Lately, Game Boy Zero (GBZ) builds rely more and more on integrating a Raspberry Pi 3 (RPi3) instead of the very famous, and author to the name, Raspberry Pi Zero (RPZ). Due to Kite's Super All-In-One (SAIO) board increased popularity, building a GBZ was made more beginner-friendly along with freeing space in the Game Boy case. Altogether, this lead to an increased demand in stripped RPi3.
I offer here a detailed and illustrated guide on how to strip a RPi3 using basic tools. This method has been mentioned several times before on the forum and in Kite's guide on his SAIO. I am not the author of the idea.
Also, I would like to add that I am not to be held responsible for any damage on your RPi3, do it at your own risk. This guide is meant to increase your chances of success. I can not emphasize enough how important it is to just take your time.
Also, using this method, you will NOT be able to recover the ports as it will literally end in thousand pieces.
Now let's start.
We aim at removing the following parts:
- the two USB ports
- the Ethernet port
- the composite video/audio jack
- the Display DSI and Camera CSI
The final stripped Raspberry Pi 3 should look as follows:
2. Flip it gently open with a blade.
3. Bend the metal in the corner ONLY to avoid damaging the nearby capacitor.
4. Lift the back side of the metal case. You can make it brake by bending it on the sides repetitively with your hands.
5. Make a small cut on the front of the USB port. Do it on both sides.
6. Open the metal case.
7. Make a clean cut with a cutting plier. Apply some strength.
8. Remove the top of the metal casing, again, by repetitively bending the metal on the side with your hands. It will break by itself.
9. Trim the plastic inside with the cutting plier. It is very soft plastic and will break easily.
10. Trim further the metal separator.
11. Remove gently any loose piece.
12. End result. Proceed to second USB port.
2. Flip it gently open with a blade.
3. Lift the back side of the metal case. You can make it brake by bending it on the sides repetitively with your hands.
4. Remove the upper side of the metal case.
5. Remove the sides of the metal case.
6. Make some horizontal cuts with a cutting plier in front of the port.
7. Remove the plastic above the cuts.
8. Remove the plastic on the back.
9. Trim down the plastic as far as possible, do not hesitate to cut in the metal pieces inside.
10. End result.
2. Gently apply a cut with a cutting plier.
3. Bend the metal piece open.
4. Trim the plastic inside gently.
5. Remaining metal piece can be removed by gently bending it to the side.
6. End result.
2. The is the frontal view because I want to insist on cutting the plastic by bending to the sides, left and right. VERY GENTLY, DO NOT RIP OFF.
3. Grab with a long nose plier.
4. Start bending it left and right. Do not apply any force until you have bent it 20 times on each side. No joke. You should feel that the plastic is getting looser.
5. The plastic now being loser, it can be trimmed. Gently. Be careful with the little metal pieces inside, if you rip it of you bring with you the whole wire inside the board.
6. VERY GENTLY break the metal pieces from the board.
7. End result.