I just upgraded my iPad, and figured that this time, I wanted to pretty it up from the start. This is PG walnut and maple veneer (may try my luck later with cherry veneer for the blossoms…). I drew the design in Adobe Illustrator Draw, and did the cleanup work (also pictured) in Illustrator on Windows.
Notes:
The magnets inside the iPad and matching cases will still hold through the veneer. I covered the contacts for the new Apple keyboard, but I decided I could live without it, especially since I could buy a Brydge Bluetooth keyboard and show the thing off. You can remove and reapply the smaller pieces without damaging them or the back, as far as I can tell, but using a spudger is recommended. Once they’re taped on, they don’t show any signs of wanting to come loose.
It occurred to me after the fact that applying a thin layer of vinyl would have protected me against buyer’s remorse, but I’m happy enough with it that I’m not worried about the potential aftermath when I get around to selling it.
It’s gorgeous! You’ll have to let us know down the road, how it holds up to handling. I did something similar on the keys of my autoharp, and to protect the engraving I coated them with uv-curing resin. The keys are holding up very well.
