Great video! I followed this guide to reshell my DS Lite and it worked perfectly! A couple things to be careful if you are following as well: 4:14 - You don't really need to detach the touch pad cable, as we are not taking off the bottom screen in this process, and putting that cable back in is a HUGE pain. 10:25 - It might be easier to just pull the microphone and wifi cables out before rolling the ribbon cable in. 11:44 - Use the ring that comes with the shell bundle instead of the OEM one. See 15:34
30:30 the directional pad and buttons from the original shell are made to a different thickness then the replacement once and the shell is made to the replacement buttons and directional pad thickness so the ds lite is not wanting to be seated flush with the bottom shell do to the to thick buttons and directional pad. I hope this helps clear any confusion everyone is wondering about.
If that were the case then it wouldn’t sit flush on both sides because of the xyab buttons. As well the top of the ds lite has a slight concave to it so that the buttons have a decent gap to not make contact with the top half.
WOW!! I can't believe how did I miss that. I did 4 DS lite reshells. And thinking about it only the ones I used the original button has a visible gap.. I just did this shell yesterday and used included button..its flush almost perfect.
@abdullahrex4769 you didn't that guy was just yapping, the other person who commented said they did the same shell swap with the buttons made for it. Same issue, it's the seller.
I had to replace the top screen on my ds lite and I remember rolling the ribbon cable in the hinge and thinking how the employees must have been professional cigarette rollers in the factory.
With the black buttons, I would’ve used the black L/R buttons and stylus sheath as well. Would’ve completed the overall scheme. What do you think? And I agree, stylus sheath is my new name for it as well.
20:33 "What's the harm eh?" So I know this was a rhetorical question and you weren't specifically asking for criticism, but in the interest of educating everyone and to help maintain the longevity of consoles everywhere I wanted to offer this tidbit that I've found most people aren't aware of. Love the channel BTW, that Pokedex shell kicks ass. Many switches and pots have a lubricant inside applied at the factory. Flooding them with alcohol washes away the lubricant, causing friction wear to occur faster. Not all switches and pots are lubed, and I don't know if the nintendo ones specifically are or not, but it's usually best practice to either; only clean pots and switches that have demonstrated malfunction, or after cleaning them, add an electronic lube like Deoxit fader grease that's easily applied with a syringe, or F5 spray lube, that I would spray into another container and use a dropper to dispense. Absolute best practice would definitely be to clean and re-lube everything, but it's being pretty nitpicky and it's often not necessary to keep a console working. Stylus sheath is a good term. Love it.
I gotta say, it's impressive just how cheap the DS Lite was considering how much seems to be packed into it. And I know with mine I had put in several thousands of hours and its hinge never became loose, the screens always looked nice, everything just worked. I'm fairly confident I put even more time into it than I did my Game Boy Pocket.
26:33 that little sticker thing is to connect the cartridge slot to ground on the pcb. without that metal covered sticker there would be one more wire that you'd have to run from the pcb over to that bottom cover.
That's so sad about the shell not sitting flush when closed. It's such an awesome looking piece. Regardless, I enjoyed watching the video. These long form repair/mod videos are what made me sub to you in the first place. :)
Hey Elliot, thanks for this. I’ve had a real busy and stressful day. Had to wake up early, go through a long school day, and go to a 4-hour baseball practice. It was great to finally get to relax for half an hour and watch what you do before I need to get back to more work. I have a whole essay for an AP class due tomorrow, and I have to do the whole thing tonight (even though it’s a “group” research project you know how those things usually go). Thank you so much for giving me a chance to calm down and take a break from my busy day. Also I absolutely love the DS lite. It was my first console and now that I’m older I love taking it apart. I wish I could have had a guide as detailed as this when I started. I have a couple the DS lite motherboards that I try to use for experimenting with technology and stuff like that (I plan on going college for computer science and electrical engineering mainly because your videos got me hooked on tech), and I have some DSes that my siblings and I use. One thing to note is that the DS lite only needs the battery to boot. As far as I can tell even a dead one works too. As long as you have the board plugged in you can just hook up the battery then take it out as soon as it turns on. It makes the DS easier to test, so I hope that would be helpful to you sometime in the future. And as far as I can tell, that little thing under the stylus sheath and the sticky bit on the GBA slot’s cartridge shield do absolutely nothing. Sorry, that’s a lot to read, but thank you so much Elliot!
i actually just did this shell swap from this company, i got the Japanese Famicom one and RIGHT AT THE END literally last screw i put maybe 2% more torque than usual cause the bottom shell wasn't seated properly and i stripped the threads on the shell, So for anyone that does this just make sure that it all seats properly before trying to screw the back on!! Solid Video Elliot! Killing it as always!!
Thank you so much for the video! A few months back I brought back my old DS Lite from my parents place with the intent to repair it. I got it used from ebay many years ago and it lasted me only like 2 or 3 months because it too had been shell swapped but the previous owner just violently shoved the screen ribbon cable through the hinge, crumpling it all up and so the screen would just die on me. Now with this video I'm feeling ever more confident in repairing this little guy some time in the future with a new shell and screen :) Glory to the stylus sheath!
