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Best way to remove steel shields? I've tried many of times and always end up destroying the board and pulling the copper up. But I have hundreds of these boards so I would hate to throw then in for a lower grade. Cisco wifi boards

Some shields are one piece and others have lids and leave fences (terminology I use). If it's just a lid, pop that off and usually the fence can stay

For one piece shields, attack the gaps with a flathead screwdriver or other pokey thing if there is a gap and use those to pry up a corner or edge.

Use a set of cutters to crimp into a corner without cutting and use that to pry up. Can switch to a flathead once there's a gap if you want.

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Ok thanks. Yeah I do pop the caps off but these are soldered on. That us usually what I do tho but I usually f it up some how lol

OP I was right with you when I first started recycling boards almost 6-8 months ago. I had no idea how to remove the metal shields and was very intimated by it. Then I started to research and read posts on the forum here.

My method, although not the best, is to take my mini angle pliers or my large angle pliers depending on the size of the metal caps and peel back. There is a trick and once you do more and more they get a bit easier. I will say some are still a PITA.

I now and teaching my father how to remove the shields. He has been giving me all the boards he gets for the past few months. I showed him how to remove heatsinks that are "pasted" on the chips too.

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