Hardware Tips on housing mod

[Hirugaru]

Hello guys!

I'm thinking about give a new fresh look to my old N3Ds, the smaller one, and I cant find any "custom" housing online.

I'm looking to do something similar of what the OoT3D edition 3Ds would look like, since I cant find any housing with the illustrations or designs of the version, I'm thinking in doing a fully "custom" print on my device.

My objectives are:

1- Give a paint job from "inside out" (kind of the feeling I have when I pick it up and see that the "paint job" is on the inner part of the acrylic housing)
For this I would have to completelly remove the old paint

What kind of solvent should I use to remove it? Is it possible?

2- If possible, mashup some different colors on the buttons

3- Maybe do a hardware mod microusb port (I already have all the cables inside ready to solder then in the MicroSD card)

4- My 3Ds had a logic board problem recently, and I had to repair it with some new components, and I couldnt charge it through me charging port. I would like to give a "upgrade" on the battery, I have a cilindrical 4800mAh that have about 4cm diameter that I'm willing to put inside it, even with a buff on the housing (I prefer battery life than a slim device).

5- I saw in some youtube video someone put a QI wirelless charging coil inside it and I would like to try it.

So... First things first... How can I remove the paint from the housing? Im thinking in making it clear, then I can paint some of my own work on it with excelent quality acrylic paint.
If everything else is too much for his tiny body, I'll definetly make just the paint job, in order to feel more personal in some way.

Is someone interested in how this will look like?

 

[jamezfat]

The smaller new 3DS has a matte finish coat over the main plastic body.

You can try chemical bases methods to removing it, but Nintendo makes fairly robust stuff, so I doubt that will do much.

Honestly, your best bet is to gently sand it down, just enough to get the matte finish off

You would want very fine sand paper of course

And you could probably even use something like a magic eraser.
It would take a while, but you aren't likely to wear it down too far with something like that

 

[TurdPooCharger]

1- Give a paint job from "inside out" (kind of the feeling I have when I pick it up and see that the "paint job" is on the inner part of the acrylic housing)
For this I would have to completelly remove the old paint

What kind of solvent should I use to remove it? Is it possible?

The shell housings for the 3DS systems are not clear plastic. It's blow inject molded ABS with a base color of black or white depending if the unit came in warm or cool color. You'll have to change plans to exterior coloring.

There are numerous tutorials out there about colorizing consoles, handhelds, and controllers. There are paint strippers safe for ABS, but I'm not sure what's carried in Brazil. Some people go straight to fine grit paper sanding (with stripper or water), spray painting with primer, color, and sealant, low heat baking the paint for stronger paint bond, and micro polishing for smoother finish. There's even camo painting dipping something into water. Even crazier are those who either anodize or powder coating the plastics with electrostatic primer.

2- If possible, mashup some different colors on the buttons

Parts for the n3DS are hard to come by.

• [eBay - wiigotem] autin's corner
• [aliexpress] ABXY Cross Press Key Button Repair Part Replace for NEW Nintendo 3DS Console

3- Maybe do a hardware mod microusb port (I already have all the cables inside ready to solder then in the MicroSD card)

The only purposes of MicroUSB are:

• hardmod - No longer relevant since there are NTRboot and *miners.
  
• Replacement Charger Port [1][2]- There's no data line. You can also use 3DS-to-Micro-B adapter like this.
• Video Capture Card - Not going to be available for long because the company Katsukity went bankrupt.

4- My 3Ds had a logic board problem recently, and I had to repair it with some new components, and I couldnt charge it through me charging port. I would like to give a "upgrade" on the battery, I have a cilindrical 4800mAh that have about 4cm diameter that I'm willing to put inside it, even with a buff on the housing (I prefer battery life than a slim device).

• Is there a battery upgrade for the "New 3ds"??
• Mugen Power - Nintendo New 3DSLL (Japan) / 3DS XL (Europe & USA) 6250mAh Extended Battery
• Mugen Power - Nintendo 3DSXL / 3DSLL 5800mAh Extended Battery with Cover (Not New Nintendo 3DSXL / 3DSLL version)

5- I saw in some youtube video someone put a QI wirelless charging coil inside it and I would like to try it.

Oh, you mean @Dennis G?

• Wireless charge + Bluetooth Mod Guide N3Ds XL in 4K

You gotta make sure you get a Qi pad with thin coil packs. There are crappy ones with use fat coils that won't fit nor charge as good.

So... First things first... How can I remove the paint from the housing? Im thinking in making it clear, then I can paint some of my own work on it with excelent quality acrylic paint.
If everything else is too much for his tiny body, I'll definetly make just the paint job, in order to feel more personal in some way.

The only transparent or clear 3DS known to exist is in Nintendo's possession.

• [kotaku] This Is the Nintendo 3DS XL I Want: The Transparent One.

If you're still interesting in a clear housing shell, be ready to fork over serious amounts of R$ to custom blown injection mold them. You would have to get in contact with China based companies that make and resell the official shells housings on aliexpress/alibaba, dhgate, etc. They have the blueprints but will only make them if you wholesale purchase several hundred units at the upper hundreds / lower thousands dollars per a placed order. Basically, this kind of purchase means you plan to be an front end seller of 3DS clear shells.

The next best bet is to reverse engineer the shell molds with a 1-to-1 CAD model and then 3D print them in clear plastic. This too is also super expensive.

Is someone interested in how this will look like?

Whatever mods you pull off, do tell and share.

***

Late Edit #1 - Okay, there were clear o2DS.

Late Edit #2 - Got my terminologies wrong. Blow molding is more common with glassware using air. Injection molding is filling liquid plastic into shaped cavity.