Appreciate the more in-depth guide to re-shelling the DS Lite. Hope the next time I try this I won't have to resort to using an official shell piece alongside the new shell when putting it together
I did a shell swap on the original ds. Fun to do. I have a ds lite that is on the brink of a hinge breaking. Thank you for this video. Love the content.
I love it when you tubers make 2nd channels for their less "viewed" content bc half of the time it's still really entertaining especially with Elliot he's always up to something and it's interesting
I did one of these a few days ago! On their website, the buttons are supposed to be white face buttons, blue start and select, black d-pad and red shoulder and power/volume switch. They work well enough and look good in that color combo. Also they use the white top screen bezel as well. Nice look with the originals though! Also mine closes fine? Not sure if it was because I got it from ExtremeRate on Amazon rather than AliExpress. I've also done one of their clear shells too!
I do love that you picked the red stylus sheath, but I think the black would have worked great too. A small bit of hair dryer heat might help straighten that lid, but obviously it would have to come back apart.
I finally got this shell delivered today! And it turned out so beautiful man I love it, thankfully i got some experience with ds lites but your video still helped a lot here and there. But now i honestly don't know what to do with it i got way to many handhelds so i'm probably never gonna play it, I'm not sure if i should sell it because i am kinda proud about how amazing it turned out
It’s crazy you posted this after I failed my ds shell swap last night 😂. I actually got through the ribbon cable part no problem but I ended up destroying the digitizer trying to take the bezel off
Edit: Just saw the ending, and want to say my replacement shell has this exact problem in regards to closing. Lot's of DS Lite third party shells are faulty in some way or another. This problem was just visual, but as I described below they may also have defects which can cause damage. Try to get an original shell from a defective unit if you can! Idunno about the difficulty of this. It was my very first mod and it basically gave me experience with every type of component challenge (except soldering thank god) in a noob friendly way. Yes the ribbon cable is fragile and the rubber screw covers can get damaged, but you've gotta learn to handle those if you want to start modding any handheld. The ones in the DS Lite are not the most fragile in the world. It's for sure easier than the 3DS or a joycon, and good practice if you want to work on those. The only problem I had was that my replacement shell was absolute garbage (even when i bought it from Zedlabs) and closing it cracked the EM-10 filter on the motherboard (a little plastic square next to the battery housing was just a little off). If the shell you've bought is good (or even better, from a defective DS lite) I think this is actually very good first/second build. And most importantly, a DS lite is a lot cheaper to replace than a GBA if you've screwed it up!
This is the video I needed, I found a broken DS Lite and I've to change the shell (and probably the motherboard) hearing that your first time doing this was when you were a kid gives me enought confidence to not fuck it up
In the realm of modern artifacts, akin to the fantastical creations of Middle-Earth, there lies the "Stylus Sheath," a slender and mystical dwelling crafted with the precision of Elven smiths. Resembling the scabbards of elvish blades, this sheath, no more than a few inches long, is a narrow, elongated cavity, seamlessly integrated into the side of a magical tablet known to some as the "Nintendo DS Lite." Its surface, smooth and unassuming, is imbued with the subtle artistry of the dwarves, featuring gentle curves and an elegance that belies its mundane purpose. This sheath, a guardian of sorts, holds within its confines a slender wand, a "stylus," with the grace of a wizard's staff. It is a tool of interaction between realms, a bridge between the world of mortals and the digital lands that lie within the tablet. The sheath's design is deceptively simple yet functional, allowing the stylus to slide in and out with ease, much like the swords of Gondorian knights into their sheaths. In color, it often matches the hue of its host device, ranging from the deep blacks of Mordor to the silvery whites reminiscent of the walls of Minas Tirith. This unification of color creates an aesthetic harmony, making the sheath not just a holder, but an integral part of the tablet's mystical allure. In essence, the Stylus Sheath, though a small and often overlooked part of this modern-day artifact, carries with it the elegance and mystique of the legendary crafts seen in the tales of Middle-Earth.
Custom shells can be cool, I might get some eventually. I did a shell swap once, taking the internals out of a broken shell and putting them into a good OEM shell that had broken internals. Hardest part is definitely getting those wires back through the hinge, and that is even harder to do on DSi and 3DS consoles because there are more wires.
"Stylus sheath" is such a good name. All that top screen shenanigans had me sweating. I've reshelled a GBA SP before and that was frustrating enough but working on a DS would make me nervous.
Stylus sheath is best name for it. Also a nice way to get the top screen to lay flat, you could try using yarn to tie it down and leave it tied down for a month to give it new shape.
I'm really glad you go with the original Buttons. It just looks so nice! The black and red looks really good. Maybe to go with the OG Pokédex Style they could have added green and yellow buttons. It's just really sad that it doesn't close properly.
Watched this and had to do it myself. I'd never done any mods on anything at all before, and thanks to the video it went pretty great! I did however break the digitizer clip on a motherboard, and ripped the digitizer off of the ribbon cable because I thought it was a screen protector. At least I bought two DS lites to do this, I knew I'd break some stuff on my first go.
The first mod that I did was on a DSi XL. I've always wanted a yellow DSi XL since yellow is my favorite color and i saw a picture of a yellow DSi XL. After doing some research, I found out that the yellow DSi XL never came out in the US and so I bought a Japanese Yellow DSi LL (XL) on eBay. I had a different DSi XL and so I took out the USA mainboard and then took out the Japanese mainboard and replaced it with the USA mainboard. because I was only messing with the mainboard and not the other boards and the top screen, the whole process was basically just unscrewing screws and unplugging ribbon cables which was fairly easy.
