How to fix your cable like a pro

Cable repair with flair

This project brings professional quality moulding right to your kitchen table! We developed a compression mould for the single most popular cable in the universe: the Apple Lightning to USB Cable. So you too can experiment with this exciting technology.

Who knew professional moulding would be this easy?

Download the 3D file for free from MakerBot's Thingiverse, the world's largest 3D printing community, and print it at home or find your local 3D printer at Hubs.

Once you've got your 3D printed mould, all you need is a single-use pack of Sugru Mouldable Glue, a paintbrush and some dish soap (washing up liquid).

Buy Sugru

TAKE CARE: Sugru Mouldable Glue is electrically insulating, but be careful with electricity. To ensure there is no risk of electrocution, stick to small consumer electronics repairs, low current and below 24 volts. To avoid heat build-up from short circuits or damaged wires, do not repair cables where the metal is exposed, or the cable is already working intermittently.

Using your mould with Sugru

Step 1

Add a light coat of soapy water (that’s just a drop of dish soap in water) onto your mould using a paintbrush. Shake off the excess.

Step 2

Use half a single-use pack of Sugru and roll it into a long sausage, roughly the length of the mould. Press the Sugru flat and then wrap the Sugru around the cable and press it into a rough shape making sure that there is more near the connector end of the cable.

Step 3

Place the cable between the two mould pieces.

Step 4

Press the two parts of the mould together and rock from side to side. This gives the Sugru into the mould shape and pushes the excess Sugru out. In professional compression moulding this is called flash.