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Win a multi-color pack of Sugru rubber for your DIY projects & repairs! January 3
blog giveaway ends 25 January
What is Sugru?
Sugru is a super cool, air-curable rubber that you can use to improve, repair, or prototype all kinds of stuff.
It was developed over seven years by a group of product designers and material scientists lead by Jane who started the project while working on an MA in Product Design at RCA in London.
(You should really check out the Sugru story; there are photos of formulation experiments & application tests, the tales of funding struggles, and a new year’s resolution that ultimately lead to success.)
The end result is a simple, useful material chock full of great properties:
• electrically insulating so “it’s amazing for cable repairs”
• waterproof and flexible so it’s great to have along on outdoor excursions
• stable from -60°C/140°F to 180°C/360°F
• curable at air temperature so you don’t have to heat it
• is removable (with a little effort)
• sticks to almost anything & remains flexible when cured = perfect for prototypes
Update: This contest is closed. Thank you all for your comments.
And congratulations to Matthew C, Matthew P-F, Bob, Curtis W. and Stefania M.!! Enjoy your Sugru!
How to enter:
So now that you have an idea of what Sugru can do, we’d like to know…
How would you use Sugru in a Ponoko project? Tell us in the comments how you would use Sugru to enhance something you made with Ponoko’s laser cutting, cnc routing, or 3D printing service.
Only one entry per person.
Deadline for entry is 9pm pst 25 January.
The wonderful prize:
5 winners will be chosen at random to each receive…
a free multi-color pack of Sugru rubber!
Need some ideas?
Check out the Gurus Gallery for lots of photos of how people are using Sugru.
And you’ve got to take a look at Guy’s recent post on how one person used Sugru in a 3D printed mold to create a precise and professional looking repair for his headphones.
New to Ponoko?
We are are your Personal Factory. You create and upload a design, we make it and ship it to your door. Find out how it works.
January 3rd, 2012 at 1:17 pm
I’d like to try Sugru with a 3d printed mold to encase a flex circuit for a whole squishy/flexy assembly.
January 3rd, 2012 at 1:21 pm
I would like to see how I could combine it with lasercut projects. Depending on how detailed it can get, it could give my designs some interesting texture.
January 3rd, 2012 at 4:56 pm
I’m using laser-cut aluminum to brand a logo into foam inserts for cymbal storage. Seeing that Sugru is stable from -60°C to 180°C, I’d use Sugru for a depth-stop and handles.
January 3rd, 2012 at 5:43 pm
I would love to use Sugru to seal the surrounds of an Arduino LCD shield, into my laser cut box. I would also love to try making some pretty button tops for my laser cut project.
January 3rd, 2012 at 9:55 pm
I’d stick a piece on the end of my car antenna and mould it into something interesting. Decorations!
January 4th, 2012 at 5:55 am
I would like to let my daughter sculpt Sugru into animal shapes and press them onto magnets for awesome homemade fridge magnets
January 4th, 2012 at 12:02 pm
I would like to see how well it works for moldmaking – tiny objects for scale modeling.
)
January 4th, 2012 at 8:26 pm
Ergonomic grips seem like a good use.
After much use, I also notice some wear on the corners of my laser cut wood parts. Maybe bumpers for these corners?
January 4th, 2012 at 10:25 pm
Ooh, I would use it to make accessories for my giant 3D printed LEGO minifigs and to fill in gaps on other printed items.
January 5th, 2012 at 12:17 pm
I would use Sugru to mould myself some Spock-style ears!
January 5th, 2012 at 3:53 pm
I’d fabricate outdoor ’street’ art sculptures and then use sugru to quickly attach it to the unsuspecting wall/roof/ladder/fence/lamppost before the authorities arrive.
January 5th, 2012 at 6:44 pm
The Sugru story is truly fantastic. Grounded and exciting! I also love the fact that they built their own packing machine driven by an Arduino!
January 5th, 2012 at 7:24 pm
I’ve been thinking about building a small radio cube for outdoor listening on the farm. Some waterproof Sugru buttons could be just the ticket!
January 5th, 2012 at 7:42 pm
I would use Sugru to make the steering wheel to my E36 BMW more ergonomic. My fingers are long which make it hard to grip onto the thin steering wheel comfortably. Also, the steering wheel has some random edges where I place my hands, so it pokes into them while driving.
I might be able to use it for more ergonomic pistol grips too!