Hey Elliot, groovy job aligning the stylus sheath! Sorry about the top half bend. I don't usually ask the following because it's probably irrelevant, but if you or any other commenter might know I'd appreciate it. I'm looking for a UA-cam tech restoration/repair channel I used to watch but forgot to bookmark and UA-cam nuked my watch and like history from far enough back that I can't search my own history for it and I want to start watching his videos again. I distinctly remember the guy favored a TS-100/TS-101 soldering iron, has a Canadian or Midwestern/North-midwestern American accent/dialect (like Chicagoan, Wisconsin, or Michigan region), and has definitely done repairs on consoles like the Sega Master System (though UA-cam searching has been abysmal for trying to find these videos on keyword searching alone).
@@mortemincarnatam2836 Nah, it's not Tito doing Retro Renew at Macho Nacho, though I enjoy his content as well. I said guy sounded like he has a Canadian or midwestern/north-midwestern American accent but left out that he's basically white. I've been trying other console repair searches in UA-cam's search like PC Engine and Virtual Boy but it's not giving me the result I'm looking for.
Somehow magically an old Game Gear repair video of his showed up in the sidebar after I watched a video today! The channel is Borderline OCD, y'all! :)
Pouring IPA into the lid *directly above the screen* sent my heart racing. I recommend not doing that-speaking from experience. There *are* places isopropyl can't evaporate from. Also, regarding the bowed top shell, try loosening and re-tightening the top shell screws! You can easily trap tension in the multilayered plastic sandwich.
i did an ExtremeRate shell swap for my DS lite recently and I went with their chameleon purple blue shell + black buttons and it turned out SUPER NICE. It's not perfect which was be expected with 3rd party stuff, but it looks and feels super high quality.
Even for me, who repairs DS Lites for three years now, this is still entertaining. My first mod was on a GBA. Thanks to your videos, which made me want to do the mod.
Please loosen and re-tighten the top lid screws. You've probably got some tension trapped between the layers-if not, you may be able to *add* tension to flatten it out!
A lil piece of advice for anyone shell swapping. There's no need to disconnect the ribbon cable that connects the touch screen because it's small putting it back in Is just a pain and can get by without removing it. Also since the ribbon cable is so small it's also very delicate
Stylus sheath, also this is such a cool video, itd be cool if you did the white dpad instead since that seems to be a bit more similar to the og pokedexes
Loving the name Stylus sheath. Great informative Video. I thought i ruined one of my DS lites trying to change shells but seeing this gives me confidence i can salvage it.
Super cool DS Case! Truly inspired design. You are now obligated to play all Pokémon games on this thing. Love it sincerely. Undeniably this is fantastic background viewing. Sorry for the disjointed message just have a lot to get out. So chances are you suspect there's a hidden message here. Hate to say it but if there is I'm not gonna give any hints. Even if you ask nicely. Anyway I'm running outta things to say. Thanks for reading this. Hope you have a fantastic day. ❤
Anyone else have those permo-raised bumps on their DS Lite inner casing from overtightening the internal screws when reassembling back in the day? Or considering becoming an hero over the R and L springs? Ahhh, good old days.
if you are doing this and if you used third party replacement make sure to isolate the back of the screen, if you dont do that you could pop fuses on the mainboard when turning the console on! again this only applys if you bought an new replacement screen. i wished he would have followed the offical guide provided bei extremerate (those who make that shell) theres plenty of felt pads suppossed togo into the top and lower shell aswell. (i dont think those are 100% needed but nintendo original shells had them too. otherwise the video is great i love doing does DS Lite shell swaps myselft, sadly i dont get much chances todo them.
The interior of the top half of that Pokédex kinda reminds me of a Game and Watch. Sucks about the top being bent (cuz that Pokédex shell looks *AMAZING*), but I think that's just a common occurrence even with the stock factory shells - my DSlite has that issue to a degree, as does my N2DSXL.
Stylus Sheath! Btw good job on the shell swap, you made it look so easy! I myself opened a NDSL before and it does not ends very well 😅 so yea good job!
Fair warning when it comes to extreme rate shells, they’re great quality for a reshell but I don’t recommend setting the white wire (the mic) below the board like you normally would, twice I’ve had to put it under the ds cartridge just like the black wire (antenna) because the wire makes it just thick enough to not seat the mobo properly and due to that the shell won’t properly close and trying to force it will break the lcd.
I had the same issue when I went and restored / customized my childhood DS Lite last summer. I guess it is one of the cons of buying an aftermarket shell. Oh and I definitely think it should be called “ stylus sheath “.
0:50 i would not advice starting with the ds lite. Me who broke like 5 ds lites before i learned how to properly work on them. Jokes aside, ds lites have become my bread and butter so see that extremerate is making ds lite shells gives me hope to actually start making and selling some of these ds lites i have lying around in parts.
For the antenna connector tie thread to it before you remove it then leave the thread through the hole then untie. Do swap then re-tie thread and pull back through 👍
Massage the top housing by twisting it back and forth gently and eventually it sits flush. It’s because of the four screws that pull the front back and make it bow up.
