The hinge on my plastic travel case for my shaver finally wore out. For many months, I wrapped a Velcro strap around the case, but that never worked well. For the Sugru Build Night at Omaha Maker Group, I thought I would try a new approach.

Step 1: Prepare the Hinge

The first thing to do is to clean up the two halves. There were a few strands of the worn hinge that needed to be scraped away. I also made sure that the two halves of the case still fit (and snapped) together, ensuring the case would function as intended after the repair. It is also important to prepare the surfaces. I used an alcohol wipe to make sure the surfaces of the case were free of dust and grease. Then I let the alcohol dry.

Step 2: Prepare the Sugru!

This part was simply a matter of following the instructions on the package: 1) wash hands 2) open the minipack 3) roll the Sugru between fingers until nice and soft

Step 3: Apply and Form

The ball of Sugru was applied to the closed case and I methodically smoothed and spread the ball until it started to cover the seam. At the edges, I feathered the material with my thumb so that the Sugru blended evenly into the case, without a hard edge or seam.

Step 4: Finish and Cure

Using a small bit of soapy water to moisten my finger tips, I was able to smooth out the surface of the Sugru (and remove my fingerprints). The finished repair was left to cure at least 24 hours at room temperature. Since I wasn't sure of the exact thickness at the hinge seam, I gave the project a full 48 hours of cure time. Voila! The finished project functions just like the original hinge, and my shaver is protected once again from the mayhem of checked luggage!