sugru http://sugru.com/blog hack things better Wed, 09 May 2012 18:59:02 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 Make your oven kid-safe http://sugru.com/blog/make-your-oven-kid-safe/ http://sugru.com/blog/make-your-oven-kid-safe/#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 18:59:02 +0000 Jane http://sugru.com/blog/?p=1508 Continue reading →]]> Check out this awesome idea from @Miklpa over on gurus!
sugru + plexiglass = kid-safe oven door

The sugru elevates the plexiglass plate a few millimeters from the glass surface of the oven, which makes the insulation quite good.

What a clever hack, we love it!

]]> http://sugru.com/blog/make-your-oven-kid-safe/feed/ 1 sugru ♥ magnets [a clever way to access the USB ports on your iMac] http://sugru.com/blog/sugru-%e2%99%a5-magnets-a-clever-way-to-access-the-usb-ports-on-your-imac/ http://sugru.com/blog/sugru-%e2%99%a5-magnets-a-clever-way-to-access-the-usb-ports-on-your-imac/#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 15:26:24 +0000 James http://sugru.com/blog/?p=1449 Continue reading →]]>
After years of fumbling around and complaining we thought that it was about time we did something about the crappy USB ports on the iMacs in our office.


With 2 small magnets and a USB extension lead, we made a clever way to access our USB ports that’s totally awesome to use.

We should add that this is our second attempt at cracking the problem. We were told by the shy folk on Instructables that the original solution was ugly ;) Thanks for pushing us guys, you made us think a bit harder about how to make this look good too. Without your comments and suggestions we would not have come up with this solution.

Credit to Criggie for suggesting that we use magnets, this turned out the be a fantastic idea and allowed us to make a very discreet USB cable that is incredibly intuitive and fun to use.

Check out our new ible with simple step by step instructions.
oh, and in case you are worried about removing this from your iMac sometime, check out our removable video.

]]> http://sugru.com/blog/sugru-%e2%99%a5-magnets-a-clever-way-to-access-the-usb-ports-on-your-imac/feed/ 1 Google commission special edition sugru http://sugru.com/blog/google-commission-special-edition-sugru/ http://sugru.com/blog/google-commission-special-edition-sugru/#comments Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:28:54 +0000 Jane http://sugru.com/blog/?p=1432 Continue reading →]]> A few months ago, a sugru’er called Roman who works at Google had the idea that sugru could make a cool Google gift.
We loved the idea, so we worked together to make special edition Google sugru :)

Engineers love sugru and these are beautiful and useful little promo gifts to help lure all the most talented engineers at recruitment fairs and events into the Google clan…

But what should we call it?
Google + sugru = …. googru of course !

Google brought the first batch of these to the WWW2012 conference in Lyon this week, apparently they all disappeared in a few hours :-)
We’ll have to make some more so!

]]> http://sugru.com/blog/google-commission-special-edition-sugru/feed/ 1 Your oldest hacks so far: the winners of our contest! http://sugru.com/blog/hacks-that-last-our-winners/ http://sugru.com/blog/hacks-that-last-our-winners/#comments Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:11:01 +0000 Suki http://sugru.com/blog/?p=1380 Continue reading →]]> People have been coming up with awesome hacks ever since sugru came out at the end of 2009, and recently we’ve had a bunch of emails expressing surprise that your hacks have withstood extreme conditions, frequent usage and everyday exposure to wear and tear. You shouldn’t be surprised…sugru is designed to last!

But we think this is really cool so we ran a little contest to celebrate those tried-and-tested hacks…and these are the winners!

All the best entries here show sugru hacks that are challenged by their conditions – from long winters to harsh detergents – but because the sugru was applied well, they’re standing the test of time. Have a browse through them to see what we mean. Special shout out to Scott for his awesome heavy-duty all-weather car airfoil repair, which may not be the most beautiful hack in the world, but it sure demonstrates longevity…

“This hack is almost two years old and survived two U.S. Midwest winters. The airfoil cracked completely through as I had used it as a curb squeegee one too many times. It’s not a pretty hack but the sugru is tough and has held the airfoil together at all speeds and in all kinds of road conditions.” Scott, USA

More hacks aged 2 years and counting…

Secure your bike’s wobbly D-lock clip attachment – from Jenny in York

Add an attachment to your vacuum cleaner that holds excess cord – from Rita in Pennsylvania

Make a storage jar lid easy to unscrew by adding grips – from Ellen in New York

Keep a turnip knife with a cracked handle in action – from Deidre in Glasgow

Hacks aged 18 months and counting….

Prevent dog leads from snagging in the gaps on wooden decking – from Meghan in Ohio

Create simple and adjustable dividers in a storage basket – from Jennifer in New York

Fix up the volume control on your car’s steering wheel with a tactile button – from sugru guru @lysdexic

Hacks aged 1 year and counting…

Reinforce your Kindle’s case to prevent pressure damage – from Rachel in Atlanta

Keep your circular knitting machine still by adding suction cups – from sugru guru @linuxgirl

Everybody listed above gets a lovely multipack to enjoy! And big thanks to all who took part – we love learning more about what’s worked for you over time.

I should also mention our very own James and Roger, who’ve been hacking with sugru since the protoyping days – you’ll be pleased to hear that their favourite early applications are lasting beautifully - James’ bike bell mount and Roger’s greenhouse doorstopper have both stayed put for five years now, and are still going strong!