January 5th, 2012 at 8:54 pm
One of my projects has a flex-pcb in a bracelet form. It sounds like sugru would be great for quick prototypes.
January 5th, 2012 at 8:57 pm
I’d use it to put soft corners on the sharp hard edges of my boxes. You’d get interesting organic shapes and some colours too. Yippee!!!
January 6th, 2012 at 12:49 am
I’d use it for feet on my project enclosures. And to fix the handle on that broken pot lid. And my broken ipod cable.
January 6th, 2012 at 1:00 am
I will use Sugru to construct the connection components of the electronic device I am developing for my wearable art project – it’s called “An Angel Passes”. It basically detects the “awkward silence” in a conversation. “Un ange passe” (an angel passes) is a French expression used to relax the uncomfortable atmosphere arising in such silences. I have created a digital model of a brooch-like device to be made by Ponoko’s 3D-printing. This electronic device will detect silence during the conversation among the participants. When silence is detected, the device will trigger the light on a pair of white, feathered and wearable wings to indicate that an angel is passing.
January 6th, 2012 at 3:54 am
I use Sugru to repair or complete some detail of Gundam plastic model or to build some missing or custom parts for hobby model.
January 6th, 2012 at 5:10 am
Hey there! Sugru is definitely a cool material; apart from decoration and practical purposes, I would mainly use it for prototyping and modelling of “small”, complex parts, like hard joinery, and to test creatively the look of 3D models before printing. Shaping by hands, could allow me to obtain more organic imperfect shapes, to be 3d scanned and later 3d-printed, resulting in unexpected industrial aesthetics. Looking forward to try it…
January 6th, 2012 at 8:25 am
Fake chewing gum. Fake dog poop. Fake dog poop chewing gum.
; )
I’m sure I can come up with more practical uses, and I have a lot of projects in mind, but nothing yet that requires Sugru. 38 seconds after the contest ends, I’ll think of something…
January 6th, 2012 at 8:41 am
I’ve been using Sugru since it’s beginning, so my ideas are endless. Limiting myself to just one will be difficult…but i’ll try!
I would use Sugru in the creation of my interactive games, and kinetic sculptures. Generally there are moving spheres/balls, in my works. Therefore, it would be great to have elements that are more “rubberized”, uniquely formed, and/or textured to increase the movement and bounce. Don’t really want to divulge too much more
January 6th, 2012 at 1:00 pm
I’d like to see if sugru could be used to glue lasercut acrylic pieces together at a perfect 90 degree angle, since lasercut acrylic isnt perfectly beveled – due to angling of the laser.
January 6th, 2012 at 2:13 pm
I’d love to use Sugru for prototypes of kitchenware. My readers need to keep a separate kitchen of items, kind of like a kosher kitchen in order to avoid cross contamination. I’d love to be able to “mark” the gluten free products in one color of Sugru.
January 6th, 2012 at 8:04 pm
I would use Sugru to add a rubberized grip to a scale model of a gun that may be included in a special edition of an upcoming indie video game.
January 7th, 2012 at 2:38 am
My wife is a “killer of garden tools”and as soon as I can devise a laser cut steel design for a weed-puller that she won”t hopefully break, I plan to use Sugru to mould an ergonomic handle for it, and if I could use a glow-in-the dark type, I’d be able to find it in the garden at night!
January 9th, 2012 at 12:19 pm
Sugru + arduino touch sensor = soft ergonomic human computer touch interfase !
January 9th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
I would use it to make custom buttons with textures and dimension for a laser-cut control panel I’m working on.
January 9th, 2012 at 4:21 pm
I’d like to use it to create a bunch of multicolored rubber/wire/3D printed stop motion characters for the kids we work with to play with.
January 10th, 2012 at 11:43 am
Sugru looks great! I would use it to customize knobs and feet to my projects and attach the 3D printed pieces to what I am customizing.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
I could fix my broken 3d Modell!
January 10th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
I think it’d be awesome to laser cut some acrylic wheels, gears and other robot parts and use Sugru to create the wheel treads, bumpers and other rubberised parts.
January 12th, 2012 at 12:42 pm
Lasercut eyeglasses! or even 3d printed.. i’d like to use Sugru for the nose pads, the temple tips and maybe to give more strenght in some parts.
i’ve made a little image to explain what i’m thinking about and you can find it in the link..it’s just an idea but i can’t wait to try it out with the guys from Vectorealism here in Milan!
