Fix a Broken IPhone Cable With InstaMorph

In preparation of our Build Night at the Attraktor I was trying out the InstaMorph we got from Instructables. The material is great, once you have it in your hands you're thinking "this is awesome, I should do... with it". The first thing that came into my mind was my broken iPhone cable.

Step 1: Heat Up the Material

Pour a few of the pellets - less that I did, you'll be surprised how little you actually need - into a bowl and pour boiling water over it.

Wait a while... Once the pellets have turned transparent they a soft and moldable.

Step 2: Knead It

Take the pellets out of the water with a fork or spoon and squish it into a form that will loosly cover the cable all around.The water should evaporate pretty quickly, when dry mold it around the plug and cable.

Wait... done.

Step 3: You Can Do Better?

The first time it didn't turn out too well. it was a little loose and wide.

Great thing is, you can just reheat it and mold it again. I took a hairdryer, reheated the plastic until it was translucent again.

It still isn't a beauty, but it works. :)

Comments

[zony]

i thought apple said they will supply a new free cable when the old one screw up

but i tried and it not quiet the true !!! :(

[krummrey]

I had to get an appointment in the Applestore in Hamburg, just for someone to look at my broken MacBook. Had to come back 4 days later, even though it was still under warranty. I wouldn't bother for a cable. Poor quality and poor service. Shame on you Apple. :P ;)

[krummrey]

I had to get an appointment in the Applestore in Hamburg, just for someone to look at my broken MacBook. Had to come back 4 days later, even though it was still under warranty. I wouldn't bother for a cable. Poor quality and poor service. Shame on you Apple. :P ;)

[MarcinF]

You can disassemble this plug cut wire and resolder to pins.That what i have done with my one

[nqtronix]

I usually fix my headphones with a drop of hotglue and it spread with a temperature controlled hot air station. It works great, the surface is incredible smooth and the enclosure waterthight. However the hotglue seems to absorb the natural grease from my fingers , turns yellow-ish and starts to get brittle.

Unfortunatly the shipping to europe is damn expensive, so I'll try a simmliar product called "Polymorph"/"Coolmorph" the next time.

I'd be also interested in how this compares to Sugru and hotglue.

[madmungo]

you can make your own sugru.. there are loads of instructables about it :-D Although, i have not tried it myself yet. It is silicone sealant and cornflour (corn starch). a super cheap method.

[krummrey]

It is a lot stronger than hotglue, but doesn't stick to anything very well except for itself. Here in Germany you can buy "Gorilla-Plastic" at Conrad which is actually cheaper for small batches.

[chilljeet]

Plasti-Dip works great for such purposes too.

[tomatoskins]

I've only come across knowing about InstaMorph fairly recently. How is the final product act? Is it plyable like Sugru or is it a harder materal?

[krummrey]

When at room temperature is becomes very hard yet flexible. It is almost impossible to break it, even when it's thin. It stays flexible though. Haven't tried sugru.

[gabcunha]

You pay a fortune for the crappphone and it is the only one that you have to repair the cable cause it's out of warranty for bad use