How to Waterproof Electronics || Nail Polish, Silicone, Potting Compound
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
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In this video we will find out how well nail polish, silicone and potting compound can waterproof electronics and how well they can handle heat transfer. Along the way I will show you how to apply those coating materials and what is important to remember when utilizing them.
Music:
2011 Lookalike by Bartlebeats
Ecstatic Wave, Jens Kiilstofte
machinimasound...
To make a waterproof PCB with silicone I suggest you put the circuit in a plastic bag and then pour the silicone, which you can then shape around the components simply by squeezing the polyethylene bag where you need it.
You will get smoother surfaces and thinner layers. and (perhaps) minor drying times.
Afterthe silicone hardening you can remove the bag without difficulty since the silicone does not adhere to the polyethylene.
The high temperature silicone does not have a better thermal conduction than normal silicone but only a higher resistance to high temperatures (around 250-280 °) while the normal silicone resists up to 200 °.
Temperatures to which our PCBs are already permanently dead, so it is possible to use the normal silicon with a small saving (in case hig temperature is more expensive)
Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr für Sie und Ihre Familie und für alle, die uns lesen!
Merry Christmas and happy new year to you and your family and to all those who read us!
zola tanaffa "to make a waterproof PCB place it in a plastic bag then crush the bag"
I'm sorry what?
+ Jason Ponciano sorry for the"googled" translation: I wanted to say: squeeze the bag to smooth and shape the surface of the silicone, then, when the silicone has polymerized you can also remove it from the polyethylene bag.. now i modify mi previous comment, hi and merry christmas
Great idea!
zola tanaffa danke dir auch fröhliche Weihnachten.
You can just put it in a plastic bag if you want
Time to tear apart my phone and apply some nail polish.
Are you sure you don't want to submerge it in potting compound, apparently it's a lot more effective...
haha
U peasants use nail polish
Use silicon bois
hahaha u are so right!
Just pour molten brass on it.... Works fine on me...
ElectroBoom at the end
hah
Tip on using room temperature silicones...put some dish detergent in a bowl with water, about twice as much as if you were going to wash the bowl. If you dip your fingers and tools in that, the silicone compound will not stick to your fingers/tools. In fact, if you use a small container with water and dish detergent, you can squeeze a lump of compound right out of the tube into the soapy water. Then you can pick it up with your hands, and mold it onto your circuit manually. I’ve used this technique for years testing amateur oceanography instruments. Works a treat! Works with most moisture-cure polyurethanes, too.
Can we talk about your handwriting and how on point it is?
I've found Plasti Dip clear to work well. Since it's an aerosol it gets into fine spaces. It cures quickly so a few coats can be applied. It also remains somewhat flexible so it handles flexing around wire to board connections.
Hello , hope u r doin great !
Can we use plastidip on car engine sensors , under the bonnet ?
Your handwriting is perfect.
JLCPCB man that looks like a deal... :D
Yes, but it has relatively expensive shipping costs (here to Spain is $11, much more than the PCBs). OK, there's an special offer, but that won't last long (in fact, I believe it's already expired).
Manolis Agkopian I did the same but didn't get the free shipping :/ only like $6 though so NBD.
Yes, ordered 10 PCBs with free DHL Express shipping and payed only $2. That is just crazy, I am sure they actually lost money with this. I looked and the next order shipping costs are $22 for DHL Express and $8 Registered Airmail (to Germany), which is still fine i think. But the price rises a lot if you need something a bit different, bigger than 100x100mm, more than 10 pcs... 15 pcs are already at $29, other colors than green +$9 and so on.
Manolis Agkopian the US, probably just Europe then
I ordered 10 PCBs at Allpcb.com for 5 USD with free express shipping to Germany.
Clear, temporary peel coat paint for cars work great! It's good enough to hold up to the weather for 6 months or more.
Good video! Only problem is that those ESCs are huge after you applied those coatings! Not to mention the increased thermals when the ESC takes on a load because running the motor like that won't stress out the ESC. Running the motor with some 1045 props will. I think PeterSripol's Waterproofing ESCs can help.
