Every once in a while I will get the time or motivation to work on some nagging project that I have been wanting to do for a while. Most of these projects are minor or really inconsequential, but they still bug me. So this weekend’s project was to fix my separating Apple iPad 2 cable – you know the one with the 30-pin-to-USB connectors, the ones that may or may not have a history of the cable sheathing pulling away from the connector ends.
Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.
In my case, the cable sheathing was pulling away from both ends of the cable at the connectors. This was not a real issue; the cable still charged, but it irked me. Since it was not a big issue, I let it simmer on the back burner until I could not stand it any longer.
The solution to this problem was a product called Sugru. Julie was nice enough to send me a sample awhile back, and while I knew what I would do with it, I never had the time until this weekend. If you have never heard of Sugru, Ian Lim did a review of it here. Basically Sugru is an air-curing rubber compound that you can shape and mold around objects to protect or hold them in place.
So basically, to use the Sugru you open the packet, break off the amount you need for your fix and knead it until it is soft and pliable. (It already is, but it becomes softer as you knead it.) When it’s soft, apply it to the area you want to fix and let it cure over night. After 24 hours, the Sugru cured into a flexible rubber protector for my cable ends. As you can see, with a little work you can make a semi-professional looking repair or “hack”, as the folks at Sugru say.
So what did you do this past weekend?
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I love Sugru. I use it for a slightly different purpose for all my cords and cables and switches.
I take a small bead of the product (really small) and place in on the side of the plug that is the “up” or “right” position. Same thing for ordinary power cords that have the large metal plug. I put a dot on the side that has the bigger plug.
This way I have a visual and tactile clue as to how to orient the cords when plugging them in.
I also put it next to the switch on my Kindle that is very difficult to see.
I also have it on one of the rubber controls on the remote for my fan so that I can turn it on or off in the night without having to look to see where the switch is.
I’m surprised that the cable companies and switch manufacturers haven’t included this tactile clue for visually impaired people. But it’s pretty easy to do yourself.
Since a small package of Sugru will cover 50+ cords, I suggest getting a whole bunch of them together and do it while watching television.
@Sandee do you make the little dots and then glue them to the items later, or does Sugru stick to the items all by itself?
@Julie:
I make the dot. I press it onto the cable or surface. It slightly compresses.
But Sugru is sticky, so it sticks to the item and then hardens.
There have been some remote buttons that are made from a kind of rubber that the dot didn’t stick to perfectly. It’s not that it fell off. But it was easy to pick it off.
Here’s a quick picture of an example of a dot. This one’s black, but I’m starting to like the red or yellow colors.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ue657ym2n2cfjxd/2014-02-05%2008.17.00.jpg
Nice. Great idea 🙂