Introduction: Emergency Sugru Screwdriver

By ATX Hackerspace
About: We are a community of people who love to learn and make things, as well as a collaborative industrial workshop. We are located at 9701 Dessau Rd, Suite #304, Austin TX 78754. We have 8000 square feet of spac…

Making Do .. an Emergency Screwdriver

Sometimes, like Dr. Who, you're stuck and all you need in the world is a screwdriver. Now, I might not be able to help you make a sonic screwdriver, but... with Sugru, and a spare bit, you can make a pretty good compact screwdriver!

A wonderful property of angular torque, is that it increases non-linearly with radius. So, the trick to using a small drill chucked bit with your fingers, is increasing the size of the shaft!

Sugru to the rescue! This is an Easy Fix(tm) ... you'll need

  • A mini packet of sugru
  • A mid-length ( or longer ) screwdriver bit of your choice

Step 1: Preparing the Sugru

Cut/tear open your sugru packet, and knead it for about a minute. Make sure to fold and work it in a few times, since Sugru needs ambient humidity in the air to start curing, like all silicones.

Roll the sugru into a ball

Step 2: Shape Up the Handle

Push the ball of Sugru onto the top of your bit. You want to make a disc that's about 1/2" thick and about 3/4" to 1" in diameter. You need this diameter, to get enough torque when using the tool. It should be about as big around as a CR2032 battery.

Shape your handle, and make sure the shaft remains centered and perpendicular! If it's at an angle, this tool will be much harder to use.

Now, for the hard part...

Wait 24 hours for the Sugru to Cure

That's it! You now have a small, useful tool for tight spaces.

( If you're in a tight spot, and you REALLY need to cure your Sugru fast -- like in 1-2 hours, you can put your completed tool into a rice steamer. The heat and moisture will rapidly cure the sugru. However, slower cure is better! )