The first thing I do when unboxing a new iPhone charger cable is put a couple layers of heat shrink tubing over the end to reinforce the cable. I then cut some pieces of Gaffers tape and tape on either side over the heat shrink and plastic connector to form little "wings". This allows you to pull on the wings when disconnecting and never pull on the cable itself. I have three heavily used cables that are over 5 years old and still in perfect condition.
I have been doing that also, but as careful as I am, my cords that I have replaced directly from Apple, still have only lasted about a year (after adding the tubing), before having the original wire casing bunch-up at the point right after the end of the heat shrink tubing.
Yes, I was going to ask if these techniques could be used as a _preventative_ measure - seemed an obvious first step to me. I have Anker right-angle fast-charging cables for my Mac and iPhone and they always seem to last really well, thankfully...
Great video bro! I’m 76 and a diyer and never knew about the tape thing, I’ve always stretched to tear it! Thanks for the lesson and the spring idea! ☮✌🏻
Hi, I had to go with the tape version just to save money. I already had some tape but I did learn from you I was not wrapping it correctly so thank you for that! 🙂 Great video!
1. That broken shielding acts as a ground. While you may not specifically need it, it's a good thing to re-connect it if possible. 2. Many phone cases have an opening for the cable just big enough to fit the plug end through. Be sure as you enlarge the plug end by putting heat shrink or tape on it that you don't prevent the plug from going into your phone case. You may need to start the heat shrink further back from the end of the plug. 3. Love the marine heat shrink idea!
The shield should not be a signal ground (e.g. for USB power or data). It should just be an RF shield, so if it is broken, the cable might interfere with nearby radio signals like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, but it should continue working.
Go with 3. But for all solutions only cover 1/2 the connector body to ensure connector will fit through iPhone protective case and make contact with phone lightning socket.
Just make sure to protect the connector metal end while heating, since it has a white plastic that houses the connector pads which are easily damageable with heat. I’ve damaged a cable before trying to heat-shrink it.
Heatshrink doesn’t need crazy temperatures to shrink: well below what causes damage to the connector. The problem is that many heat guns don’t actually go low enough, especially the ones with just high/low settings! (In electronics, we use ones with fully adjustable temperatures. I normally use around 170C/325F.) Many heat shrink tubes will satisfactorily shrink with a regular hair dryer on high - you just have to hold the item directly at the hair dryer nozzle, almost touching, to get the maximum temperature.
Apple is crap, and has been proven so. All my friends are constantly looking to charge their IPhones while my Android lasts for three days on constant use. Suckers
I love all your videos! One suggestion to get a tight tube over the plug would be to put in 1 drop of hand-wash soap into the tube. This trick helps slide even the tightest tube over the cable plug.
I have 2 kids that seem to go through chargers faster than i can keep up with! So glad you made this video, now we can repair them and i know my kids will have fun doing this too!!
Definitely the 3rd one is the best. I usually use liquid plastic for dipping tool handle. Also I used it for the rod outdoor chairs’ legs to protect the floors and work amazing
I know I'm a year late but my god are you a life saver. This is the only charger I have that works for my chromebook and a new one costs so much. Thanks man
Great video! My tape-only repair job failed because I didn't wrap it properly. And now I'm inspired to go for the best approach. Is there a heat gun you recommend? There's no link to one in your description, nor could I find one in your favorite tools.
These are pretty cool tips especially the 3rd solution. I have used electrical tape in the past and it did the job until I was able to buy a need cable. Thanks for the tips!
I prefer the best method … The electrical tape, the wire spring, then the shrink wrap. However, I would add one more step. I will perform this best method before I start using my new charging wire. I will add this first after the purchase. Thank you for showing.
i had tried using electrical tape but it always turned into a mess because i wasn't doing it right... i did your tape method as a quick fix, but will be purchasing the heat shrink and trying that method for a longer term repair. i just subscribed to your channel because there are so many useful vids here!
