How to Fix a Slinky: Guides and Tips

It is highly unlikely that you or someone you know has never experienced having their slinky twisted, stretched out, bent, or tangled. The frustration when this happens either makes you give up and never play with it ever again or throw it away and just buy a new one, but some of the great tinkers out there would totally persevere through fixing their slinky, and here are some tips on how to get your slinky working again. 

There are many ways to untangle slinkies and it is difficult to find one that works. However, what worked for others might not work for you but still, it is worth the try to save and fix your slinkies. 

How to Fix a Stretched Out Slinky

• Step 1. Lay down your slinky on a flat surface. 
• Step 2. Take one end of your slinky and insert it through the hole. 
• Step 3. Pull it back up through itself until the other end of your slinky. 
• Step 4. Keep pulling up until the other end, and voila! Your stretched out slinky is now fixed. 

More visuals in this video:

How to Fix a Slinky When It Gets Tangled

• Step 1. Take the end of the tangled side of the slinky.
• Step 2. Collapse the coil of the slinky together up to the first tangle then push that handful through the first tangle. 
• Step 3. Insert the stick through the hole and then start spinning the slinky. 
• Step 4. If you still have a tangle on one end, take that top-most layer, and feed it to the true end below. 

More detailed tips in this video:

How to Fix a Bent Metal Slinky

• Step 1. Cover the bent coil area with a small towel. 
• Step 2. Using an iron, apply heat to the area where the bent coils are on top of the towel. This is because certain materials bend when the heat is applied to them. 
• Step 3. Keep the iron on top of the slinky and towel for about 5 minutes. In this process, it is best to use the high-heat or the wool setting of the iron. 
• Step 4. Using a pair of pliers, squeeze it to place pressure on the bent coil. 
• Step 5. Rotate it either to the left or right depending on where the direction of the bend is. 
• Step 6. Keep applying pressure and rotate up until your slinky bends back to its original coiled shape. 
• Step 7. Find the bent part of the coil and pull the slinky towards the left and right, around 3 inches from the bent coil. This will then make the coiled part flat. 
• Step 8. Hold this part using the pliers and lay the slinky flat on the ground. 
• Step 9. Hammer down that bent part until it becomes flat, and your beloved slinky is fixed again!

How to Fix a Broken Slinky

• Step 1. Boil just enough water and wait till it cools down a bit.
• Step 2. Place your slinky in the hot water and wait for a minute or two. 
• Step 3. Take it out and place anything heavy on top of your slinky and wait until it cools. 
• Step 4. Hope for the best while waiting and it should be fixed by then albeit not as perfect as it once was. 

More tips available here:

How to Fix a Twisted Slinky

• Step 1. Take the slinky and insert four fingers on your right hand through one of its ends.
• Step 2. Put your right thumb on top, outside the coils. 
• Step 3. Gently stretch out the coils until you see the twisted part.
• Step 4. Grab the coils up to the twisted slinky using your right hand until they are tightly together, then hold them in place. 
• Step 5. Take the other end of the slinky with your left thumb on top of the inside coils. 
• Step 6. Turn your wrist towards the opposite directions till the right thumb is on the outer bottom part of the coils.
• Step 7. Include the now newly formed twisted coil together with the other in your right hand and use your right thumb and fingers while removing your left hand. 
• Step 8. Keep twisting the coils using this method up until you reach the left end of your slinky until they start twisting towards the same direction.