the sides

Spread a thin layer of plastic glue on the top part of the sides.

Adjust the plastic plate, then tape it firmly.

Let the adhesive cure. Then remove all tapes.

Now the cover should fit (and snap) to the lid!

I chose to apply some wood primer to the inner side of the fabric, so that the contact glue will later not pass through. It will also help make clean and precise cuts into the fabric.

It has to be done very sparsely, so that the primer does not pass through.

Instead of wood primer, fabric stiffener might work too.

Make a cut for the chosen patch. Work inner sides up.

Detach the cover from the lid --you don't want contact glue on the laptop!

Apply contact adhesive to the cover (top and side surfaces), as well as the inner side of the fabric. Let stand for required time (15').

Adjust the parts together and press firmly.

Make necessary cuts in the angles (think twice before). Glue the sides. In the angles, where the fabric overlaps on itself, I used small drops of epoxy.

Clamp and let cure.

Cut out excess fabric.

Snap the cover on the laptop, and admire your work!

(I could make more covers, with other designs, but I'm working on a new instructable ;-)