Charging and headphone cables are notorious for getting stressed and failing right next to where they meet the device. Sometimes you can see outer casing breaking down or hear intermittent audio before the cable fails completely. That’s the best time to do this quick repair.

Supplies

Kite string, sewing thread, yarn or other fine cordage.

Water-thin CA glue (superglue, not thick or gel type)

Superglue accelerator (optional)

Step 1: Find the Weak Spot

Many times this is obvious from the appearance of the cord. With headset cords you’ll need to wear them while connected to an audio source. Gently bend the cord in different places until you hear the weak or missing signal. Mark that spot.

Step 2: Wrap With String

Hold the end of the string against the cord and begin to wrap the string snuggly around the cord. After a few wraps, back up to cover the end where you started. Now wrap back and forth to cover the defective area and part of the connector. Build up the thickness until the defective section is firmly attached to the connector.

Step 3: Add Superglue

While holding down the end of the string, add a couple drops of the water-thin CA glue. It will soak in quickly. Then either wait for it to set, or add a couple drops of accelerator. The accelerator will set the glue almost instantly. Now cut off the loose string as close to the glued string as possible.

Step 4: Check for Dry Spots

Add drops as necessary to complete the repair. The result is a rock hard cable jacket which completely immobilizes the weak part of the cord.

Step 5: Embellish the Repair (optional)

There are lots of ways to do this if you want to. A few wraps of colored thread can be nice. A jacket of hand sewn leather is pretty deluxe. Plus the soft leather adds a new strain relief, extending the life of the cord even more. A wood cover looks nice, and isn’t too hard to do. Just cut and sand a scrap of wood down to the shape you need, drill some holes into each end to match the cord and connector. Then split the piece with a chisel. Enlarge the inside with a Dremel or other carving tools until the pieces will fit onto the repaired cord. Then glue the split pieces back together. Done.