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DebPSDSYqoY/Tw82hD8MCBI/AAAAAAAAAFI/JvrhjHxpWVI/s1600/lasercutglasses_sugru.jpg
January 13th, 2012 at 10:43 am
I would use Sugru to scuplt grips for a lot of my custom made tools that need a cushioned feel.
January 16th, 2012 at 11:47 am
I would use Sugru to make holder clips for an Ipad case box
January 18th, 2012 at 1:20 am
Since I plan to lasercut a texture pattern into the panels of the enclosure for a wooden robot(arduino-based) I am making.
I’m going to use the sugru to back-fill these spaces to emphasize patterns and designs in the limbs and structure (and to insert grips and friction surfaces. (oh, and a vibration dampener on a 3d printer)
January 18th, 2012 at 12:41 pm
I am making a cellphone holder for my Galaxy Nexus. I would use Sugru as feet to give it steady grip on the table, and to add a splash of color to the design.
January 18th, 2012 at 12:44 pm
I’d use it wherever removable friction fittings are required and for grippy feet on electronics enclosures. I could even 3-D print a mold and “cast” it in the shape of a real foot.
January 18th, 2012 at 1:11 pm
I’d use Sugru to make some rubberized feet for a prototype I’m working on.
January 18th, 2012 at 3:18 pm
i think the ability to add colour texture and dimension to some of my wooden laser cut items would be amazing, especially for jewellery trees
January 18th, 2012 at 7:37 pm
I’d use it for quilting to provide a stable handling point when using a rotary cutter, placing the cutting guide, providing a better fit for spools on the spindles … lots of uses!
January 18th, 2012 at 8:27 pm
I’d like to use Sugru for three things in laser-cut electronics enclosures: assembly adhesive (for holding the cut parts together semi-permanently), custom gaskets (for holding components like LCD displays into the enclosure surface), and cable strain reliefs (when passing a cable through the enclosure wall). I’d also like to use it to mold around and bundle sets of discrete wires into cables, to clean up the sort of rats’ nest of single wires I tend to get with multiple boards.
January 18th, 2012 at 10:26 pm
I’d use Sugru to build a mold on a cardboard document camera that allows the iPhone to slide in and out securely rather than just sit on top.
January 19th, 2012 at 12:41 am
I am working on designing a practical iPod nano watch band that is waterproof, yet slim and stylish, with an option for Bluetooth. I am making 3d printed mold, plastic first to test design, and easy to sand and make adjustments. I would use sugru as a cheap, easy, and convenient prototyping material.
January 20th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
I am developing a silicone housewares product and have been trying to come up with an economical way to make prototypes during my design process. So far I had only come up with 3D printing via an Objet Connex machine, but that that would be $50-150 per part. This way I can just 3D print the mold and then make as many as I need using Sugru. And a free pack would let me make even more
I’m really excited about the possiblities! Thanks for sharing!
January 21st, 2012 at 10:37 am
[...] on how you can use it mold precise flexible parts like a pro. And hey, get in quick and you can win a multi-colour pack of Sugru to play [...]
January 22nd, 2012 at 5:11 pm
I’d create amazing + unique works of art & design out of broken mirrors, picture frames and damaged + found objects. This is just the type of material a creative hoarder like me needs in her life! x
(BTW – I just stumbled across your website – fabulous idea, guys – very revolutionary and I hope to get involved one day soon!)
January 24th, 2012 at 1:15 pm
I friction like to test model friction pads for at type of biker pedals, and flexible part to an power coupling.
January 25th, 2012 at 11:20 am
I want to make some new pieces for my Settlers of Catan game, ive lost a few of the houses over the years.
January 25th, 2012 at 11:32 am
Probably closing the gaps & correcting 3dprinted objects
January 25th, 2012 at 11:40 am
I want to make collectionable figures of arquitects and desingners for my friend (frederic) birthday´s party.
January 25th, 2012 at 12:14 pm
Would love to get my hands on some Sugru! Would use it to make my robots more awesome.
January 25th, 2012 at 12:27 pm
I’d definitely use it for a acrylic piece, when I forget to include a tab and want to build it right then! I can also see it being used when using metal sheets and I want to join without welding. Fun!
January 25th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
Very cool – sculpted organic style bumpers for the bot would be my first use !
January 25th, 2012 at 6:41 pm
Cool cabinet pull knobs!