Variant on the 3rd solution: Use a zip tie to or 2 to provide ribs for strain relief. Trim them to length after. The adhesive keeps them in place and you don’t have to destroy a pen.
I am just finishing working on a cord where the male connector itself was damaged when my cellphone fell off my night stand. My phone landed.upright onto the floor, with the connection bending at a 90° angle at its weak point. Since it stopped working, I immediately knew that one or more of the wires soldered onto the connector had broken loose. I had to cut away the molded rubberized plastic covering the solders, cut the cable an inch down, and reconnect the four wires in their correct sequence. What people need to remember is to put the sheink wrap on the cableI before they solder it back together. That way they can just slide the prope size shrink wrap up the thinner cable instead of trying to slip a larger shrink-wrap over the larger connector end. Cheers
I really like that marine heat shrink material. It seems to work well in lots of applications. And harvesting those little springs. Never thought of that, thanks!
All good fixes - however I had a similar, but slightly different problem. That being, my cat loved to chew on my cable rendering it unusable. After this happened twice, I brought a roll of what I call engine loom split plastic cable covering and installed it over the entire cable length. It not only protects the cable, but provides some strain relief at the ends.
Nice work. I typically use solution two and find that the cable jacket will crack again where it meets the shrink tubing after a year or two and will have to be repaired again. Still better than buying a new cable.
My preference is None Of The Above. For a similar price one can buy a magnetic-tipped cable that comes with an assortment of low-profile also-magnetic-tipped plugs (lightning, usb type c, and micro-usb). This lets you leave the plug in the device's port all the time to eliminate wear&tear on the port, and it takes only a few seconds and only one hand to connect or disconnect the cable to/from the plug. The ease & speed & non-wear of connecting & disconnecting facilitates keeping the battery charge level within a narrow healthy range that extends the lifespan of the battery. (I programmed my phone to speak the charge percentage about once every 10 minutes if either of the following conditions is true: the charge exceeds 80% and the charger is connected, or the charge is less than 50% and the charger isn't connected.) However, I know almost nothing about the Apple lightning cables -- my phones have always been Android with micro-USB or type C ports -- so perhaps I'm overlooking something important about iPhone (lightning) cables.
You can't tell me that the manufacturer is unable to fix this problem. They don't because it forces you to buy new cables more often. Thx for this wonderful information!
You may find that your “best” solution will fail sooner than the middle one: adhesive-lined heatshrink tends to be more rigid, so you’re creating a new stress point at the end of the heatshrink (just like the cable fails at the end of the original strain relief). Paradoxically, softer heatshrink makes for a more robust strain relief. I usually create strain reliefs by applying multiple layers, to taper off the rigidity rather than have an abrupt transition, which is where failure occurs. (I’m an electronics technician, so this is not just with repairs, but when making custom cables of various kinds.)
For heat shrink tubing, you can also get a higher grade version that reduces in size by a factor of three. That will give you a tight seal against both the cable and the head.
You can get even 6:1 heat shrink. But it’s a much more difficult product to find, and ain’t cheap! 4:1 is somewhat common, though. But you have to order from electronics suppliers, you rarely find anything beyond 2:1, sometimes 3:1, heatshrink at retail. :/ Electronics suppliers also carry different heatshrink materials for special applications. Just had to order 4:1 Teflon heatshrink to be used in a high vacuum application where ordinary plastics outgas. (Also good for cryogenic things.) Of course, one doesn’t normally encounter that in a household environment! :p
I tried to wrap electrical tape around two cables (option 1) but without succes :-/ My cables look less damaged than yours but I think they might be broken differently or somewhere else so they cannot be fixed. Some comments indicate that they made it work after having used your method to apply the tape. I have watched the video several times and I think I do it the same way as you by stretching, angling and keeping it tight 🤔
Better or best. But I have heat shrink assortment. Should buy marine anyway. Why didn’t this ever occur to me. Also helpful on using tape, though I’ve used it all my 75 years.
