As mine sits right now, i just have black electrical tape around the edge on mine. i took that stupid round part off day 1.

 

I don't know if anyone has used this stuff before - I used it once to fix a bunch of frayed iPhone cables.

It's a moldable rubber that cures overnight. It bonds to most materials - but can be removed from non-porous surfaces. and its waterproof, and electrically insulating (hence being able to be used on charging cables. and it comes in cool colors that can be mixed to create a whole lot of them. https://drwsxce6xtjnu.cloudfront.net...jpg?1360844916

 

I've used sugru before and it seems too clay like for the application discussed here for something that should be as durable as a keyfob, and maybe I used older versions (this was a few years ago), but it never "hardened" for me, it worked just fine for iphone cable mending, though.

 

That's an interesting experience you had. I purchased some on Amazon and plan to do some color mixing to match my cars color and will update you on the result.

If it does work properly, it should cure to silicon rubber which will mean it should be extremely durable, and somewhat keep as much dirt dust and water as that plastic cover.

BTW, I have a loaner right now because my F56 is in for the Crankshaft Bearing TSB and its an R60 - that fob feels absolutely tiny compared to the new one.

 

So since I was the one that brought it up I felt it was at least up to me to be the Guinea pig. I have to say I did enjoy this little experiment.

I up using 4 packets (they are ~6g each) because I needed to get the color right. I used 2 yellow, one red and one black to achieve a color close to the color of my car.

I ended up with more product then I needed for the fob, so I used it on a couple of other projects around the house (The cordless vacuum's trigger wasn't very comfortable, a glass vase stood uneven and a leaky coffee machine)





It took my a few minutes to get comfortable with how the product was molding on the fob, without trying to either push it in too deep, and that it was a uniform thickness all around.



I finished with a finger dipped in soapy water to smooth out the surface - this also helped to give me a better feel for the thickness of all of the sides and adjust it with more or less pressure.









Now to wait 12 hours for it to cure to see how it finally comes out. It should cure to a solid rubber that is waterproof. It can also be sanded.

 

Interesting...

 

I'm about to do the Sugru thing. I didn't think of color-matching. I'm gonna have to do that now.

 

wow! That is pretty interesting.

 

Can you still open it to change the battery?

 

I'll recheck in the morning, but the battery cover was off the whole time I was working on it as I kept making sure I wasn't pushing the stuff too far inside. Then I put the cover back on and it clicked into place like normal. I am fully expecting it to work once everything is cured.

 

 

Thank you for posting the pictures along with the info... Please do let us know how it turns out in the end. I'm keenly interested as are others

 

My pleasure - I was happy to see that everything looked good in the morning. I was able to open the door to the battery just as easily as I was before (which isn't that easy, lol)





Hopefully you can see from the photo that the hook of the cover pushed through some of the rubber that seeped in, but it didn't interfere with its function and released normally.


I am amazed at the feel and texture of the fob now. Smoothing it with the soapy water really helped the texture - it looks like its a piece of leather, and feels great to hold.

It actually didn't add any weight to the fob, but it feels more weighty and changes the sound of the fob when it is thrown around, I guess it has to do with the properties of the rubber as opposed to that hard piece of hollow plastic. It may also have something to do with the bit of rubber that was pushed a bit inside, filling some of the hollow space.

Last but not least, the fob still works - I was a bit apprehensive that the electrical isolation of the rubber would interfere with the antenna and/or the range. I had no issues unlocking the car from the normal distance I normally use. Also no issues with the car recognizing the key to start.

All in all I am super happy with the end result. Hope this helps anyone that was wondering.

 

Great job! I think we have a winning solution!

 

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

 

Wow! Good job!

 

Looks awesome! That looks way easier/cheaper than this 3d printed piece.

 

Although not living in America, but in the lowlands where the mini is made, i also thought the key ring was to big.
I made a replacement in Key ring in 3D last summer, and now found youre forum.
The Key ring is on the key now for half a year and is still in good shape with a tight fit.

The material i used was Shapeways strong flexible Polished.
Have not tested it with more ridged than this, it needs a little flexible material to get it fitted. Its only able to fit in one way because it fills up every hole in the base !
There is a minor imperfection in the thickness at the top, but not very noticeable.


I have made the model available in the shapeway shop, so if you are interested order it there.

rev 1 , working product http://shpws.me/M1Cj

rev 2 for beta testers only http://shpws.me/M1Wc

 

Just ordered.

 

Same here. Thank you.

 

Ordered

 

I've got two in the mill.

 

I ordered a couple since i wasnt sure which color i would like more (red or black).

Also of note there is a $10 off promo code for all first time orders. This worked for me and made my orignal $21.50 total come down to $11.50.


Forum members im not sure how long the Promo Code will last for but i am going to list it below.




$10 Off Your First Order
Promo Code:

 

CARP! I emailed them about the possibility of applying the discount after the fact. I probably should have just canceled the order and re-ordered, but I guess I had better wait until I get a reply. My total for two was $19.99 before discount.

 

Just ordered two!! Thank you Devries and KevinB, you're currently my two favorite people.