And now, the hardening process is complete:



...and with leg extended:


Below, photo of the much older test unit, coated with the same ceramic lacquer, hardened, and given some harsh treatment (scratching with keys, paper-cutting knife, sandpaper):



As you might notice, the tested surface is clearly visible - no surprise here - but coating never got scratched off to the point of showing silvery aluminum surface underneath - unlike regular lacquer used on aluminum bodies of various expensive devices on the market, which tend to show "shiny scratches" all the time. We're really satisfied with the result.

Now, as for flat backcover and it's after-coating usage test, we haven't encountered any major issues, requiring fixing/re-designing. We're going to make hinges with brass instead of aluminum - just like we're doing already with one part of camera-slide-cover mechanism, not because it deforms or whatsnot, but just in case. Those elements are very small, and considering how comfortable it is to use N900 with the new, big kickstand, we suspect that it's usage may experience kind of renaissance. We wouldn't want to get reports about any damage during more heavy-duty use cases (like, writing angry posts on TMO with device sitting on the desk).

After implementing that, we're moving straight to the "fat" backcover, with it's addition of tripod mounting point! Pre-order people - you may already start to prepare your custom text/logos for being engraved on your backcovers
****

Arien Stokowiec