Shrink Wrap - Heat Shrinkable Tubing

How to make your own shrink wrap

So, let's say you have a VGA cable that has a slit in it. You don't want to buy a new one, but you want to protect yourself from sharp wires, or you just want to brand a new cable. You've decided on heat shrink tubing for your project. here's the problem - it's a 1/4" cable with a 1-1/4" wide connector. In order to get the tubing over the wide connector AND have it shrink down snug on your cable, you need a shrink ratio of at least 4:1, possibly even 6:1. For the costs of these highly overexpanded heat shrink tubes, you might as well buy a new cable. We have the solution for you.

Instructions:

1) Select the appropriate sized tubing for your FINAL diameter. For a 1/4" cable, we chose 1/2" 3:1 to guarantee a snug fit on the cable. 2:1 would have been an acceptable choice as well. Cut the tubing down the length as straight as possible.

2) Place the slit tubing around the cable and overlap by around 1/8", leaving yourself enough room to get the glue onto the tubing without hitting the wire. Glue the tubing using a good plastic cement/glue like Ehtyl Cyanoacrylate (Loctite 480, Super Glue, etc). IMPORTANT - Read the instructions on the package of your glue CAREFULLY. This stuff will glue your fingers together, or something worse. We recommend you have a paper clip handy to hold the tubing closed while the glue dries (give it about 30-60 seconds of pressure and then about 10 minutes for the glue to dry)

3) Shrink the tubing using a standard heat gun like our VT-1100.

For $35 extra you can get our economy model heat gun. It has two air speeds, and a temperature control dial for temperatures ranging from 250° to 1100°F

Other Items

Military Specification (M23053) and Manufacturers' Cross Reference List

Not sure what you need? Try our new Heat Shrink Selector

General Purpose and Adhesive Lined Heat Shrink Tubing

2:1 Polyolefin Heat Shrink (most popular)	3:1 Adhesive Lined Heat Shrink (available in 7 colors)	4:1 Polyolefin Heat Shrink
3:1 Polyolefin Heat Shrink	3:1 Medium Wall Adhesive Lined Heat Shrink	4:1 Adhesive Lined Heat Shrink
3:1 Flat Heat Shrink (designed for use on Thermal Transfer Printers)	3:1 Heavy Wall Adhesive Lined Heat Shrink	2:1 Adhesive Lined Heat Shrink
3M™ Heat Shrink Tubing	PVC Heat ShrinkTubing	Fabric Heat Shrink Tubing

High Temperature and Chemical Resistant Heat Shrink Tubing

Kynar, PVDF heat shrink	PTFE Heat Shrink tubing (/12)	FEP Heat Shrink tubing (/11)
Diesel Resistant Heat Shrink (DR-25, R-120, /16)	Viton Heat Shrink (/13)	Neoprene Shrink Tubing (/1)

Ultra Thin Wall and Low Shrink Temperature (80°C)Heat Shrink Tubing

Ultra Thin Wall Polyolefin Heat Shrink Tubing

Ultra Thin Wall PVC Heat Shrink Tubing

Low Shrink Temperature Polyolefin Heat Shrink Tubing

Tools and Accessories

Heat guns	Custom Printing and Cutting	Expandable Braided Sleeving
Heat Shrink Crimp Connectors	Heat Shrink Tubing Assortment	Heat Shrink End Caps
Heat Shrink Tape	Electrical Tape	Cold Shrink Tubing
Cable Ties	Heat Shrink Printers	Hot Melt Glue Guns

Heat Guns

VT-1100 with 2 Air Speeds, and a temp. control dial for range of 250°F - 1100°F

Micro Therm MJ-600 - Pocket sized cordless refillable butane heat source. Great alternative to electric heat guns. Waterproof piezo electronic ignition, safety lock trigger, and a reflector shield for use with heat shrink.