Great video. I use the second method. I did not know about the spring hack. Thx. BTW use caution on using the heat gun near the cable tip. I've been careless in the past and have ruined a cable.
Use a hair dryer instead, or get a temperature controlled (not just high/low) heat gun. The ones sold for stripping paint are plain and simply too hot, way hotter than necessary for heatshrink.
This is a solid solution if the 20 gauge cables are still intact, but what if the damage is more severe to the wires themselves, and/or further up the connector?
This was a good presentation. One thing I noticed however is your “better” choice seemed a bit too flimsy compared to your “good” choice. It seemed like the electrical tape created a more firm protection for the wires. I wonder how much better it would be to first tape it, then apply the shrink material. Doing that would really make it “better”. What do you think?
Great idea, but maybe an improvement of the spring method would to apply heatshrink after the electrical tape, then put the spring on then the outer heatshrink. This would help the tape in place and the tape will make the heatshrink a more snug fit than without because it increases the diameter. Or course it'll depend on the size of the spring and cable. I've always felt it was a shame to throw away those little springs inside pens; now I've got a perfect reason to keep them!
I don't want to jinx myself but I have yet to have a cable get damaged like that. Maybe I'm more careful than others. Maybe I'm lucky. But with the amount of these cords I have around the house, I guess I would have seen it before. My son has damaged a couple of cables because but they weren't the OEM Apple ones, they were those reinforced cables that look was more resistant from factory but he still managed to bend it enough that it stopped working - no damaged insulation or wires were visible.
My cousin used one and always used his smart phone like a computer for social media for Facebook. He always kept it interesting for his friends and family. His charging cord shorted out. My point is if you want something you are sure won't damage your phone and you definitely only get what you pay for. Invest in a heavy duty charging cord.
Wow, very informative for a fix it yourself dummy. I wished I watched the video before I bought the heat shrink wrap. But, I'm going to do #3, the best. Thanks!
You can use a very small amount of hot-glue underneath the heat-shrink to add more stability and fill in to the most damaged areas. When you apply heat to the heat-shrink the hot-glue (typically EVA plastic) is also becomes molten and fills in any gaps as it shrinks and get squeezed. Helps create a good water-seal on the edges + help the heat-shrink grip better. You can buy heat-shrink with similar pre-applied glue on the inside, but sometimes you want to make due with what you have at hand :) Usually a good idea to start the heating in the middle to let the hot-glue flow both ways and reduce mess.
They also do sell 3:1 heat shrink which would've been so useful too. With adhesive would work well as well and would be very rigid from the glue. I personally have never broken a phone cable that way although I know many people who do.
@@tookitogomaybe it would be good to allow for a looser fitting portion on the very end of the heat shrink to gently transition from rigidity to flexibility… or maybe for up by the connector, you could put thick electrical tape, tapering off gently until none at the end of the heat shrink. That along with leaving a tiny bit of wiggle room at the end might make it less likely to fail at that point. Idk maybe it’s a dumb idea but I think it might be worth trying.
@@erikjonromnes A loose fit inside a rigid tube doesn’t help anything, and can make it worse. There’s a reason that strain relief in commercial products most commonly takes the form of a tapered flexible overmolding, such that the flexibility increases as you move away from the housing. Trust me, I’ve built and repaired a lot of cables, and rigid heatshrink is terrible for strain relief. You need the flexibility.
Very clever using an ink pen spring and the heavier marine-grade shrink wrap. I agree, that should be the best. Whoever came up with that had their thinking cap on.
I tried the “best” solution -preemptively, my cable wasn’t yet showing any damage - but wasn’t able to make it work. I wasn’t able to get the 1/4” marine grade shrink tubing over the housing with even one layer of the scotch brand 33+ electrical tape in place. I’m sure it’s a matter of my own lack of experience with this sort of thing. I removed the electrical tape and used just the spring and the shrink wrap. But I still wonder whether the electrical tape by itself might have provided more protection. I might try that on my spare cable.
