Sugru Cable Tie

by eludemann in Circuits > Electronics

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Sugru Cable Tie

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Everyone hates unwieldy, tangled cables! You could always buy an accessory to mind your cords, or you could use some Sugru to jazz up a twist tie for a custom, DIY option.

Materials Needed

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1 twist tie

1 mini pack of Sugru (1/2 to 1 mini pack will be used; you can get some here)

Soapy water

Roll Out Your Sugru

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Sugru is a moldable, self-setting rubber. It bonds to most materials, is moldable like clay, and cures into a sturdy, flexible rubber.

Remove Sugru from the packet and knead it to soften it up a bit. Sugru cures when it is exposed to the air. It will be nicely pliable for about 30 minutes before it begins to harden. Whatever is taken out of the packet will begin to harden at that point. So you may not need an entire packet, but you'll want to have a plan for everything that you unwrap. Depending on the length of your twist tie, you should need 1/2 to 1 full mini packet of Sugru.

Roll it into a long tube, slightly longer than your twist tie.

Wrap the Twist Tie

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Flatten the tube of Sugru into a strip. Lightly press your twist-tie into the strip and fold the edges over your tie. Smush the Sugru into place so that the entire twist tie is covered. Be sure that the ends are well-covered and are not close to poking through.

Using your fingers, you can smooth the seams of your Sugru together. Wetting your finger with some soapy water will be particularly helpful, preventing the rubber from sticking to your finger.

Shape Your Cable Tie and Let It Cure

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When you're satisfied with the smoothness of your cable tie, gently shape it into a loose coil. Be careful to not squeeze or mis-shape the Sugru, as it is still quite pliable at this point. The ends are especially sensitive--we don't want any wire twist tie poking out!

When you have the shape you want, you just need to let it dry completely. Gently set the cable tie on some plastic wrap or a smooth surface and leave it out for 24 hours. At that point, the rubber will be completely cured and ready to use.

The coil shape is still flexible, so you will be able to easily wrap your cords and tighten or loosen as needed. Good luck cleaning up your technology!