I didn’t start out wanting to invent Cord-Fix. Rather, I just wanted to fix my fraying charger cord. So I looked around. Regular old electrical tape didn’t adhere very well. Shrink tubes wouldn’t fit over the plug. I just needed something to easily brush over the fray and quickly repair it
While searching for a solution, I found that hardware stores stock a standard product called Liquid Electrical Tape. It’s basically black goo in a 4oz bottle with a brush cap. It seemed like a good solution for my problem, so I tried it, but quickly discovered it has two major drawbacks:
- It’s a gooey mess
- It is not very durable
Allow me to elaborate.
It’s a gooey mess.
Imagine a roll of black electrical tape left on a hot sidewalk to melt, then scooped up and poured into a bottle. That’s liquid electrical tape.
OK, not really, but it’s kind of a hot mess. This is the kind of stuff an electrician might use to cover some exposed high-voltage wires in a boiler room, where making a mess doesn’t matter. Or a radio technician might use to secure a cable transition to a roof connection. It’s perfect for a stationary industrial application, meaning one that doesn’t move. Which leads me to point number 2.
It’s not very durable.
Charger cables, USB cords, and most other low voltage cables are dynamic, always in motion, always under stress from the user. They are tugged, pulled, wrapped, stuffed, pushed, and generally take a pounding in everyday use. That’s why they fray.
When I tested liquid electrical tape, the results were poor. The stuff adhered ok at first, and I thought I’d found my solution. But the results weren’t durable. The liquid electrical tape didn’t stay stuck and very quickly the repairs I made with liquid electrical tape began to peel off the cords. It just didn’t work very well.
Cord-Fix does what liquid electrical tape can’t. Cord-Fix goes on easily, adheres strongly, and stays flexible. For repairing low voltage charger cables, Cord-Fix is clearly a better solution.