My favorite way to repair these kinds of cables is to use a silicone putty like Sugru. Roll it into a flat sheet with your hands, wrap around the cable and press tight. Then let it cure for 24 hours.
It would be a good idea to put strain relief on new cable to make it last longer. If the inner wires are exposed, they are probably frayed on the inside of the insulation. No telling how long it will last even if you tape it up. It's a good idea to start looking into a new cable at that point.
Again, with your best solution, I’d use standard shrink tubing under the spring instead of tape, but if using tape… wrap the tape around the cable, don’t twist the cable into the tape…
Can u use dollar store grey duct tape instead of electric tape? Or is this is electrical hazard if the open wires are exposed to the silver/grey duct tape?
All 4 of my daily used iPhone lightning cables are 4 to 7 years old. Secret ? Throw out the useless 1 meter cables Apple use to include in the box (too much bending strain) and replace with 2 meter cables.
I've been doing this to my wired headphones since 2012 but with regular tape then I started doing this to my iPhone chargers Ive never had to replace a charger.
i just got a new iphone this christmas......and i did the "good" solution right away with no damage on the cable.......prevention is better than cure
The first thing I do when unboxing a new iPhone charger cable is put a couple layers of heat shrink tubing over the end to reinforce the cable. I then cut some pieces of Gaffers tape and tape on either side over the heat shrink and plastic connector to form little "wings". This allows you to pull on the wings when disconnecting and never pull on the cable itself. I have three heavily used cables that are over 5 years old and still in perfect condition.
I have been doing that also, but as careful as I am, my cords that I have replaced directly from Apple, still have only lasted about a year (after adding the tubing), before having the original wire casing bunch-up at the point right after the end of the heat shrink tubing.
The manufacturer can fix this issue but they won't because the faster the product fails the sooner you have to buy another from them. 🤬
can i see how u do it?
Yes, I was going to ask if these techniques could be used as a _preventative_ measure - seemed an obvious first step to me.
I have Anker right-angle fast-charging cables for my Mac and iPhone and they always seem to last really well, thankfully...
Same here and no issues
I've used shrink tape but never thought about incorporating a spring, brilliant!
Thank you the clear instructions with no annoying music. I appreciate having different options as well.
Great video bro! I’m 76 and a diyer and never knew about the tape thing, I’ve always stretched to tear it!
Thanks for the lesson and the spring idea! ☮✌🏻
Unc
I have a cord that needs repaired. After watching this, I would definitely do the 3rd option. Seems like it would hold up well. Thanks Scott!
Yeah, it stiffens up nicely once the adhesive sets up 👊
Hi, I had to go with the tape version just to save money. I already had some tape but I did learn from you I was not wrapping it correctly so thank you for that! 🙂 Great video!
You bet, thanks for the feedback!
1. That broken shielding acts as a ground. While you may not specifically need it, it's a good thing to re-connect it if possible.
2. Many phone cases have an opening for the cable just big enough to fit the plug end through. Be sure as you enlarge the plug end by putting heat shrink or tape on it that you don't prevent the plug from going into your phone case. You may need to start the heat shrink further back from the end of the plug.
3. Love the marine heat shrink idea!
The shield should not be a signal ground (e.g. for USB power or data). It should just be an RF shield, so if it is broken, the cable might interfere with nearby radio signals like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, but it should continue working.
Go with 3.
But for all solutions only cover 1/2 the connector body to ensure connector will fit through iPhone protective case and make contact with phone lightning socket.
Not a bad note 👍 thanks for the feedback.
Just make sure to protect the connector metal end while heating, since it has a white plastic that houses the connector pads which are easily damageable with heat. I’ve damaged a cable before trying to heat-shrink it.
Heatshrink doesn’t need crazy temperatures to shrink: well below what causes damage to the connector. The problem is that many heat guns don’t actually go low enough, especially the ones with just high/low settings! (In electronics, we use ones with fully adjustable temperatures. I normally use around 170C/325F.)