Interesting video! In the past, I've used epoxy, crazy glue, but mostly bees wax. I used a nitro powered RC truck once. I took the circuit boards out for the servos, and receiver, and battery connections and packed with pure bees wax. The receiver cell pack was multilayered in heat shrink that had wax applied first. I ran that around in heavy rain for several tanks of nitro. I don't think this would work well in high heat areas, as with all electric rc applications, but it's fun to experiment!
liked 👍 this would be great for boats!
Tampatec yeah. I’ve had issues waterproofing my model speedboat, it lets in water at the rudder, any tips?
Paul Mac Giolla Caoine use o ring seals, bit of rubber, or construction silicon.
Just make sure to use a flexible sealant on components that may have resistance and/or generate heat.
As I'm sure you know, heat/cooling = expansion/contraction.
If the coating doesn't expand/contract too, the PCB is doomed to fail.
Only if the ESC had water cooling as cooling, otherwise it will overheat.
first time i used nail polish was for a boat. Made it from the seed husk from a three we call the donkey peepee tree. placed a motor on it
Whenever I'm wondering how to do something with electronics, somehow, GreatScott always has a video about it.
I use plastic 70 or urethane 71 for making PCBs waterproof. Just spray it on and let it dry for a day. Works great for me.
Greetings from Dresden
Michael
Dow Corning has some awesome silicon elastomers for electronics. They have very high dielectric strength and heat conductive.
Watching this reminded me of "proto-putty", it could seal the pcb/smd without sticking to them, so, if something would need to be repaired you could always cut it and take out a clean pcb/smd. (haven`t tested this tho).
What do you think about using “plasti dip”? That should make it 100% water tight and lighter than the last 2 tests.
Ive watched enough of his videos to finally subscribe to this channel
now today is saturday
Correct
It is also Sunday here in Australia
Now its sunday in the netherlands
Gaurab Pokharel its now wednesday here in canada
Gaurab Pokharel its now wednesday here in canada
You got a sponsorship? Man, I'm glad for you!
Thanks
I think the temperature could become a problem if the motor is under load
I have personally learned this with my hot glue "water proofing"...which despite staying dry, ultimately REQUIRED water.....to put out the fire :)
Best regards from Polish Man!
Great scott! What a great video! :D
The silicone likely had a problem because so much was added, and the surface cured before the inside, and sealed the inside from curing and having the volatile compounds vaporize, I think...
No conformal coating in this round-up?
Maybe next time
MarksGoneWicked conformal coat mostly causes more problems than it solves with a lot of applications 😉
in what way?
@@61barrackroad do yo u have some examples I'm researching the subject, as I'm looking for a reversible process to protect retro electronics from ambient humidity.
I've used silicone to waterproof in the past. And it is commonly used to waterproof CB antenna connections by some. What I found was that it worked well, but a later teardown revealed corrosion of metal parts due to the acetic acid released during the silicone cure. Nail polish does not have this quirk and worked well for me waterproofing a circuit that had around 60 to 70 volts.
Honey,
Where’s all my nail polish gone!
Heat joints from underneath then touch the solder to it from the top. Especially when soldering a wire splice together
RTV coating to pot electronics normally Scott as its tough as old nails also need to de-gas whatever it is your using using a vacuum chamber to get consistent potting results (without air bubbles), costs a lot but get a really professional end product. Another great video Scott well done 😉
When working with Silicone, have a bowl of warm soapy water that you can dip your fingers into nearby. It will allow you to smooth down the Silicone with out it sticking to your fingers. Thanks for the video :)
When you said potting compound, before I saw it, the first thing that came to mind was dirt. :D
You cannot twist or solder thermocouples, they have to be welded so that they are only connected at one point and only contain two metals. By twisting you are introducing multiple junctions and have no idea what you are measuring and by soldering you are introducing multiple new metals. Thermocouples work by the seedback effect which is producing a voltage between two different dissimilar metals and introducing solder to this mix will give you a very bad thermocouple because you now have something like 4 metals at that junction.
How to make BL Dc motor waterproof ? For example project like RC submarine..