Dang that was a cool relaxed video, stylus sheath shall be what it's called from now on For the bowing maybe a bit of hot hair from a hair dryer on low while holding the shell closed tight could help relax the plastic and hold it in position while it cools again, regardless it looks sweet
There totally does seem to be a bit of bowing in the plastic. Might be worth going back over some of the screws and making sure they’re not over-tightened, which can cause them to slightly warp plastic housings. Unfortunately as we know, AliExpress deals mainly in low prices and not the highest quality. Still a lovely build though, great vid!
bowing top is a common problem with aftermarket shells. Bought a black aftermarket shell and that has exactly the same problem of the screen not closibg all the way because it is bowed
I remember when i first disassembled my old ds lite a few years back long after the hinge grenaded and as a result of me continuing to use it after the hinge went, one of the speakers died from the stress put on the ribbon cable, so i decided to try to do a repair. First problem: I hadnt pushed out the bottom screen when trying to remove the motherboard so was tugging on it wondering what's the hang up before realizing the screen glues into the shell (this will come back later) Second problem: I hadnt bought a replacement shell or top half (idk why, i guess i figured it was a cadaver already) Third part: Wow that was a pain in the rear with the wifi cable and the hinge curling. After pulling it to bits, i decided to just put it back together for now after taking the plunge on opening it for the first time, but when i did, it'd turn on then blink off. Having had enough of it up to that point, i left it like that for a few years. Last weekend, I decided to reseat that bottom screen cable to try to amend that power on issue, but no dice. After several attempts, I finally came to terms with my bottom screen being borked, lovely. On the bright side, its battery went to my new/replacement ds lite because the batt in the new one had expanded to the point it barely fits in the battery compartment now, so glad I got that spicy pillow out. Now my old lite sits in my closet where it was before, but at least with the guts all back in the shell instead of loose. If anyone's got suggestions on where to get a good set of screens and shell for not too much, lmk.
I never had the patience or hand coordination to do these breakdowns of these handhelds. Replaced my Switch screen without all the tools on hand, because I tried to do a shell swap only to rip a cable to the screen and had to wait 2 weeks for a replacement. put it all together but now I see little particles of debris between the screens.
Great video! I followed this guide to reshell my DS Lite and it worked perfectly! A couple things to be careful if you are following as well:
4:14 - You don't really need to detach the touch pad cable, as we are not taking off the bottom screen in this process, and putting that cable back in is a HUGE pain.
10:25 - It might be easier to just pull the microphone and wifi cables out before rolling the ribbon cable in.
11:44 - Use the ring that comes with the shell bundle instead of the OEM one. See 15:34
Great advice! Thanks :)
30:30 the directional pad and buttons from the original shell are made to a different thickness then the replacement once and the shell is made to the replacement buttons and directional pad thickness so the ds lite is not wanting to be seated flush with the bottom shell do to the to thick buttons and directional pad. I hope this helps clear any confusion everyone is wondering about.
It does look like the plastic was slightly bowed as well like Elliot said
i have also used this same shell from extremerate and i used the included rubber contacts and buttons and mine also has that slight bend in it
If that were the case then it wouldn’t sit flush on both sides because of the xyab buttons. As well the top of the ds lite has a slight concave to it so that the buttons have a decent gap to not make contact with the top half.
WOW!! I can't believe how did I miss that. I did 4 DS lite reshells. And thinking about it only the ones I used the original button has a visible gap..
I just did this shell yesterday and used included button..its flush almost perfect.
@abdullahrex4769 you didn't that guy was just yapping, the other person who commented said they did the same shell swap with the buttons made for it. Same issue, it's the seller.
I had to replace the top screen on my ds lite and I remember rolling the ribbon cable in the hinge and thinking how the employees must have been professional cigarette rollers in the factory.
yea. "cigarettes"
Honestly, stylus sheath is probably the best name I’ve ever heard somebody call that so now I will always call it a stylish sheath
With the black buttons, I would’ve used the black L/R buttons and stylus sheath as well.
Would’ve completed the overall scheme. What do you think?
And I agree, stylus sheath is my new name for it as well.
a Japanese company with a history of having some of the worlds best swords, i can defs get behind calling it a stylish sheath
20:33 "What's the harm eh?"
So I know this was a rhetorical question and you weren't specifically asking for criticism, but in the interest of educating everyone and to help maintain the longevity of consoles everywhere I wanted to offer this tidbit that I've found most people aren't aware of. Love the channel BTW, that Pokedex shell kicks ass.
Many switches and pots have a lubricant inside applied at the factory. Flooding them with alcohol washes away the lubricant, causing friction wear to occur faster. Not all switches and pots are lubed, and I don't know if the nintendo ones specifically are or not, but it's usually best practice to either; only clean pots and switches that have demonstrated malfunction, or after cleaning them, add an electronic lube like Deoxit fader grease that's easily applied with a syringe, or F5 spray lube, that I would spray into another container and use a dropper to dispense.
Absolute best practice would definitely be to clean and re-lube everything, but it's being pretty nitpicky and it's often not necessary to keep a console working.
Stylus sheath is a good term. Love it.