Many heat shrink tubes will satisfactorily shrink with a regular hair dryer on high - you just have to hold the item directly at the hair dryer nozzle, almost touching, to get the maximum temperature.
Apple is crap, and has been proven so. All my friends are constantly looking to charge their IPhones while my Android lasts for three days on constant use. Suckers
I love all your videos! One suggestion to get a tight tube over the plug would be to put in 1 drop of hand-wash soap into the tube. This trick helps slide even the tightest tube over the cable plug.
I have 2 kids that seem to go through chargers faster than i can keep up with! So glad you made this video, now we can repair them and i know my kids will have fun doing this too!!
Oh yeah, great little project. They will like the heat shrink and picking their own colors 👍👍
You single ?
@@tonyjlorns1727 desperate as hell bro💀💀💀💀
Definitely the 3rd one is the best. I usually use liquid plastic for dipping tool handle. Also I used it for the rod outdoor chairs’ legs to protect the floors and work amazing
I like the pro tips, thanks Hassan 👍
I cut a straw into a spiral and then heat shrink that. Also, tape would’ve helped fill the gap with the first kind of heat shrink.
Do option 3 on a new cable for preventive maintenance. 👍
I like your style 👊
I know I'm a year late but my god are you a life saver. This is the only charger I have that works for my chromebook and a new one costs so much. Thanks man
You bet!
Thanks for your demonstration! Have 3 to fix, so hope all goes well.
Great video! My tape-only repair job failed because I didn't wrap it properly. And now I'm inspired to go for the best approach. Is there a heat gun you recommend? There's no link to one in your description, nor could I find one in your favorite tools.
Just use a lighter and/or candle. No need to buy a heat gun.
These are pretty cool tips especially the 3rd solution. I have used electrical tape in the past and it did the job until I was able to buy a need cable. Thanks for the tips!
Doing this to new cables prevents them from ever going bad. Apply the fix early.
I prefer the best method … The electrical tape, the wire spring, then the shrink wrap. However, I would add one more step. I will perform this best method before I start using my new charging wire. I will add this first after the purchase. Thank you for showing.
i had tried using electrical tape but it always turned into a mess because i wasn't doing it right... i did your tape method as a quick fix, but will be purchasing the heat shrink and trying that method for a longer term repair. i just subscribed to your channel because there are so many useful vids here!
Variant on the 3rd solution: Use a zip tie to or 2 to provide ribs for strain relief. Trim them to length after. The adhesive keeps them in place and you don’t have to destroy a pen.
Appreciate the feedback Maks 👍
I am just finishing working on a cord where the male connector itself was damaged when my cellphone fell off my night stand. My phone landed.upright onto the floor, with the connection bending at a 90° angle at its weak point. Since it stopped working, I immediately knew that one or more of the wires soldered onto the connector had broken loose.
I had to cut away the molded rubberized plastic covering the solders, cut the cable an inch down, and reconnect the four wires in their correct sequence.
What people need to remember is to put the sheink wrap on the cableI before they solder it back together. That way they can just slide the prope size shrink wrap up the thinner cable instead of trying to slip a larger shrink-wrap over the larger connector end.
Cheers
I really like that marine heat shrink material. It seems to work well in lots of applications. And harvesting those little springs. Never thought of that, thanks!
All good fixes - however I had a similar, but slightly different problem. That being, my cat loved to chew on my cable rendering it unusable. After this happened twice, I brought a roll of what I call engine loom split plastic cable covering and installed it over the entire cable length. It not only protects the cable, but provides some strain relief at the ends.
@@Kevin-mp5of AH - we couldn’t do that. Lol
...or get rid of the cat
How do you check to see if it’s the housing port that is bad? Can they be replaced? Thanks great video!
Nice work. I typically use solution two and find that the cable jacket will crack again where it meets the shrink tubing after a year or two and will have to be repaired again. Still better than buying a new cable.
Try to find more flexible heatshrink. That’ll flex more and avoid the hard transition where you’re seeing it fail.
