Sugru

[Joel OF]

I'm probably jumping the gun by posting this as I've not used the stuff yet on metalwork (though I have no reason to think it won't work) but I thought I'd post whilst it's on my mind...

I heard about this stuff called Sugru on the radio a while ago, it's a moldable putty that hardens, not rock hard but kinda dent-with-your-fingernail hard. The inventor said she originally made it from a mix of decorator's caulk and saw dust. Anyway, it comes in a variety of colours and is good for fixing a million and one things, Google it.

Reason I'm posting about it is because I make bowls, sometimes with feet, so I'm going to try using it on the bottom of the feet so they won't scratch tables. It's probably got a million and one uses within a workshop. I gave my Mum some a while ago and she fixed her iPhone charger where it'd started to split around the jack.

[Frosty]

Thanks for the tip Joel. I'm going to give the stuff a try, I'm looking at three things right now that might need to be Sugrued. Worth a try for sure. Thanks.

Frosty The Lucky.

[SpankySmith]

i ordered some when it first came out (I'm a sucker for "NEW/SHINY"), used a piece of the black to repair a handle on a crock pot, it did the trick nicely.  Check out their web site, it's been about a year but if memory serves they have a section that has all kinds of ideas, all with photos, about what it can be used for.  Using it reminded me of the hardenable "steel putty" you see in hardware stores, except the Sugru is much more expensive.  

[Joel OF]

It is expensive but supposedly it's re-usable.

[SpankySmith]

No, not reusable at all... once you form it into something and it dries it's hard as a rock.  They come in these tiny little packets, the actual piece of Sugru is maybe 1" x 1/2 to 3/4".  If you don't use all of the piece you can store it for later use, but my experience and what I've ready both tell you it dries out fairly quickly.  There are instructions to refrigerate it to extend the use, and that actually does work with a packet you haven't opened, but not so much with an opened pack.  

[Dave Budd]

also, unlike most things the best before date does make a difference. I've tried to use some that I bought a couple of years ago (and thus some time out of date) and it doesn't stick to anything any more! It does still set hard but falls apart as well as falling off whatever I have stuck it to 

[SpankySmith]

Agree w/ Budd, I've had better luck with the moldable JB Weld. 

[Jeddly]

I recently bought my crafty daughter some stuff called Instamorph. It comes in pellet form, and is re-useable. You put the pellets in hot water, and it liquifies into a moldable substance. After molding to shape, you dunk it in cold water, and it hardens. Kinda like quenching steel I guess. Its pretty neat stuff. I think I'm going to steal some from her and make a couple file handles out of it.

[Frosty]

A few months ago the gang in the Sandbox E-mail list were talking about mixing silicone calking with various powders to model. Some were as basic as saw dust, some talcum powder or maybe baby powder, flour, salt, baking soda was supposed to have interesting effects. On and on.

I haven't messed with calking and . . . stuff, (Binders?) but it was intriguing and on my long list of intriguig things to try someday. Now though, cheap alternatives? Hmmmmm.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Jedlly, if its the thermo plastic material I think your talking about, it is indead neet stuff. I forget what plastic it is, but as i remember the pelita were clear, and the cooled product looked like milk jug. It certainly would be beter than modling clay for working out orders of operation at the forge. 

Tho for file handles I prefer fariers rasp handles (tractorsuply or a farrier suply) as the have treads on the inside so they are reusable) and golf balls for the small files.