Yeah, I like tearing objects apart and seeing if I can rebuild them!
Actually though, it's not terribly difficult taking a camera apart for IR conversion. The issue I was running into was the hot filter. Once it is removed many camera will not focus properly without it. My little Canon focuses fine; go figure. I used a piece of PVC pipe and a step up filter adapter for my Hoya R72 filter. It's an ugly looking camera but it works. Though lately I've been getting the Canon "lens error"; which is common in this unit. But if I smack the body hard a couple times it fire right up. Though I do believe this camera is a ticking time bomb waiting to go off!
Oh man. I have to say its perhaps so ugly, you have to just love it?
It looks better then my old D810 that got blown over one night while capturing the Milky Way and the lens pulled the whole lens mount out of the camera, among other things....

So I turned it into a Pinhole camera. I made a pinhole lens for it, though I have also bought a couple odd weird plastic lenses for it. But all of them have to be duct taped to the body since there is absolutely no lens mount left, just a gaping hole.... So it's fun, I can create my own light leaks with it depending on how many layers of duct tape I use to hold the makeshift lens on.
But anyway, I really enjoy your creativity, and I guess as long as you can slap it awake, you are good to go!