My preference is None Of The Above. For a similar price one can buy a magnetic-tipped cable that comes with an assortment of low-profile also-magnetic-tipped plugs (lightning, usb type c, and micro-usb). This lets you leave the plug in the device's port all the time to eliminate wear&tear on the port, and it takes only a few seconds and only one hand to connect or disconnect the cable to/from the plug. The ease & speed & non-wear of connecting & disconnecting facilitates keeping the battery charge level within a narrow healthy range that extends the lifespan of the battery. (I programmed my phone to speak the charge percentage about once every 10 minutes if either of the following conditions is true: the charge exceeds 80% and the charger is connected, or the charge is less than 50% and the charger isn't connected.) However, I know almost nothing about the Apple lightning cables -- my phones have always been Android with micro-USB or type C ports -- so perhaps I'm overlooking something important about iPhone (lightning) cables.
You can't tell me that the manufacturer is unable to fix this problem. They don't because it forces you to buy new cables more often. Thx for this wonderful information!
You may find that your “best” solution will fail sooner than the middle one: adhesive-lined heatshrink tends to be more rigid, so you’re creating a new stress point at the end of the heatshrink (just like the cable fails at the end of the original strain relief). Paradoxically, softer heatshrink makes for a more robust strain relief.
I usually create strain reliefs by applying multiple layers, to taper off the rigidity rather than have an abrupt transition, which is where failure occurs. (I’m an electronics technician, so this is not just with repairs, but when making custom cables of various kinds.)
Wish I read this comment before applying this fix. The marine heat shrink is soooo rigid, particular with the spring.
Thanks, I have used shrink wrap before but I didn’t even know there was a Marine version… awesome content.
Thanks for the video, tired of constantly buying new cords - I will be the best route for my cable!
Never knew about the Marine grade shrink tubing, but now I may consider using it.
Pretty nice 👍
For heat shrink tubing, you can also get a higher grade version that reduces in size by a factor of three. That will give you a tight seal against both the cable and the head.
Thanks for the feedback Brad. The Marine grade I used (not high quality) was supposed to be a 3:1 and did a pretty solid job.
You can get even 6:1 heat shrink. But it’s a much more difficult product to find, and ain’t cheap! 4:1 is somewhat common, though. But you have to order from electronics suppliers, you rarely find anything beyond 2:1, sometimes 3:1, heatshrink at retail. :/
Electronics suppliers also carry different heatshrink materials for special applications. Just had to order 4:1 Teflon heatshrink to be used in a high vacuum application where ordinary plastics outgas. (Also good for cryogenic things.) Of course, one doesn’t normally encounter that in a household environment! :p
Thank you. This was great video. Something that everyone struggles with.
Thanks and best of luck on the channel 👍
This is one of those examples where u left it better than it was.👍🏽🇺🇸
Solution worked like a charm. If you can’t get a spring, you can use an old paper clip and a needle nose pliers to wrap it and provide more support
I tried to wrap electrical tape around two cables (option 1) but without succes :-/ My cables look less damaged than yours but I think they might be broken differently or somewhere else so they cannot be fixed. Some comments indicate that they made it work after having used your method to apply the tape. I have watched the video several times and I think I do it the same way as you by stretching, angling and keeping it tight 🤔
Better or best. But I have heat shrink assortment. Should buy marine anyway. Why didn’t this ever occur to me. Also helpful on using tape, though I’ve used it all my 75 years.
Great video. I use the second method. I did not know about the spring hack. Thx. BTW use caution on using the heat gun near the cable tip. I've been careless in the past and have ruined a cable.
Use a hair dryer instead, or get a temperature controlled (not just high/low) heat gun. The ones sold for stripping paint are plain and simply too hot, way hotter than necessary for heatshrink.
This is a solid solution if the 20 gauge cables are still intact, but what if the damage is more severe to the wires themselves, and/or further up the connector?
All three options are good. However, I feel the you'll be moving the kink further down. I would use option 3.
Do any of these methods work with android chargers?
