We love to see 3M’s DI-NOC carbon fiber vinyl being used outside of just the automotive world. Things like prototyping, architectural design, technology, refinishing products, and more. The applications for the vinyl are literally unlimited. In the below video we guide you through the steps to wrap a refridgerator in the vinyl, giving it a completely different look than before. While the fridge we used already looked new, imagine taking one that is starting to look outdated, but works just fine. Using the vinyl, you can give it life once again and save money while giving it an updated look.
If you have anything unique that you’ve used 3M’s DI-NOC for, let us know! We’re always looking for the latest and greatest uses.
This isn’t the first time we’ve posted about a customer of ours using carbon fiber DI-NOC to create their own business. In the past we’ve written about DI-NOC cufflinks, and today we’ve got CarbonBumper.com. While we supply them with raw material, they then go out and manufacture a custom cut bumper for the iPhone 4 made out of 3M carbon fiber DI-NOC material. The DIY kits are computer cut and accurate to the 1/1000th of an inch which will ensure that it installs perfectly.
Because DI-NOC material goes on dry, it’s extremely easy to install. Simply peel off the material while leaving the cutouts behind and stick onto the iPhone 4 surround. If you mess up…simply pull it off and re-seat the material…just like you would when installing on anything else.
Not only will it protect your iPhone in a sleek looking, low profile manner, but it helps give the phone a more blacked out look…which we personally love. As we all know, carbon fiber is the new black (it’s our slogan). These are priced at just $9.99 shipped, or $14.99 if you want 2-3 day Priority Mail. You can order from our buddy Jason at CarbonBumper.com. If you have any concern about the installation, simply watch the below video for an easy-to-follow overview:
If you want to tackle making your own bumper, figuring out your own carbon fiber DI-NOC business, or want more material…simply purchase the raw material from us! We have competitive pricing, a full selection of all the colors 3M makes the material in, we almost always have material in stock for immediate shipping, we ship extremely quickly and in a protective tube, and we offer the absolute hands-down best customer service you’ll find. We have thousands of customers ranging from entrepreneurs such as Jason to vehicle wrap/aftermarket shops, to large aerospace companies to automotive manufactures to the regular consumer.
This one picture truly shows how amazing a material 3M’s carbon fiber DI-NOC is:
While we didn’t install this, you can see how well the material can conform to complex curves. If you’re doing something along these lines, be sure to use 3M Primer94, which you can read more about in our FAQ.
Our parent site, Carbon Fiber Gear, is known for carrying real carbon fiber accessories like iPhone cases. As of this writing though, we still haven’t seen a real carbon fiber iPhone 4 case…though they are coming. A real carbon fiber case will likely cost between $60-$100. In the meantime, or if you want the look for less, do what one of our customers did…DI-NOC it! Take a look at what one customer did with his newly acquired iPhone 4 with just an $8 sample piece of 3M carbon fiber DI-NOC from us:
Since the back of the iPhone is flat, the installation is extremely easy…and looks great too. Now I wonder if you wrap the outside “bumper”…will it fix the iPhone 4 reception issues? Try it out on your iPhone and let us know, that would be one good looking fix!
This guide was written by one of our customers, Sterling. Sterling offers installation services where you can mail your battery cover or phone to him and he will wrap it with DI-NOC. At the time of this writing, he will do any phone for $20, including return S&H. You can contact him at hrshycro [at] gmail.com.
What You’ll Need
4×6 inch piece of 3M DI-NOC (which you can of course order from us here at Carbon Fiber Film for just $8 shipped)
X-acto knife with sharp blade
Cutting surface
Hair dryer
About 30 minutes of time
DIY Steps
Order an $8 sample size from carbonfiberfilm.com, which includes free shipping.
Find a piece of firm/thin cardboard (like the type from a cereal box), or other similar cutting surface.
Remove the battery cover and set the phone aside.
Make sure the battery cover is clean and free of any grease or dirt.
Align the vinyl with the case, remove the backing and then place it on as smoothly as you can. You can use a credit card to smooth any bubbles out, if needed.
Turn the hair dryer on low and proceed to slowly and evenly heat the vinyl, whilst doing so, smooth it outwards with your thumb and down around all the edges. If the heat is to hot for your hands, then it’s hot enough for the vinyl.
