Introduction: Mini-blind - Cord Repair

By www.piWOWeb.com

Do you have a nice set of custom mini-blinds that has spontaneously become askew?

Has a tiny plastic plug on the bottom rail mysteriously disappeared so the cord is now uneven?

Don’t fret - read on!

Step 1: Tools and Project Preparation

Before you start, get your tools and materials together:

  • mini-blind that is giving you grief (remove from bracket that holds it to the wall over the window)
  • some “InstaMorph” moldable plastic (or epoxy putty)
  • a measuring cup with hot water (a microwave oven is very handy for heating it to ~140 F)
  • a spoon

Step 2: Prepare the Replacement Plug

In the past I used epoxy putty, but it seems hard to find nowadays, so I tried using some “Insta Morf” moldable plastic that we had kicking around the Repair Cafe at our YuKonstruct Makerspace.

The objective is to make a little plug that will hold the cord in place while looking nice and tidy, so you don’t need much.

Take a half a tablespoon, or so of white plastic pellets and (as per the instructions on the package), put them into hot water (a microwave oven is very handy for heating it to ~140 F).

Knead the warmed (clear) pellets into a consistent blob, reheating the water in the microwave oven if necessary.

Step 3: Install the Replacement Plug

Knead the blob of warm plastic into a cylindrical shape so that it can be forced into the hole in the bottom rail of the blinds where the original plug used to be.

Take care to ensure the length of the cord to be repaired is the same as the other(s), BEFORE you insert the blob of plastic into the rail, because once it is in place it will be very difficult to extract or change. (Perhaps a hair dryer (or hot air gun) would soften the “InstaMorph” plastic sufficiently if it had to be removed, but if you used epoxy putty, once it hardens, it is permanent!)

In a short time the plastic will cool, harden and turn opaque white - and you are done!

Step 4: Testing...

Make sure to test the repaired mini-blind to ensure it works and looks good.

Re-install the blinds in the wall bracket and stand back to admire the improvement!