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Hacking a USB Thumb Drive with Sugru

I had this butt ugly thumb drive. The protective case was hacked up, the metal arm had snapped off and it looked like it had been towed behind a tractor for a week. 

I used a cool new hacking substance called Sugru to create a custom case.  Took about 5 minutes.

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The idea to retrofit my 8G USB drive came from Instructables where I'd read about people creating cool new casings for their USB drives, refitting them using Lego blocks or a Barbie. 

Instructables.com USB Barbie 

I wanted something a little more comely than a headless Barbie though.  And less of a tripping hazard.

I removed the old casing from the USB drive using a utility knife, drawing the blade along the seam of the case repeatedly until I'd split the plastic and could easily pry open the casing.

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Once the chip is unsheathed, its nekkid profile is a lot slimmer.

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Now for the Sugru.  This malleable, silicone material moulds and sticks to almost anything, forming a permanent chemical bond with the substrate, and curing at room temperature to a slightly flexible, heat resistant, waterproof, dishwasher proof UV resistant plastic-y marvel.

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Invented by Jane Ni Dhulchaointigh, Sugru is a word for 'play' in the Irish language. Sugru comes in a bunch of wacky colours for bold, irreverent repairs that scream "I'm a hacker and I don't care who knows it".  It's also available in a tasteful shade of black for those who feel less celebratory about their handiwork.  

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I rolled the Sugru around in my hands for a few seconds to make it pliable, then wrapped it around the chip. 

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Then I pressed a rubber stamp into the soft Sugru. The Sugru released easily from the rubber stamp.  It's sticky, but not annoyingly so.

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I reamed a little hole in the Sugru so the LED light shows when it's active. I let the piece cure overnight and it's working great this morning. 

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I had a bit of Sugru left from the opened packet.  So I also made a hooky thing for my microphone so I can hang my headphones on it between music sessions.

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Sugru is in such high demand that it's currently sold out.  Jane's first production run was snatched up by eager buyers (I was one) in 18 hours flat.  It's been 3 months and they promise they will have more packaged and ready for sale soon.  You can receive updates on the next release by following ProjectSugru on Twitter.  You'll pay about $20 for a multi-pack.  SO WORTH IT.

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Comments

sophie

Cool material i want a material like that i can use that in anything love it!

bark chipping

unique material..your such a resourceful person ..what a good idea..right!

MySugruHacks

See what others are doing with Sugru on www.MySugruHacks.com you can also upload your hacks for the world to see.

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