Take your x-acto knife and use the battery case as your guide. Go slowly and make sure of where you’re cutting before you cut, hopefully preventing any miscuts or scratches to the battery cover. Rough cut any extra vinyl around the outer edges of battery cover from the back to the front. Then, from the front to the back fine cut it to fit the edges of the battery cover.
The camera and flash holes are pretty easy. Start by cutting a smaller rough circle in them, then using the type of your blade, just follow the edges of the battery case holes trimming the excess away. Use the same idea for the kick stand.
After that, re-heat shrink it and make sure it’s sealed down good around all the edges. Re-trim any excess.
Punching the holes for the speaker is easy. Just fine a sowing needle that’s just large enough to be pushed/pulled all the way though the larger holes. Personally, I would just do the larger holes. These may have to be redone down the road because pocket heat and normal usage seems to close some of them back up.
Even though we only list DI-NOC sizes up to 10ft x 4ft on our site, did you know that we can actually provide lengths all the way up to 164ft x 4ft? Whether you’re a shop looking to stock more material, or you need much longer lengths for your project, we’ve got you covered. Just give us a call at 443-270-1603, let us know the length you need, and we’ll let you know what we can do.
Typically we base your length over 10 feet long on a $5.95 sq/ft pricing. So if you need 15ft x 4ft, this is 60 sq/ft. 60 sq/ft times $5.95 is $357 for the material. Sizes over half a roll (82ft x 4ft) will receive a break, and full rolls will get even better pricing. Confused? Simply give us a call, and we’ll explain everything to you to better clarify.
Here at Carbon Fiber Film/Carbon Fiber Gear, we’re not just celebrating Father’s Day, we’re celebrating Father’s Month! In honor of our dad’s, we’re providing free shipping to any domestic orders over $50 for the entire month of June. There’s no need for a coupon code or anything, simply add vinyl to your cart, checkout, and choose the free shipping option.
If you were planning to do an install, or just want to stock up on some of 3M’s DI-NOC material, be sure to take advantage of this sale that will only last the month of June.
Sean, one of our customers, has gone wild with his recently acquired 3M carbon fiber DI-NOC vinyl. He wrapped all the gadgets he had including his Xbox 360, two Blackberries, his iPhone, his lighter, and his keys:
Sean was very creative in the installations, this is a good way to show all of the little things that can be wrapped without using too much material.
We love seeing unique applications which use 3M’s carbon fiber DI-NOC vinyl. Australian company Aeror, who makes an aerator to help you breather slower, deeper, and longer..has taken their product to the next level by adding 3M’s carbon fiber vinyl to it.
This was just a test one, but the company has said they would be willing to add it to their product range if people liked it. So if you want to help your breathing, contact Aeror and get your carbon fiber’d aerator!
One of our customers was one of the very first in the country that we’ve seen to use 3M’s carbon fiber vinyl in white. He wrapped the hood on his Toyota Camry:
As you can see, the pattern is almost barely visible, but it’s there.
Our customer best described this as:
Standing 15-20 ft away it looks like a matte white
5-10 ft away you start to see a pattern
When you’re close, you want to touch it, and yes, you can feel the carbon fiber pattern
Note that in some of the shots the camera makes it look off-white, but in actuality it is white.
Also please keep in mind that white is one of the colors that does not have the same guaranteed durability testing from 3M that the darker colors have. While we haven’t seen issues, the material may not lost as long in outdoor environments. If your car is mostly garage kept or a show car, we don’t expect many issues.
3M™ DI-NOC™ is a high-end vinyl from 3M™ from their Architectural Finishes series. The vinyl can be installed on all sorts of surfaces, regardless of the curvature. This means there are an unlimited amount of applications, from the interior of your car to the back of your laptop.
The CA-421 (black) model that we sell gives a dry carbon look, though it's available in 7 different colors. Contrary to initial belief, carbon fiber DI-NOC™ is not just a printed carbon fiber pattern, but in fact has a three-dimensional texture to it. This allows it to reflect light the same way that real carbon fiber would, making it the best real-world alternative to carbon fiber when you just want the look without paying a ton of money. There are plenty of other benefits that make the 3M™ DI-NOC™ carbon fiber vinyl so great, read our FAQ for more info!