BLDC motors are not affected by water, as there are no open contacts across which current would flow. They are commonly used for model submarines and other watercraft for this reason. See this video: ua-cam.com/video/86-l2_THgWc/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/s4z8QMgTEA4/v-deo.html
That ending made my day
For silicone rubber seal you need cardboard or paper box (moisten box before cast for easy separation). Because silicone for curing need water vapor from air. Your box with plastic sheets - totally block water and curing time 1 day per each 2 mm thickness from top. For fast cure - put in the hot water.
i bet if you add copper dust or metal filings to the potting compound/silicone, you could improve the temperatures quiete a bit
Silicone for mold making is great for potting electronics as its two part and sets whether closed from air or open. Oomoo is something I've used several time to pot parts for wet conditions in Broadcasting.
Always an entertainment to watch your videos. Thanks for making videos.
You're welcome :-)
I use the liquid silicone conformal coating on my race quadcopters. You can safely solder through this coating from MG Chemicals when you need to rework solder somewhere or replace component. It's not perfect, but it is better than using nail polish!
Tha nail polish idea is brilliant, no messy silicon spray
You have really good hand writing
Clear polyurethane.
FYI, the bi-metal wires of the type k thermocouple are not supposed to be soldered. Just twisted very tightly and the end snipped off.
FYI. the transparent coating u thunk your circuit is also used within military projects to make components resisting to several hundred of G. (i.e. when firing an ammo)
Got to see my mom's car computer after it broke. The whole PCB (15 x 15cm) is coated with a pink 90% opaque rubbery silicone. Very pretty. I didn't even remove it to see the actual controller.
Once you notice the sound of him breathing between takes, you can't stop hearing it
Now I regret reading your comment
Why did you have to tell me this? I can't unhear it now 😂
Great information. I wonder how things would have been under load though rather then running it in open air.
Also, that how silicone works. It will always do that to you. However, if you mix in corn starch when you go to coat the item the corn starch will cause the silicone to 100% cure no matter how big the blob is. That's actually the premises behind "Sugru" which is a commercially available version of the same thing.
You can build a small vacuum chamber with a Mason Jar, a fitting, and some epoxy. Then, place the item you are potting inside with the potting compound. Then, draw a deep vacuum, preferably with a two stage vacuum pump. Then, while the potting compound is still wet, break the vacuum and allow atmospheric pressure in. The result is that the vacuum pump will remove all air even from the smallest of places, and when you release the vacuum, the potting compound will be pushed into all the voids where the air was. This will make most none-moving electronics waterproof to hundreds of feet below the water.
Great video. I often wondered about this water resistant electronic coatings. Thanks
i want to water sound proof my wife
You can mix the silicone with a few drops of acrylic paint. That way it'll cure throughout.
I wanted to see the potted led lit up! great video. I been thinking about what would be the best way to seal a PCB!
I loved the finale
Nice comparison but it's a shame you didn't include conformal coating in the lis since this is what is used most of the time to protect PCB,s against dust and moisture. It's also easy to get from Farnel/DigiKey/Element14/Mouser, etc. Results would probably be similar to the nail polish with less risk that a particular brand of polish may interact with the components (like damaging plastics) or deteriorate over time.
I think an interesting video would be to finding out different ways to remove potting from circuit boards in order to repair them.
A shock absorber as well as waterproof ESC. I'll take it. Yeah, I'll definitely will want to waterproof some ESC and receivers. Thanks and thanks for posting.
instead of nail polish, you can use clear varnish in spray can. It works the same but faster application
Try CorrosionX or a conformal coating compound. Both do a decent job of protecting electronics without adding bulk or significantly affecting heat transfer properties.
If you want to use silicone to waterproof anything, use a little bit of oil or cooking spray on your tool of choice and spreading the compound will make it easier to contend with. Be mindful that certain items chemical mess with the silicone so use something that will not affect it. It's the same principle used by painters and window installers. They get a rag or tool, spray it with water or something that makes the silicone not want to stick and boom, clean application.
I wish you had tried actual commercially available conformal coatings as well. It would have been really nice to see how these household items compare to the real thing. Still, I appreciate you including potting compounds.
