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silicone for electronics?

R

Ross Herbert

Jan 1, 1970
0
Automotive :Sensor Safe" also non acidic. Several types available.
Even acidic types probably will do little to contacts
since the stuff cures pretty fast. Fumes will go through silicone.
I also started to use hot melt glue more, but for a tougher than
silicon elastic rubber, I would try polyurathane. Big tubes, The Home Depot.
For other things and sticks like mad, Plummers Goop.
Plummers Goop is runny, but if you let it dry out a bit, will
blob easy. An air gun will hasten a steady non runny state.
Its slightly elastic but not much.

greg

Dow Corning 3120 RTV is very good for electronics.
 
R

Roy L. Fuchs

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hi,
is there a silicone or similar product which works best for
electronics? I made a toggle switch that has 3 wires soldered on to it,
and want to protect the connections so they don't come loose or
bend/crack. I need some sort of silicone that will harden when dry. Any
suggestions? thanks.

The problem is that you want less than a teaspoon of the stuff, and
the industry doesn't typically sell kits that small.

Your best choice would then be a trip to home depot or the like to
get some liquid nails (if you really do want it to harden, however it
will be NON serviceable from that point on), or you could use a soft
setting media like standard window and awning sealer silicone. They
both come in tubes.
 
M

Michael

Jan 1, 1970
0
Jim said:
"Silicone" is typically ammonia-curing. So it'll gradually "eat" the
connections.

...Jim Thompson


All of the various silicone RTV (room temperature vulcanizing) sealants I have
used over the past 35 years reeked of acetic acid (vinegar), which probably
might not be good for metal things, in the long run.

With that in mind, I tackled weather-proofing the soldered connections to a
temperature sensor that would live outdoors (but not submerged). After cleaning
off all flux, I sprayed the wires/device leads/solder connections with clear
Krylon and let it dry (did that twice). That should have been better protection
than nothing at all, but I went a big step further and encapsulated the sensor
in the plastic barrel of a defunct BIC pen stuffed with RTV. After allowing RTV
to cure for about a week, I mounted it outdoors. That was November 1999. That
sensor has been outdoors ever since, and it still functions, reporting
temperature every 5 minutes. I almost can't wait for it to fail because I am
curious to find out if the device itself dies a natural death before corrosion
gets to the electrical connections.
 
J

Jim Thompson

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hello Jim,
[snip]
What really shocked me was a pack of
mollies. Maybe 15 years old, they all crumpled in my hands. Unpacked the
next batch of similar age but different brand, also crumpling. Then I
wondered what happened to the mollies that are currently engaged in the
job of holding in a screw or something.

Regards, Joerg

Now that's scary!

Were these metal Molly's or plastic?

My recent "hangings" into plaster have used the self-drilling nylon
screw-insert type. Since I have real plaster walls I have to drill a
pilot hole to get them started... they cope with drywall OK, but a
hard Santa Fe plaster surface stops them dead.

When I hung that TV wall unit a while back, I chiseled out the stucco
until I got down to a stud, added a wood shim even with the surface,
then lag bolts.

...Jim Thompson
 
J

Joerg

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hello Jim,

Now that's scary!

Were these metal Molly's or plastic?

Nylon, supposedly. The good stuff, not something from a Dollar store.

My recent "hangings" into plaster have used the self-drilling nylon
screw-insert type. Since I have real plaster walls I have to drill a
pilot hole to get them started... they cope with drywall OK, but a
hard Santa Fe plaster surface stops them dead.

With these you had to drill the full diameter and they were meant for
concrete anchoring jobs. Switch to hammer drill mode and lean into it.
Hit a pebble, see the expensive bit smoke out, try to suppress cussing,
buy a new bit, drill again.

When I hung that TV wall unit a while back, I chiseled out the stucco
until I got down to a stud, added a wood shim even with the surface,
then lag bolts.

You should see how wall mount toilets were sometimes mounted <shudder>.

Regards, Joerg
 
M

Michael A. Terrell

Jan 1, 1970
0
Joerg said:
Hello Jim,


Nylon, supposedly. The good stuff, not something from a Dollar store.


With these you had to drill the full diameter and they were meant for
concrete anchoring jobs. Switch to hammer drill mode and lean into it.
Hit a pebble, see the expensive bit smoke out, try to suppress cussing,
buy a new bit, drill again.


You should see how wall mount toilets were sometimes mounted <shudder>.

Regards, Joerg


Keep some water in a squeeze bottle handy to cool the bit when you
have to drill through a rock. I've drilled lots of 7/8" holes though
six inches of poured concrete floors with the same bit by doing this.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 
J

Jim Thompson

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hello Jim,



Nylon, supposedly. The good stuff, not something from a Dollar store.



With these you had to drill the full diameter and they were meant for
concrete anchoring jobs. Switch to hammer drill mode and lean into it.
Hit a pebble, see the expensive bit smoke out, try to suppress cussing,
buy a new bit, drill again.

Hmmmm? In hammer drill mode I've had carbide concrete bits (1/4")
last for years. I use the 1/4" pound-in-style lead anchors all the
time.
You should see how wall mount toilets were sometimes mounted <shudder>.

Regards, Joerg


...Jim Thompson
 
J

Joerg

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hello Jim,
Hmmmm? In hammer drill mode I've had carbide concrete bits (1/4")
last for years. I use the 1/4" pound-in-style lead anchors all the
time.

In regular concrete, yes. I have bits that are half as old as I am and
still good. But sometimes there are pebble stones of the impenetrable
kind in there and it hits them at just the right angle to smoke it out.
I cool the bits the same way Terry does but depending what it hits that
doesn't help.

We have some impressively strong pebbles in this area. After all, this
is the gold rush county. Unfortunately we also find lots of asbestos in
the ground :-(

Regards, Joerg
 
C

Carl Smith

Jan 1, 1970
0
Unfortunately we also find lots of asbestos in
the ground :-(

Do you have to report it to the EPA and have it "abated?" :)
 
M

Michael A. Terrell

Jan 1, 1970
0
Roy L. Fuchs said:
That's Dabateable! (yes, I know)


Watch out Roy! The "Pun Police" are right behind you! ;-)


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 
J

Joerg

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hello Carl,
Do you have to report it to the EPA and have it "abated?" :)


No, it's natural stuff. But we had the EPA on the school grounds, doing
a mock basketball game in bunny suits and measuring the asbestos
contents of kicked-up dust.

Sometimes things are a bit over-blown. I remember living in a house in
Aberdeen (Scotland), built like a fortress. The rocks of the walls were
radiating and I was told way beyond safety limits. That's just how they
come out of the ground there. The guy who told me was about 85 and
totally healthy. To stay with Roy's pun line, I guess many houses there
could be considered nucular ;-)

Regards, Joerg
 
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