This was a good presentation. One thing I noticed however is your “better” choice seemed a bit too flimsy compared to your “good” choice. It seemed like the electrical tape created a more firm protection for the wires. I wonder how much better it would be to first tape it, then apply the shrink material. Doing that would really make it “better”. What do you think?
Heatshrink is far superior to electrical tape. I would not expect a combination to be better.
Great idea, but maybe an improvement of the spring method would to apply heatshrink after the electrical tape, then put the spring on then the outer heatshrink. This would help the tape in place and the tape will make the heatshrink a more snug fit than without because it increases the diameter. Or course it'll depend on the size of the spring and cable. I've always felt it was a shame to throw away those little springs inside pens; now I've got a perfect reason to keep them!
Thank you so much I just fixed my cellphone charger right away after watching this video.i used the first method .thanks so much for the tips.
I don't want to jinx myself but I have yet to have a cable get damaged like that. Maybe I'm more careful than others. Maybe I'm lucky. But with the amount of these cords I have around the house, I guess I would have seen it before. My son has damaged a couple of cables because but they weren't the OEM Apple ones, they were those reinforced cables that look was more resistant from factory but he still managed to bend it enough that it stopped working - no damaged insulation or wires were visible.
Mine recently charger wire for some reason has a cut mark on it and this might be the case so thx for the tip
My cousin used one and always used his smart phone like a computer for social media for Facebook. He always kept it interesting for his friends and family. His charging cord shorted out. My point is if you want something you are sure won't damage your phone and you definitely only get what you pay for. Invest in a heavy duty charging cord.
If I notice cracks, 1st fill then in with crazy glue & tissue paper, then added pen spring- great idea from this vid!
Where can I purchase the heating tool and the tape or box of material to do the repair?
Excellent video. Thank you very much.
Thank you for this! My iphone charger cable is leaking blue liquid on the same spot.
Wow, very informative for a fix it yourself dummy. I wished I watched the video before I bought the heat shrink wrap. But, I'm going to do #3, the best. Thanks!
You can use a very small amount of hot-glue underneath the heat-shrink to add more stability and fill in to the most damaged areas.
When you apply heat to the heat-shrink the hot-glue (typically EVA plastic) is also becomes molten and fills in any gaps as it shrinks and get squeezed. Helps create a good water-seal on the edges + help the heat-shrink grip better. You can buy heat-shrink with similar pre-applied glue on the inside, but sometimes you want to make due with what you have at hand :)
Usually a good idea to start the heating in the middle to let the hot-glue flow both ways and reduce mess.
I've already done that but the spring idea is a good one , looks like im stocking up on old springs lol
They also do sell 3:1 heat shrink which would've been so useful too. With adhesive would work well as well and would be very rigid from the glue. I personally have never broken a phone cable that way although I know many people who do.
Rigidity is a bad thing, as it simply creates a new stress point where the flexibility transitions. Softer heatshrink allows for a more gentle flex.
@@tookitogomaybe it would be good to allow for a looser fitting portion on the very end of the heat shrink to gently transition from rigidity to flexibility… or maybe for up by the connector, you could put thick electrical tape, tapering off gently until none at the end of the heat shrink. That along with leaving a tiny bit of wiggle room at the end might make it less likely to fail at that point. Idk maybe it’s a dumb idea but I think it might be worth trying.
@@erikjonromnes A loose fit inside a rigid tube doesn’t help anything, and can make it worse.
There’s a reason that strain relief in commercial products most commonly takes the form of a tapered flexible overmolding, such that the flexibility increases as you move away from the housing.
Trust me, I’ve built and repaired a lot of cables, and rigid heatshrink is terrible for strain relief. You need the flexibility.
If you have a old plastic 30 pin cable you can use a 30 pin to lighting adapter to repurpose them to charge your phone
Your last solution is an excellent idea. Thanks. Very much for the help.
Very clever using an ink pen spring and the heavier marine-grade shrink wrap. I agree, that should be the best. Whoever came up with that had their thinking cap on.
