Help me repair this rubber joint (image inside)

February 27, 2006 12:18 PM

How do I repair this rubber joint on my bluetooth headset? (picture inside)

So this joint is made of rubber, is somewhat flexible, and has a plastic tube inside with two wires going from the battery (left) to the headset (right). It's meant to hang over the ear, and is currently attached by a small chunk of still-connected rubber. I've used electrical tape, which worked decently well until it fell off today, but I was wondering if anyone had any better solutions before I put the electrical tape back.

posted by anonymoose to grab bag (9 comments total)

want to stick rubber to something? Shoe Goo
posted by BSummers at 12:33 PM on February 27, 2006

super glue bonds to rubber instantly. and elmers stixs-all
levels as it cures. If you superglue the broken bit,
then cover the bond with the stix-all, that will result in a smooth silicone surface. silicone is nice to skin.
posted by hortense at 1:20 PM on February 27, 2006

Melt the pieces together. I like melting stuff.
posted by scalefree at 1:22 PM on February 27, 2006

Shoe Goo has the advantage of being slightly flexible. Most glues will dry brittle, and if the substrate material flexes, will crack off over time. (This is why I might choose it over superglue.)

If the electrical tape is working, try a two-pronged approach: shoe goo the joint, then electrical tape over it.

Remember, all glues work best if the surface is clean and free of oil. If you can do so without damaging the electronics, attempt to clean the surface with a mild detergent solution before attempting any gluing.
posted by IvyMike at 2:46 PM on February 27, 2006

Oh yes: I have a personal rule about melting: no matter how good an idea it seems, it almost never works.
posted by IvyMike at 2:46 PM on February 27, 2006

Simple. Heat-Shrink tubing. It's a plastic sheath that shrinks when heat, such as from a hair-dryer, is applied. I love the stuff. It's great for covering wire splices too. How it works and some places to get it
posted by lockle at 4:45 PM on February 27, 2006

I don't know what brand you have, but on my Jabra BT headset, a similar joint broke. I called Jabra and they sent me a replacement joint - plus a spare - for free.

(It looks to me like the joint on your set is attached via a hinge - so it is probably replaceable. Even if it isn't, it might be worthwhile to give the manufacturer a call; they might have an exchange program.)
posted by soulbarn at 9:35 PM on February 27, 2006

It looks like a SonyEricsson HBH-300 (my current headset). I've had to repair a couple of S-E bluetooth headsets (HBH-60 and -65) due to ear-hook failure but without the added complexity of the battery being at the other end.

I'd recommend a silicon approach as it should remain flexible and tape will only ever be a patch. Have you spoken to a repair shop yet? I know it's possible to replace the whole ear-hook, although I have no idea how much that would cost.
posted by michswiss at 4:18 AM on February 28, 2006

I was also going to suggest the heat-shrink tubing. You might combine that with the shoe goo option to both seal and strengthen it, and then cover the goo with heat shrink so it doesn't look as aesthetically pleasing as scotch tape on your glasses.
posted by caution live frogs at 7:27 AM on February 28, 2006