]]> http://sugru.com/blog/hacks-that-last-our-winners/feed/ 4 How to make your iMac easier to use http://sugru.com/blog/how-to-make-your-imac-easier-to-use/ http://sugru.com/blog/how-to-make-your-imac-easier-to-use/#comments Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:13:12 +0000 Jane http://sugru.com/blog/?p=1393 Continue reading →]]> This one’s from Ben here in the sugru office:
“Aaaargh, every time I need to plug headphones or a USB device into my iMac I either have to climb over it or fumble around blind !!!”


“This is a bit of a pain but super simple to solve, I made a full step by step ible to show you how to put your ports exactly where you need them, on the front of your iMac. Try it and see what a difference it can make :) ”

Remember, although sugru will stay stuck for as long as you want it to, it can be removed from your iMac later if needed, simply by cutting it off with a sharp knife. Our Removable video shows how.
If you make this, or if you have ideas how to make this hack even better let us know!

]]> http://sugru.com/blog/how-to-make-your-imac-easier-to-use/feed/ 1 sugru + conductive foam = conductive sugru! http://sugru.com/blog/combine-sugru-and-conductive-foam-to-make-conductive-sugru/ http://sugru.com/blog/combine-sugru-and-conductive-foam-to-make-conductive-sugru/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:31:09 +0000 Jane http://sugru.com/blog/?p=1367 Continue reading →]]> And then make a stylus from it!

Guru of the month goes to Ola from Sweden aka @olacarlsson on gurus for this super cool project. To make your own, follow the full step-by-step on gurus!

Congrats Ola! 5 packs of sugru and a Hack Things Better t-shirt will be on their way to you very soon!

For a chance to win guru of the month yourself, just get yourself some sugru, hack some stuff and upload pictures to gurus to help others do the same!

]]> http://sugru.com/blog/combine-sugru-and-conductive-foam-to-make-conductive-sugru/feed/ 0 Make precise rubber parts by turning sugru on a drill http://sugru.com/blog/make-precise-rubber-parts-by-turning-sugru-on-a-drill/ http://sugru.com/blog/make-precise-rubber-parts-by-turning-sugru-on-a-drill/#comments Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:10:18 +0000 Jane http://sugru.com/blog/?p=1360 Continue reading →]]> Hack of the Month!

The winner this month is to Joshua in North Carolina for not only hacking his car better but showing us all a beautiful technique for forming precise sugru parts.

“With my satellite antenna taken apart by a rampant car wash and us not using satellite radio anyway, I replaced the bare antenna with a sugru covered screw. I placed the screw in a drill, applied sugru, and spun it while forming with soap covered fingers, as if on a potter’s wheel. I also used the turning drill to carve a concave shape for the base with an exacto knife. It was amazing! I’ve posted a full step by step on instructables.”

Awesome – congrats Joshua! 5 packs of sugru and a Hack Things Better t-shirt will be winging their way to you very soon.

For a chance to win Hack of the Month yourself, just get some sugru , hack some stuff and send us some photos for a chance to win!

]]> http://sugru.com/blog/make-precise-rubber-parts-by-turning-sugru-on-a-drill/feed/ 1 What’s your oldest sugru hack? http://sugru.com/blog/whats-your-oldest-sugru-hack/ http://sugru.com/blog/whats-your-oldest-sugru-hack/#comments Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:28:46 +0000 Jane http://sugru.com/blog/?p=1351 Continue reading →]]>

Wouter got in touch with us recently to share this dishwasher fix that is now 6 months old and going strong “I used it like this for 6 months and used the machine every 2 days” — Wouter, Netherlands. What’s your oldest sugru hack?

We’ve got 10 new super packs of sugru to give away (new colours!) to the 10 oldest and best hacks – email pics to hacks@sugru.com or post them on gurus with ‘my oldest hack’ in the title.

We’ll give you a bit of time to root them out and pick out the winners on Monday 16th April.
Can’t wait to see them!

]]> http://sugru.com/blog/whats-your-oldest-sugru-hack/feed/ 2 [new film]: sugru in primary colours! http://sugru.com/blog/new-film-sugru-in-primary-colours/ http://sugru.com/blog/new-film-sugru-in-primary-colours/#comments Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:06:20 +0000 Jane http://sugru.com/blog/?p=1332 Continue reading →]]> Exciting news! Over the last year or so we’ve had hundreds of emails asking for different colours, and the ability to mix a wider range of colours. So… we’ve been beavering away for ages to make it work. And now we’ve cracked it :)
As of today, sugru comes in primary colours!

Finally for those of you who prefer a subtler more invisible hack, you’ll now be able to match almost any colour. And for all you colour lovers – the mixing possibilities have just exploded!


We’re so glad you pushed us on this one – the yellow and red are beautiful :-)
We hope you love them as much as we do.

[PS The music on the film is 'Enthusiasm For Life Defeats Existential Fear' by The Flaming Lips.]

]]> http://sugru.com/blog/new-film-sugru-in-primary-colours/feed/ 43 The Arduroller – a self-balancing robot http://sugru.com/blog/the-arduroller-a-self-balancing-robot/ http://sugru.com/blog/the-arduroller-a-self-balancing-robot/#comments Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:58:56 +0000 Jane http://sugru.com/blog/?p=1322 Continue reading →]]> Check out the Arduroller – a self balancing robot designed by sugru guru Shaun (@fasaxc on gurus)

Watch it balance!

And just in case it ever falls over… give it a nice sugru bumper :)

If you’d like to make your own, Shaun’s shared all the info you need here.
Check out more of his work at his blog or start following him on twitter @fasaxc

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