# Spudger in Boston **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 24, 2010, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spudger-in-boston/544289 "2010-06-24T00:10:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/put_down_the_sabre)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spudger-in-boston/544289/1 "2010-06-24T00:10:50Z")
Hey all, I see [spudgers](http://www.ifixit.com/Apple-Parts/Spudger/IF145-002)for sale everywhere online, but does anyone happen to know where I can get one in person in greater Boston? Thanks! pdts ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spudger-in-boston/544289/2 "2010-06-24T00:35:24Z")
Did you try Radio Shack? ---
**Author:** ![put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/put_down_the_sabre)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spudger-in-boston/544289/3 "2010-06-24T01:04:45Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Did you try Radio Shack? I haven’t tried them, but their website has no knowledge of them. More worryingly, there are forum posts online where people complain that radio shack doesn’t stock them. So I’m not hopeful ☹ pdts ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spudger-in-boston/544289/4 "2010-06-24T01:07:22Z")
You might try Micro Center over in Cambridge. ---
**Author:** ![put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/put_down_the_sabre)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spudger-in-boston/544289/5 "2010-06-24T01:17:00Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > You might try Micro Center over in Cambridge. Thanks! I’m in Cambridge so I can stroll over tomorrow. pdts ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spudger-in-boston/544289/6 "2010-06-24T01:20:06Z")
I work in IT and I had never head of them before but I looked them up and the appear to be Apple hardware specific for the most part. You don’t have to have that exact tool. You can make one easily or try something else. It is just a small prying tool. Some people say credit cards work or even strong fingernails. They look a lot like a Nintendo DS stylus if you trimmed one a little with a knife and those can be found lots of places like toy and electronics stores. It is best not to use something metal or wood but the point is just to pry the part off without damaging it. What are you trying to do exactly? ---
**Author:** ![Khendrask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@Khendrask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khendrask)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spudger-in-boston/544289/7 "2010-06-24T11:43:15Z")
Definitely not Apple specific. I’ve had a set of different shaped spudgers for at least 25 years. They are just handy, strong, slightly flexible, non-conductive things for poking around, moving wires, seating and unseating components, etc. They are also handy for working on live equipment, especially radio’s and other tuned circuits, as they don’t affect the tuning. I used them mainly to track down loose connections or bad solder joints in communications gear long before they became popular for manipulating Apple device connectors. ---
**Author:** ![put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/put_down_the_sabre)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spudger-in-boston/544289/8 "2010-06-24T15:37:44Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I work in IT and I had never head of them before but I looked them up and the appear to be Apple hardware specific for the most part. You don’t have to have that exact tool. You can make one easily or try something else. It is just a small prying tool. Some people say credit cards work or even strong fingernails. They look a lot like a Nintendo DS stylus if you trimmed one a little with a knife and those can be found lots of places like toy and electronics stores. It is best not to use something metal or wood but the point is just to pry the part off without damaging it. > > What are you trying to do exactly? I have to replace the LCD on my laptop… gonna be a long afternoon! pdts