I appreciate the education. Had no idea this was a danger of alcohol cleaners.
This is quality information, thanks!
thank you for sharing this! incredibly helpful and important information. I'll 100% be adding this to my mental repair catalogue
@@levi-young I'm super glad to be of help. Good luck with your projects and repairs.
I gotta say, it's impressive just how cheap the DS Lite was considering how much seems to be packed into it. And I know with mine I had put in several thousands of hours and its hinge never became loose, the screens always looked nice, everything just worked. I'm fairly confident I put even more time into it than I did my Game Boy Pocket.
26:33 that little sticker thing is to connect the cartridge slot to ground on the pcb. without that metal covered sticker there would be one more wire that you'd have to run from the pcb over to that bottom cover.
Stylus sheath is such a good name that I have completely forgotten what I used to call it
That's so sad about the shell not sitting flush when closed. It's such an awesome looking piece. Regardless, I enjoyed watching the video. These long form repair/mod videos are what made me sub to you in the first place. :)
It's because he used the original DS buttons not the white ones that were less tall.
Hey Elliot, thanks for this. I’ve had a real busy and stressful day. Had to wake up early, go through a long school day, and go to a 4-hour baseball practice. It was great to finally get to relax for half an hour and watch what you do before I need to get back to more work. I have a whole essay for an AP class due tomorrow, and I have to do the whole thing tonight (even though it’s a “group” research project you know how those things usually go). Thank you so much for giving me a chance to calm down and take a break from my busy day.
Also I absolutely love the DS lite. It was my first console and now that I’m older I love taking it apart. I wish I could have had a guide as detailed as this when I started. I have a couple the DS lite motherboards that I try to use for experimenting with technology and stuff like that (I plan on going college for computer science and electrical engineering mainly because your videos got me hooked on tech), and I have some DSes that my siblings and I use. One thing to note is that the DS lite only needs the battery to boot. As far as I can tell even a dead one works too. As long as you have the board plugged in you can just hook up the battery then take it out as soon as it turns on. It makes the DS easier to test, so I hope that would be helpful to you sometime in the future.
And as far as I can tell, that little thing under the stylus sheath and the sticky bit on the GBA slot’s cartridge shield do absolutely nothing.
Sorry, that’s a lot to read, but thank you so much Elliot!
Glad you enjoyed the video dude!
These custom off brand shells are so cool, I love it when I stumble upon a cool one once in a while
i actually just did this shell swap from this company, i got the Japanese Famicom one and RIGHT AT THE END literally last screw i put maybe 2% more torque than usual cause the bottom shell wasn't seated properly and i stripped the threads on the shell, So for anyone that does this just make sure that it all seats properly before trying to screw the back on!! Solid Video Elliot! Killing it as always!!
Man this had main channel potential for sure!!
not compared to what i have coming on the main channel!
@@elliotcoll cant wait =D
Yeah, this is pretty routine.. Love the Pokedex shell tho. Can't wait for that main channel content!
@@elliotcoll Sounds promising! But I still love this type of videos! Just like how it all started 🤩
Maybe the reason why it won't close is because of the height of the original black buttons
Thank you so much for the video!
A few months back I brought back my old DS Lite from my parents place with the intent to repair it. I got it used from ebay many years ago and it lasted me only like 2 or 3 months because it too had been shell swapped but the previous owner just violently shoved the screen ribbon cable through the hinge, crumpling it all up and so the screen would just die on me.
Now with this video I'm feeling ever more confident in repairing this little guy some time in the future with a new shell and screen :)
Glory to the stylus sheath!
Appreciate the more in-depth guide to re-shelling the DS Lite. Hope the next time I try this I won't have to resort to using an official shell piece alongside the new shell when putting it together
I did a shell swap on the original ds. Fun to do. I have a ds lite that is on the brink of a hinge breaking. Thank you for this video. Love the content.
2:13 Just some advice for anyone dealing with any type of proprietary screws a flathead small enough usually works if you wedge it in there
This sounds like using it as a crowbar I just want to preface that I do mean unscrewing
I love it when you tubers make 2nd channels for their less "viewed" content bc half of the time it's still really entertaining especially with Elliot he's always up to something and it's interesting
I did one of these a few days ago! On their website, the buttons are supposed to be white face buttons, blue start and select, black d-pad and red shoulder and power/volume switch. They work well enough and look good in that color combo. Also they use the white top screen bezel as well. Nice look with the originals though!
Also mine closes fine? Not sure if it was because I got it from ExtremeRate on Amazon rather than AliExpress. I've also done one of their clear shells too!
These longer style videos are my absolute favorite from you. Cheers mate, stay well
Get ready for a 1 hour long vlog in canada coming soon!
I do love that you picked the red stylus sheath, but I think the black would have worked great too. A small bit of hair dryer heat might help straighten that lid, but obviously it would have to come back apart.
I finally got this shell delivered today! And it turned out so beautiful man I love it, thankfully i got some experience with ds lites but your video still helped a lot here and there.
But now i honestly don't know what to do with it i got way to many handhelds so i'm probably never gonna play it, I'm not sure if i should sell it because i am kinda proud about how amazing it turned out
36:32 When he said "bye", he sounded exactly like StampyLongNose.
