Repairing a Cracked Wig Block

I feel like one of the worst feelings is when you break the inside of a wig block. We’ve all been there. You’re trying to get the wig block to stay on the stand and the next thing you know, its leaking cork. I’m a firm believer of fixing what I can. A few years ago, with the help of a friend, I came up with my method of fixing cracked wig blocks.

For my repair I use a few tools: A Philips Head Screwdriver, E3000 Glue, and Duct Tape

Step 1. Examine the damage. How did the block break? I’ve seen all sorts of damage over the years. Did it crack slightly on the inside? Did the end detach? For this post, I’ll mainly talk about cracks along the side of the inner ‘cone’ of a wig block.

Step 2. Carefully remove the ‘cone’. Start by propping the wig block upside down. Wig blocks are constructed in a variety of different ways. The wig block I repaired for this post was attached by 3 screws. I slowly removed the screws. I then gently lifted out the ‘cone’.

Step 3. Once the cone is gently removed, I assess the extend of the damage and clear out any of the cork stuck in the cracks. Once the piece is cleaned, I fill the crack with glue (My preferred glue is E3000. I found a tube with a smaller nozzle that works very well.) Using the tip of the glue tube, I smooth the glue into the crack. I don’t want too much of it to push through to the ‘inside’. Instead I want enough to hold the two sides together.

Step 4. Using duct tape, I cut a few strips (~10” or less) and wrap them tightly around the cone. I don’t wait for the glue to dry. I’m using the duct tape to hold the cone back together while the glue dries. I also use the duct tape as reinforcement. The glue alone isn’t strong enough to keep the crack from opening up and spreading. The woven tape is strong enough to hold everything together.

Step 5. Once the piece is glued and taped together, it’s time to re-attach it to the block. This will take a little finesses. The cone should go smoothly back into the block for the most part. Depending on how stiff the cork is inside your block will determine how easily the cone will go back inside the block. Mine was a new, stiff block so it put up a bit of a fight. I gently pushed, twisted, wiggled, and finally really pushed the piece back into the block. I recommend starting more gently and applying pressure from there. You want to make sure the block does not loose any more cork than it already has.

Step 6. After the piece has been successfully inserted back into the block, I secured the screws. I did this much like putting on a car tire. I screwed one in about half way before moving to the next and finally the third before slowly tightening them. I didn’t want to put too much pressure on one side of the piece as I attached it as it might move the position inside the block. I also didn’t want to crack more of the plastic that I had just fixed.

Voila! From here you have a fixed wig block! I recommend waiting until the glue is dried (usually 24 hours) before using the block, but otherwise you have a fixed wig block.