Is there an insulator of choice in paste form where I can use to cover some of the wires that get exposed in small electronics projects? Using tape sometimes doesn't work because it's hard to reach the area. I tried to use glue but it gets all messy. Is it epoxy?
Thank you.
"M. Hamed"
** Try using a * silicone sealant * , be careful to chose the kind sold for use with metals." Silastic" is one brand, there are many others.
Silicone has excellent insulation quality and dries fairly quick.
Do not use sealants that smell like acetic acid !!
....... Phil
Most epoxy formulas are excellent insulators, so might serve for this function. The quick cure kind (50:50 mix that hardens in a few minutes) is soft and can be dug off, if you have to repair something. Viscous liquid versions are most common, but can be thickened up to reduce dripping, by stirring a little talcum powder into each of the parts of the mix before combining them. If you mix first, then thicken, you risk having the whole thing set up before it is placed. The cure time can be extended by keeping the epoxy cool (mix on a file card laying on an aluminum pan you pull out of the refrigerator, just before mixing).
I keep this handy for many uses:
look for a product called "Liquid Tape"
Silicone sealant works well.
Some silicones are erosive.
Thank you for the excellent suggestions!
Cool site! Added to the bookmarks. I assume you're also familiar with
Just not the air-cure type that's full of acetic acid.
John
erosive? you are truly an idiot.
Exposed wire in itself is not a bad thing. Only if there's a risk of something else coming into contact with it (and why are there any loose and uninsulated wires that will?) does everything have to be insulated. Well, high enough voltage you should be careful with.
It almost sounds like you might be talking about wires at the bottom of a circuit board or perfboard. If that's it, the wires aren't generally exposed since they are on the underside and presumably facing some surface of the box it's in. If the box is metal, the trick is to put a sheet of some insulation between the board and the box, just in case. Commercially, you see quite thin pieces of plastic or mylar there, any plastic you can get your hands on would work. Not even needed if the box is plastic.
Other tricks are covering the exposed wires with tubing. You get flexible plastic tubing of the right size, slip some on the wire, then do the soldering. Then you can pull the tubing over the exposed connection. Some times you can even make do with insulation pulled off a bigger diameter wire, instead of buying the empty tubing.
Sometimes that's not suitable, because the connection is too big so a large enough diameter tubing won't hold. So you buy some heat shrinkable tubing, and as with the plastic tubing, slip a short length over the wire before you solder it. Then bring it over the connection, apply some heat, and the tubing shrinks. You get a nicely insulated connection.
Michael
If it's to tack down wires, either dab on a bit of hot-melt glue, or use wire ties.
To protect junctions, simple vinyl tape is not the end of the list; heat shrink tubing, and fusion tape (rubbery stuff that forms a solid blob), and liquid tape are all useful to cover bits that could be an embarrassment if they made contact with people or metal.
To protect a long wire run, there are sheathing materials, including 'spaghetti' tubing, but usually you will want to buy sheathed cable instead of building your own.
If you want to protect a complete circuit, of course, you want a box. Bulkhead connectors and grommets... all good for protecting wire.
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