Here’s the starting point – a Goldstar hi-fi VHS machine, model number R-F903CH. But of course, the make and model don’t really matter very much – what’s more important is how heavy it is! Huh? Well you see, the heavier a VCR, the more likely you are to find salvageable components inside. In fact, to go to extremes, the ancient U-matic video tape machines weigh an incredible amount (some can barely be lifted) and inside you’ll find some fantastic engineering, including high-quality solenoids and switches. On the other hand, a super lightweight VCR has few motors and solenoids and generally less of anything you might want. This Goldstar unit was "middling" in weight.

It takes very little time to remove the cover (keep those screws!) and strip out the main circuit boards. In fact, it’s worth stressing that disassembling a VCR is really a quick and easy process – expect to take perhaps only half an hour to do the job from start to finish. It makes sense to do all the mechanical work in one go, coming back to the electronic parts later in the process. So with the electronic boards placed to one side, the next step is to remove the tape transport mechanism and head. This assembly is almost always found on a sub-chassis which is screwed to the plastic inside the case.