Epoxy options for holding deadbug wiring?
MakerNewbie wrote 12/16/2014 at 18:40 • 1 pointHi all-
I need to deadbug wire a bunch of temperature sensors for a prototype, and would like something more robust than just the solder joint to hold the wires in place. Are there any preferred epoxy brands or types that I could use to put just a drop on each side across all the wires and posts, to hold everything in place better? I'm thinking epoxy rather than high-temp glue because my application will be exposed to higher temps than where I'm comfortable using the glue.
I also welcome any application suggestions- I need to minimize the total height (hence the deadbug instead of protoboard), so wondering if I just lay the whole thing down on wax paper, apply the epoxy and another layer of wax paper and flatten, or is there a better way?
Thanks!
Discussions
Become a Hackaday.io Member
Create an account to leave a comment. Already have an account? Log In.
Are you sure? yes | no
1) Be darn sure to use flux, even if you are using solder with a rosin core. I prefer to use flux pens as they don't leave goop everywhere at the end.
2) Use silver solder. It has given me the strongeset bond of anything I've used and has the added benefit of allowing you to solder to just about any metal.
3) For anything that is extremely corroded (it will look dull or dark), use a bit of 600 grit sandpaper to remove the thick oxide layer on the outsides of your solder terminals.
4) If you are soldering anything remotely large, make sure that you are letting your surface heat up enough that the solder wets and spreads out along the surface. Cold joints will break faster than you can imagine.
As far as epoxies go, I would recommend you use a 5 minute epoxy of just about any brand. The reason for this is that it will start to thicken quite quickly which will allow you to "goop it on" better. Hour or 24 hour expoxies may be too thin to use it as a structural support right away. If you must use a long curing epoxie, mix in cotton fibers from a cotton ball or q-tip so that you can create a glob where you need it.
If you are looking for the best stability of your deadbug network and aesthetics aren't important, I would recommend epoxying your wires to a lattice of toothpicks.
Are you sure? yes | no