Thank you for showing the amateur way of doing it at first. 🤗
Dude your a total legend, absolutely brilliant
I tried the “best” solution -preemptively, my cable wasn’t yet showing any damage - but wasn’t able to make it work. I wasn’t able to get the 1/4” marine grade shrink tubing over the housing with even one layer of the scotch brand 33+ electrical tape in place. I’m sure it’s a matter of my own lack of experience with this sort of thing. I removed the electrical tape and used just the spring and the shrink wrap. But I still wonder whether the electrical tape by itself might have provided more protection. I might try that on my spare cable.
What can I say 👍👍👍👍Third one is the best. You need no soldering iron.
My favorite way to repair these kinds of cables is to use a silicone putty like Sugru. Roll it into a flat sheet with your hands, wrap around the cable and press tight. Then let it cure for 24 hours.
Does tape work?
It would be a good idea to put strain relief on new cable to make it last longer. If the inner wires are exposed, they are probably frayed on the inside of the insulation. No telling how long it will last even if you tape it up. It's a good idea to start looking into a new cable at that point.
Cables can be fixed. Don't have to throw away. Repair the end
Again, with your best solution, I’d use standard shrink tubing under the spring instead of tape, but if using tape… wrap the tape around the cable, don’t twist the cable into the tape…
👍👍👍🙏🙏🙏, good video. Excellent ideas. I used silicone caulking, worked but ugly.
Thank you for your video. Can you tell me what I could use instead of the blow touch? I tried with a lights but that didn’t work.
Can u use dollar store grey duct tape instead of electric tape? Or is this is electrical hazard if the open wires are exposed to the silver/grey duct tape?
the marine heat shrink is an overkill imo, but I like your video
It’s amazing what human hands can do! 🤩
The best with spring.Worked like a champ. Thanks fun fix!
You bet!
Great video.
#3 option is my favorite! 😊
Fantastic tips. Saved me $$$. Already have the heat shrink, tape and springs on hand.
I just got an older MacBook Air and the cable has some issues, most likely going to do this 👍
will heat shrink work if you cut it lengthwise to get it around the cable plug instead fitting it over the end?
Great video. I'll try the 'best' one. Greetings from Australia.
I like A+B (tape + tube). I don't have springs laying around.
Yeah, the tape could will in the little gap a bit on the "Better" option as well.
Uhh the springs are in old pens and they're laying around
I just buy quality cords for $30-$40 and they last for years.
All 4 of my daily used iPhone lightning cables are 4 to 7 years old. Secret ? Throw out the useless 1 meter cables Apple use to include in the box (too much bending strain) and replace with 2 meter cables.
Wowww many options.. I like the second one.. the heat makes a custom fit.. another great video
Mine is too far gone. The wires are broken. The marine solution would be great when the cord is new.
The last one is best. Bcs it also protect the cable from the finger pressure and twisting when inserting rhe cable in the phone socket
Last one was the one I used a few months ago
Self fusing silicone repair tape. Shrink tubing is too stiff and the cable just breaks at the end of the heat shrink.
This!!! (Or buy flexible heatshrink, which isn’t the cheap stuff people mostly use…)
3rd solution, without a doubt! Great video, as always…
Thanks Ron!
big thanks for the tutorial! I went for the budget version this time around ;)
The best solution is the last one 😊
I don't have a heat gun. Are there any alternatives? Is a hair dryer a silly idea?
Nice video! It would be cool if you could get white marine 3:1 shrink wrap. 😎
I've been doing this to my wired headphones since 2012 but with regular tape then I started doing this to my iPhone chargers Ive never had to replace a charger.
hello, my charger is seperated from the part that connects to the block, could you possibly make a tutorial for that?
In the second example why didn't you use the electrical tape as extra support?
Awesome video! Those heat shrink tubes are on my list!!
How did it hold up after a year?
Great tips as always. Thanks!
You bet!
They really should make better cables.
The pen spring can be very sharp after cutting.