Sugru is mouldable glue. It comes in small packets and feels like blutac. Once open you’ve about half an hour to play with it, roll it into shape with your hands and stick it where it needs to go. Then it takes about 24 hours to cure when it becomes a rubber-like substance.
I’ve used Sugru to replace a catch in a window before, replacing a broken latch so that the window stayed firmly closed once shut and to make a holder for my walking stick on my desk. Now I can learn the stick against the side of my desk without it falling sideways, on to the floor and where I might struggle to pick it up.
I think the most common uses for Sugru are to make little holders to direct your charging and USB cables; you know, tucking a length away under a desk or making a little clip. I’ve seen people use it to cover the ends of cables and even extend the joysticks on xbox 360 controllers before.
This Christmas I’ve seen a very clever use of Sugru and one worth sharing. We’ve a rather post-modern wreath for the front door. It’s not holy. It’s interlocking geometric shapes. You can tell geeks live here.
The usual problem with the wreath is that it’s a pain to attach to the front door. We’re not prepared to drive a nail through the polished wood just for a once a year event. The solution? This year my partner made a little hook out of Sugru and stuck that on the back of the door. The Sugru is strong enough to let us string a ribbon up and over the top to hang the wreath on the front. We also then get to use the hook to put up some tinsel. Rather than creating an unsightly hole we’ve made a decorative feature.
I’ve been working with a Rebel Tech Kit of Sugru. It costs £10, has a useful tin to keep the packets safe in and four packets of different colours.
What’s on my mind is the potential of Sugru for tabletop gaming. Artists like Ryan Devoto can create whole worlds out of miniatures and do they do this without any custom pieces? Surely Sugru could be used for those vital corner pieces, steps, parapets or even just to extend a miniature’s base so it no longer falls over.
This is the stuff of geeks.
Disclaimer: My Rebel Tech Kit was provided for review.
