Cool ferrule terminals hack

[Joebeazelman]

While this isn't an electronics hack, it probably useful to everyone who struggles with inserting frayed end shoelaces through the eyelets. The factory plastic tube eventually scuffs off leaving a frayed end that's a difficult to thread into the eyelets. I started thinking about a solution and realized I can use one of the metal terminal ferrules from a kit I purchased!



Simply insert the frayed tip of the shoe lace into the insulated end of a ferrule terminal and coax it through using a pin. Pull through about an 1/8" excess, crimp it and cut a slit on the insulator using a wire cutter so it's easy to tear it off. Used the saved money on shoelaces to buy more electronic equipment!

Shucks!  I was a frayed someone already came up with this hack:

https://softsolder.com/2018/12/26/shoe-lace-ferrules/

[Renate]

"Shoelace ferrule"? What kind of language is that? My ears are offended!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aglet

[tooki]

"Shoelace ferrule"? What kind of language is that? My ears are offended!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aglet

Fan of Phineas and Ferb?

Anyhow, I can confirm that using ferrules as aglets is a useful life hack; I’ve done it for a few years!

[Joebeazelman]

I was about to use the term "holes" or "grommet" instead of eyelet, but looked up the correct term by googling "parts of a shoe." The term aglet didn't appear. It might be an American thing.  Aglet has an Anglo ring to it.  I wonder which came first, the aglet or the wire ferrule? I would guess the aglet.

[wizard69]

"Shoelace ferrule"? What kind of language is that? My ears are offended!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aglet

Language!

I use Ferrules all the time at work but have no idea what this post is about.   Something must have gotten lost while the mesage traveled across the pond.

[tooki]

I was about to use the term "holes" or "grommet" instead of eyelet, but looked up the correct term by googling "parts of a shoe." The term aglet didn't appear. It might be an American thing.  Aglet has an Anglo ring to it.  I wonder which came first, the aglet or the wire ferrule? I would guess the aglet.

Well, the aglet was invented by 1790 at the very, very latest (and likely much earlier), whereas the wire ferrule was introduced in the 1960s [PDF].

Not sure what makes you think "aglet" is an Americanism, it's definitely not, it's just what the thing is called in English.

[tooki]

"Shoelace ferrule"? What kind of language is that? My ears are offended!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aglet

Language!

I use Ferrules all the time at work but have no idea what this post is about.   Something must have gotten lost while the mesage traveled across the pond.

Not really. Renate is saying that calling an aglet a "shoelace ferrule" is incorrect or at least imprecise, given that there's a specific term for the ones on the ends of laces.

[NiHaoMike]

Wouldn't heat shrink also work?

[tooki]

Wouldn't heat shrink also work?

Having tried it: sorta. Ordinary 2:1 heatshrink isn't tight enough. I think it might work OK with 3:1, provided it doesn't add too much bulk, since 3:1 does tend to be quite thick-walled once fully shrunk.

[bill_c]

Fixture the shoelace with tension then add a few drops of superglue, next day trim off where the bad end meets the glue.  I wear out the shoe and other parts of shoelace before that end gets messed up.