Real
It’s crazy you posted this after I failed my ds shell swap last night 😂. I actually got through the ribbon cable part no problem but I ended up destroying the digitizer trying to take the bezel off
oh no!! you can buy another on ebay!
This is amazing tutorial, despite me not owning DS, I really love detailed and well explained tutorials about modifying HW.
Edit: Just saw the ending, and want to say my replacement shell has this exact problem in regards to closing. Lot's of DS Lite third party shells are faulty in some way or another. This problem was just visual, but as I described below they may also have defects which can cause damage. Try to get an original shell from a defective unit if you can!
Idunno about the difficulty of this. It was my very first mod and it basically gave me experience with every type of component challenge (except soldering thank god) in a noob friendly way. Yes the ribbon cable is fragile and the rubber screw covers can get damaged, but you've gotta learn to handle those if you want to start modding any handheld. The ones in the DS Lite are not the most fragile in the world. It's for sure easier than the 3DS or a joycon, and good practice if you want to work on those.
The only problem I had was that my replacement shell was absolute garbage (even when i bought it from Zedlabs) and closing it cracked the EM-10 filter on the motherboard (a little plastic square next to the battery housing was just a little off). If the shell you've bought is good (or even better, from a defective DS lite) I think this is actually very good first/second build. And most importantly, a DS lite is a lot cheaper to replace than a GBA if you've screwed it up!
I could imagine an anime character, drawing their sword, but instead of a sword it’s a stylus because stylus sheath
0:35 FREEDOM BUTTONS🦅🦅🦅
This is the video I needed, I found a broken DS Lite and I've to change the shell (and probably the motherboard) hearing that your first time doing this was when you were a kid gives me enought confidence to not fuck it up
This is like having a nightmare but you are awake and on youtube. Amazing tutorial, taking nothing away from you but what the heck were they thinking
Yay! Something to watch at work!
Same here lol
Cool re-shell! I really like the Stylus sheath, it really suits the mod 🙂
the mate finish reminds me of the first Nintendo DS, a friend had the red one and what a beautiful machine
In the realm of modern artifacts, akin to the fantastical creations of Middle-Earth, there lies the "Stylus Sheath," a slender and mystical dwelling crafted with the precision of Elven smiths. Resembling the scabbards of elvish blades, this sheath, no more than a few inches long, is a narrow, elongated cavity, seamlessly integrated into the side of a magical tablet known to some as the "Nintendo DS Lite." Its surface, smooth and unassuming, is imbued with the subtle artistry of the dwarves, featuring gentle curves and an elegance that belies its mundane purpose.
This sheath, a guardian of sorts, holds within its confines a slender wand, a "stylus," with the grace of a wizard's staff. It is a tool of interaction between realms, a bridge between the world of mortals and the digital lands that lie within the tablet. The sheath's design is deceptively simple yet functional, allowing the stylus to slide in and out with ease, much like the swords of Gondorian knights into their sheaths.
In color, it often matches the hue of its host device, ranging from the deep blacks of Mordor to the silvery whites reminiscent of the walls of Minas Tirith. This unification of color creates an aesthetic harmony, making the sheath not just a holder, but an integral part of the tablet's mystical allure. In essence, the Stylus Sheath, though a small and often overlooked part of this modern-day artifact, carries with it the elegance and mystique of the legendary crafts seen in the tales of Middle-Earth.
WOW. That was thoroughly enjoyable to read. Comment of the video without a shadow of a doubt. Thank you for the entertainment!
Custom shells can be cool, I might get some eventually. I did a shell swap once, taking the internals out of a broken shell and putting them into a good OEM shell that had broken internals. Hardest part is definitely getting those wires back through the hinge, and that is even harder to do on DSi and 3DS consoles because there are more wires.
Happy to watch the Stylus Samurai installing his Stylus Sheath. Great video!
"Stylus sheath" is such a good name.
All that top screen shenanigans had me sweating. I've reshelled a GBA SP before and that was frustrating enough but working on a DS would make me nervous.
Stylus sheath is best name for it. Also a nice way to get the top screen to lay flat, you could try using yarn to tie it down and leave it tied down for a month to give it new shape.
I'm really glad you go with the original Buttons. It just looks so nice! The black and red looks really good. Maybe to go with the OG Pokédex Style they could have added green and yellow buttons. It's just really sad that it doesn't close properly.
Man I can’t wait to start rewatching videos of yours like this once I graduate and find cheap consoles to reshell and personalise
Watched this and had to do it myself. I'd never done any mods on anything at all before, and thanks to the video it went pretty great! I did however break the digitizer clip on a motherboard, and ripped the digitizer off of the ribbon cable because I thought it was a screen protector. At least I bought two DS lites to do this, I knew I'd break some stuff on my first go.
The first mod that I did was on a DSi XL. I've always wanted a yellow DSi XL since yellow is my favorite color and i saw a picture of a yellow DSi XL. After doing some research, I found out that the yellow DSi XL never came out in the US and so I bought a Japanese Yellow DSi LL (XL) on eBay. I had a different DSi XL and so I took out the USA mainboard and then took out the Japanese mainboard and replaced it with the USA mainboard. because I was only messing with the mainboard and not the other boards and the top screen, the whole process was basically just unscrewing screws and unplugging ribbon cables which was fairly easy.
