How to Make Super-neat and Easy Custom-fit Earbuds / In-ear Monitors

Tom had a brainwave recently and devised a very clever way to customise his earbuds using sugru and created a perfect cast of the inside of his ear.

BENEFITS:
Create the perfect fit for your earbuds
Reduce background noise and deliver more bass and treble
As the shape of the buds are custom, they are also much less likely to fall out, great for exercising

His idea is simple, by putting sugru in the silicone sleeves supplied with your earbuds, you can create a perfect fit without putting sugru in your ears. This is a very clean and simple method to modify your audio kit with really impressive results.

Sugru is the perfect material for this because:
- It moulds and forms easily
- It bonds to the silicone sleeve
- It cures with a soft, flexible feel

If you need to stock up, sugru is available from www.sugru.com

Let's get started!

Step 1: What You Need

All you need is about a 1/4 of a mini pack of sugru, and your chosen in-ear headphones.

Maybe line up some other projects to do at the same time, so no sugru goes to waste! If you're stuck for ideas, check out other peoples hacks at www.sugru.com/gallery.

If you want your hack to blend in with your earbuds, you can use black. I've personally gone for yellow, to compliment the other colours.

Step 2: Getting the Bud Ready

The first thing you need to do is roll the jelly heads so the inner rubber tube is exposed.

You don't actually have to remove them and in fact it's easier to just leave them on.

Make sure the insides of your buds are clean by giving them a quick wipe.

Step 3: Getting the Sugru Ready

Take about quarter of the minipack, and split it into two pea sized bits. Roll them out into small sausages, long enough to just overlap when you wrap it around the inner tube of the bud.

They don't need to be the full height of the bud, because we want to avoid the sugru spilling out of the bud when you squeeze it into your ear for the first time. Make sure there's just enough to make an impression with your earholes.

Don't worry if you don't get it right the first time! Sugru doesn't harden for half an hour, so you have plenty of time. And even after that, if you ever want to pass on your headphones to someone else, sugru is removable - simply ease the buds inside out again and cut the sugru off the inner tube. A dry piece of tissue paper and your fingernail will get the last bits off.

TOP TIP: A dry piece of tissue paper is the easiest way to get sugru off your buds, or even your fingers.

Step 4: Attaching the Sugru

Get one of your sugru sausages and one of your earphones. Stick the end of the sausage to the base of the inner tube, and carefully wrap it around until it meets the other end of the sugru. If you have more sausage than stem, simply pinch off the end and then roll the whole thing through your fingers to smooth it out.

Now all you need to do is invert the bud back to the way it was, but with the sugru inside. The easiest way to do this is to gently push and roll from the centre of the bud. Stretch the rubber outwards so it covers all the Sugru.

Don't worry if you feel you've put too much in, you can trim any excess off with a scalpel or even your fingernail while the Sugru is soft.

Repeat with your other bud, and you should have two sugru-filled buds ready for moulding.

Step 5: Moulding the Buds

Now slowly ease the bud into your ear, whilst applying light pressure. You might want to play music through the headphones at the same time, to hear what positioning works best.

Give the buds a final press to get the best fit, and then carefully pull them out of your ears.

TOP TIP from ibler Northener: "For a more snug fit, eg for sports earphones, be sure to keep your mouth a bit open while you insert your sugru mold. The outer ear canal expands when your jaws are not clinched tight."

TOP TIP: Don't twist the buds as you insert or remove them, as it might upset the impression of your ear. Be as careful as you can when inserting and removing the buds before the sugru has cured.