Unconventional Uses of Heat-Shrinking Tubes

Heat-Shrinking tubes come in various colours and sizes. They resemble a straw and are mainly used by electricians to insulate electrical connections of wires. I always enjoy discovering about unconventional uses of things, so here I will share with you 2 of them that I have used in the past.

Step 1: Shoelace Terminals

I own a pair of military boots which I wear frequently outdoors. One of the little plastic terminals of one shoelace broke the other day and the shoelace begun unlacing. I didn't want to replace the whole shoelace because it was still quite strong. Heat-shrinking tube to the rescue! I chose one size that fit snugly, cut it, inserted it in place, heated it with a lighter and it was ready for use.

Step 2: Tool Handles

With this tube you can also fix broken tool handles.

I had an agricultural cutter tool with a broken handle. The handle was slipping out of the user's hand because it had rips in some places and the whole sleeve was detaching. This time, I used a larger piece of heat-shrinking tube and fixed the handle.

In the same way, I also fixed the broken handle of a hacksaw which was loosely attached to the tool's frame.

If you have some tools without a plastic handle you can make one out of this stuff as well. In the above photo I created handles for wire cutters, pliers and nose pliers.