Stylus Sheath : "Because you told me too!"
Hey Elliot, groovy job aligning the stylus sheath! Sorry about the top half bend.
I don't usually ask the following because it's probably irrelevant, but if you or any other commenter might know I'd appreciate it. I'm looking for a UA-cam tech restoration/repair channel I used to watch but forgot to bookmark and UA-cam nuked my watch and like history from far enough back that I can't search my own history for it and I want to start watching his videos again. I distinctly remember the guy favored a TS-100/TS-101 soldering iron, has a Canadian or Midwestern/North-midwestern American accent/dialect (like Chicagoan, Wisconsin, or Michigan region), and has definitely done repairs on consoles like the Sega Master System (though UA-cam searching has been abysmal for trying to find these videos on keyword searching alone).
Macho Nacho Productions?
@@mortemincarnatam2836 Nah, it's not Tito doing Retro Renew at Macho Nacho, though I enjoy his content as well. I said guy sounded like he has a Canadian or midwestern/north-midwestern American accent but left out that he's basically white. I've been trying other console repair searches in UA-cam's search like PC Engine and Virtual Boy but it's not giving me the result I'm looking for.
Somehow magically an old Game Gear repair video of his showed up in the sidebar after I watched a video today! The channel is Borderline OCD, y'all! :)
Brings back memories of the indigo league anime, great job!
Pouring IPA into the lid *directly above the screen* sent my heart racing. I recommend not doing that-speaking from experience. There *are* places isopropyl can't evaporate from.
Also, regarding the bowed top shell, try loosening and re-tightening the top shell screws! You can easily trap tension in the multilayered plastic sandwich.
Duuudeee loving the stylus sheath!!!! Also you've convinced me to make custom ds lites for my brothers for christmas lol
You should put like “complete ds lite teardown” or something in the title! Because this video is just such a good general tutorial as well :)
I really enjoyed the STYLUS SHEATH
Wow cool find! I'm genuinely curious to see your daily shopping activity 😅
an unhealthy amount of sendico, aliexpress & facebook market place 😂
1:02 rubber covers. I’ve heard that before
i did an ExtremeRate shell swap for my DS lite recently and I went with their chameleon purple blue shell + black buttons and it turned out SUPER NICE. It's not perfect which was be expected with 3rd party stuff, but it looks and feels super high quality.
Stylus sheath is honestly the best name you coulda called it and I have no idea what other name it could possibly have
Elliot is the King of the Stylus Sheath! Your videos always brighten my day. Thank you for your wit and your overall passion for gameboys and modding!
Why Nintendo didn’t do this to begin with is beyond me.
You successfully made something I would’ve been hyped to get on my birthday years ago.
You did just an excellent job finessing the stylus sheath. Bravo!
Realizing how much Nintendo could've actually done something fun with an idea like this during it's hayday. wowza
such a good reference video for anyone fixing stuff on their DS lite in general
Even for me, who repairs DS Lites for three years now, this is still entertaining. My first mod was on a GBA. Thanks to your videos, which made me want to do the mod.
Stylus sheath really is a good name, It's like a katana for ur ds
Auctioning this on ebay for a charity I like - www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134975046514
Cool
Are the arrow pad clearances the same? Maybe stock sits higher
Please loosen and re-tighten the top lid screws. You've probably got some tension trapped between the layers-if not, you may be able to *add* tension to flatten it out!
for the price its at you better fix the imperfections
WTF!......It's up to £230. Grow up fan girls, it's a cheap 3rd party aliexpress ds lite shell.
A lil piece of advice for anyone shell swapping. There's no need to disconnect the ribbon cable that connects the touch screen because it's small putting it back in Is just a pain and can get by without removing it. Also since the ribbon cable is so small it's also very delicate
GOOD POINT! oops.
Stylus sheath, also this is such a cool video, itd be cool if you did the white dpad instead since that seems to be a bit more similar to the og pokedexes
Loving the name Stylus sheath. Great informative Video. I thought i ruined one of my DS lites trying to change shells but seeing this gives me confidence i can salvage it.
Super cool DS Case! Truly inspired design. You are now obligated to play all Pokémon games on this thing. Love it sincerely. Undeniably this is fantastic background viewing. Sorry for the disjointed message just have a lot to get out. So chances are you suspect there's a hidden message here. Hate to say it but if there is I'm not gonna give any hints. Even if you ask nicely. Anyway I'm running outta things to say. Thanks for reading this. Hope you have a fantastic day. ❤
Anyone else have those permo-raised bumps on their DS Lite inner casing from overtightening the internal screws when reassembling back in the day? Or considering becoming an hero over the R and L springs? Ahhh, good old days.
if you are doing this and if you used third party replacement make sure to isolate the back of the screen, if you dont do that you could pop fuses on the mainboard when turning the console on! again this only applys if you bought an new replacement screen. i wished he would have followed the offical guide provided bei extremerate (those who make that shell) theres plenty of felt pads suppossed togo into the top and lower shell aswell. (i dont think those are 100% needed but nintendo original shells had them too. otherwise the video is great
i love doing does DS Lite shell swaps myselft, sadly i dont get much chances todo them.
