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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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Here to learn more so I can recycle more
My grades are my own opinion and not an official grade from Boardsort

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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Learning to grade or grading to learn.

Do be careful with shields especially if you end up tearing them, that edge will be super sharp. I've cut fingers and thumbs multiple times from not heeding my own advice to "Stop doing that stupid" D:

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Here to learn more so I can recycle more
My grades are my own opinion and not an official grade from Boardsort

Oh I bet. On the flip side ive done concrete or mechanic my whole life. It takes alot to mess up my hands cause theyre so rough. Its nice if I catch the edge of a grinder or something it just cleans my calluses off but there's lots those hands arent the best for ....