Tools Best Practices

Written By: Richard Suovanen
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Tools Best Practices

Difficulty

Very easy

Steps

6

Time Required

No estimate

Introduction

There are thousands of devices on the market and a plethora of specialized tools for their repair. Figuring out which tool to safely use for the job can be difficult, so we’re here to help.

We’ll walk you through some of the more commonly used tools and explain their most practical—or impractical—uses. Repair connects people and things, but we don't want to connect electricity to your body. Your safety is our priority!

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    • The metal spudger is a fantastic tool, but it's also a tool of much debate. Here at iFixit, we tend to call on the metal spudger only when we need a member of the brute squad.

    • Use the metal spudger to:

    • Remove extra-stubborn plastic/metal casings, or scrape away tough adhesive.

    • Depress or lift stubborn release tabs.

    • Keep in mind:

    • The metal spudger is not electrostatic discharge (ESD) safe. Irresponsible use may result in electrical shock or permanent injury.

    • Poor use may permanently damage your device.

    • Do not use this tool on exposed or fragile internal components, batteries, or glass screens.

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    • The plastic opening tool comes in a few different styles, and is your go-to tool for removing screens and separating cases. It has a very thin non-destructive edge that gets in between small cracks easily.

    • Use the plastic opening tool to:

    • Lift zero insertion force (ZIF) tabs and disconnect cable connectors.

    • Pry open tightly sealed device cases.

    • Remove digitizers and glass screens.

    • Lift, cut, or remove tape, adhesive, and/or thermal paste.

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    • Your friendly neighborhood nylon spudger can do amazing things. With antistatic pointed and blunt tips, it’s a great all-around tool to use on internal components.

    • Use the spudger to:

    • Disconnect cable connectors.

    • Pry components free.

    • Aid in soldering.

    • Remove thermal paste, adhesive, or tape.

    • Be sure to list the appropriate tool in your guide. The heavy duty spudger is a more robust version of the standard spudger. They look similar, but one of these things is not like the other.

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    • With blunt or curved tip options, the ESD safe tweezers are a tricksy little tool. They're especially helpful if you have thick, hobbitsy, fingers.

    • Use tweezers to:

    • Remove loose screws or small components that are difficult to access.

    • Gently remove ribbon cables.

    • Peel heated panels after applying heat.

    • The angled and fine-tip tweezers have very sharp tips. Exercise caution around delicate ribbon cables and your fingers.

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    • Opening picks are an industry favorite for maintaining a separation between screens and cases, or for breaking up long sections of adhesive. Feel free to explore your options.

    • Use opening picks to:

    • Cut adhesive strips that secure screens.

    • Use as a placeholder to prevent large screens from receding back into the frame.

    • Scrape or remove adhesive or tape.

    • Apply or remove thermal paste.

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    • This handy mat can be your best friend during a replacement. Be sure to take advantage of the dry erase surface and keep track of your screws and steps along the way! You won't regret it.

    • The magnetic project mats are covered with a thin layer of plastic to create a dry erase surface. Do not remove this layer or peel the edges up.

Author

Richard Suovanen

Member since: 07/02/17

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