The interior of the top half of that Pokédex kinda reminds me of a Game and Watch. Sucks about the top being bent (cuz that Pokédex shell looks *AMAZING*), but I think that's just a common occurrence even with the stock factory shells - my DSlite has that issue to a degree, as does my N2DSXL.
Stylus Sheath. I love your content. Always hands-on and extremely detailed.
cool project! my favorite part was the stylus sheath one, cheers
I dont no why this is the most complicated things that i see instead my math teacher but i enjoy this one better
i love this case
I just seen these kits on Amazon I think I’m gna pick one up and give some life to my old NDSL. it’ll be a nice project to sit down with
Stylus Sheath! Btw good job on the shell swap, you made it look so easy! I myself opened a NDSL before and it does not ends very well 😅 so yea good job!
Fair warning when it comes to extreme rate shells, they’re great quality for a reshell but I don’t recommend setting the white wire (the mic) below the board like you normally would, twice I’ve had to put it under the ds cartridge just like the black wire (antenna) because the wire makes it just thick enough to not seat the mobo properly and due to that the shell won’t properly close and trying to force it will break the lcd.
I love this, because of my dad I’ve played every ds cause he grew up on Nintendo.
Stylus sheath
I had the same issue when I went and restored / customized my childhood DS Lite last summer. I guess it is one of the cons of buying an aftermarket shell. Oh and I definitely think it should be called “ stylus sheath “.
0:50 i would not advice starting with the ds lite. Me who broke like 5 ds lites before i learned how to properly work on them.
Jokes aside, ds lites have become my bread and butter so see that extremerate is making ds lite shells gives me hope to actually start making and selling some of these ds lites i have lying around in parts.
I thought you would've made an application that works as a pokedex as well. I'm slightly saddened that this was only a hardware mod.
For everyone who want to do work on a NDSl just do it, they are easy as heck to work on.
For the antenna connector tie thread to it before you remove it then leave the thread through the hole then untie. Do swap then re-tie thread and pull back through 👍
Man, the algorithm was spot on with this one. I was just thinking about doing something like this!
Stylish sheath sounds better than stylus sheath :D Thanks for the in-depth tutorial!
I just did this swap the other day. Very well made kit and way better than most Chinese ones out there. Highly recommend the company.
Massage the top housing by twisting it back and forth gently and eventually it sits flush. It’s because of the four screws that pull the front back and make it bow up.
The ✨Stylus Sheath✨ my favorite line
Dang that was a cool relaxed video, stylus sheath shall be what it's called from now on
For the bowing maybe a bit of hot hair from a hair dryer on low while holding the shell closed tight could help relax the plastic and hold it in position while it cools again, regardless it looks sweet
There totally does seem to be a bit of bowing in the plastic. Might be worth going back over some of the screws and making sure they’re not over-tightened, which can cause them to slightly warp plastic housings.
Unfortunately as we know, AliExpress deals mainly in low prices and not the highest quality. Still a lovely build though, great vid!
stylus sheath was how I've always called it tbh
not gonna lie it's intriguing me, I wanna try to do it for my 3DS
Man, thing looks epic!
I’ve found if you use a heat gun on the back and set something sort of heavy on it, it can help with the warped shell
Stylus Sheath : "Because you told me too!"
Amazing work Elliot!
Thank you for the video! Love what you do here!
i have waited forever to see this. thank you elliot for making everything.
bowing top is a common problem with aftermarket shells.
Bought a black aftermarket shell and that has exactly the same problem of the screen not closibg all the way because it is bowed
I remember when i first disassembled my old ds lite a few years back long after the hinge grenaded and as a result of me continuing to use it after the hinge went, one of the speakers died from the stress put on the ribbon cable, so i decided to try to do a repair.
First problem: I hadnt pushed out the bottom screen when trying to remove the motherboard so was tugging on it wondering what's the hang up before realizing the screen glues into the shell (this will come back later)
Second problem: I hadnt bought a replacement shell or top half (idk why, i guess i figured it was a cadaver already)
Third part: Wow that was a pain in the rear with the wifi cable and the hinge curling.
After pulling it to bits, i decided to just put it back together for now after taking the plunge on opening it for the first time, but when i did, it'd turn on then blink off. Having had enough of it up to that point, i left it like that for a few years.
Last weekend, I decided to reseat that bottom screen cable to try to amend that power on issue, but no dice. After several attempts, I finally came to terms with my bottom screen being borked, lovely. On the bright side, its battery went to my new/replacement ds lite because the batt in the new one had expanded to the point it barely fits in the battery compartment now, so glad I got that spicy pillow out.
Now my old lite sits in my closet where it was before, but at least with the guts all back in the shell instead of loose. If anyone's got suggestions on where to get a good set of screens and shell for not too much, lmk.
Man i miss my DSLite, i have a 2DS XL, but the dslite is such a cool console, used to play a lot of GBA Pokemon and Yu Gi Oh games on it.
I never had the patience or hand coordination to do these breakdowns of these handhelds. Replaced my Switch screen without all the tools on hand, because I tried to do a shell swap only to rip a cable to the screen and had to wait 2 weeks for a replacement. put it all together but now I see little particles of debris between the screens.
Stylus sheath. 😂 Great video. Thumbs up for black buttons. Great choice 👌 👍
That actually doesnt bug me that mutch, the ds is beautifull