Love the capacitor pop at the end. Great video. Thank you
Have you seen any quality issues with JLCPCB? Big Clive isn't sponsored and he did give them a slightly critical review for some cosmetic defects.
The best for escs is to wrap it in heat shrink and put sillisone in each end.
OK, I will add nail polish to my shopping list
I used Plasti Dip to waterproof Arduino projects. It waterproofs, can withstand some heat and can be removed when needed.
That ESC and motor were obtained from hobbyist rc aircraft sites I presume?
I'd recognize those tri pin connectors and motor form factors anywhere.
The silicone needs moisture from the air to penetrate to cure, why you're better off using a two-component compound when applying thicker than ~10 millimeter. Also, all these examples may eventually fail in a humid environment because moisture from the air may wick inside the stranded wire as the electronics thermal cycle. Solid terminals and connectors at the interface are one solution.
If you want to remove the bubbles, put it in a pressure chamber while it's curing.
Great video... in case o silicone you could try to coat the case walls with mineral oil to give a better finish... the dry time of silicone unfortunatelly is of many days
Wasn't it a problem, that you didn't apply a load to the motors? In my opinion the heat produced should be approximately proportional to the power needed to drive the motor.
You should try the famous "oogoo" silicone mix
To waterproof contacts and connections, just use silicon grease.
Ordinary silicone grease from your hardware or chemistry store.
you may also use electrical varnish for waterproofing
When working with silicon, just use your fingers with some soap on. Remember that the drying time is often in mm/h or similar. When I use silicon I usually 3D-print a box that i fill with electronics and silicon and then just let the box be part of the design.
I think that best waterproofing product is NANOPROTECH. I used it in RC cars and no problems. Currently I'm using it on a car( octavia) in blinker where is water every time when its raining. No problem whatsoever.. I also used plastidip... it works but it can get weak by the time and it's hard to peel off... NANOPROTECH is way to go!
One missing parameter on your methodology is the air/water temperature prior to the test. If you are testing during the course several days these may fluctuate rendering the final data unusable or unreliable for comparative purposes.
I did enjoy the video, though. Great job.
I KNEW IT!
It is possible!
Why did you told me that it isn't?
Anyway my RC I took a look in the ESC and I found out myself how it is made this water proffing
Scott, next time u could try candle wax (paraffin wax), because it can be removed in case of troubleshooting.
Degas your potting compound by putting it under vacuum. Cody’s Lab has a nice vacuum chamber.
Silicone can outgas acetic acid. This will corrode metal pins, consume the polystyrene form, and degrade some plastics in wiring. Potting in silicone might be akin to submerging in vinegar.
Silicone has to evaporate out to set, which takes time, especially for a deep coating. I've read the the slightly acidic liquid in weatherproofing versions of silicone can cause corrosion on circuits. No doubt, you can get varieties that control this issue.
The only way to totally protect a circuit, especially if used at depth, is total encapsulation with magnetic switches. Eventually, some moisture will migrate along the wires if they pierce the coating. I've seen timers used at depth in marine research that were stopped when a fish yanked the magnet off the encapsulated counter circuit permitting when the fish took the bait on the longline.
Silicone/acrylic conformal coating (this is one of the many purposes for this product) nail polish can work but many do not have any natural dielectric properties and only work by gaping the contact while conformal coatings are made for their electric isolation and ability to handle large temp ranges from -200c to 200c the video is not bad but it is asking a question and conformal coating where created to answer this question.
Frohe Weihnachten aus Sachsen 😀
Thin the silicone with mineral spirits and it will pour easier - add some glycerin and it will harden without air exposure.
i was wondering if somebody would post this.. screw nail polish, use silicone and a thinning agent
@@schlomoshekelstein908 Cheap, readily available, easy to use, not super toxic like 2 component, plus being rubbery I think is a better end consistency than brittle.
The 'nail polish' is called conformal coating. For home use, I suggest 'Plastik 70' to coat your PCB with. Avoid direct connection to water if at all possible. For underwater projects use a proper watertight enclosure. IP69k enclosure might be overkill but will survive anything.
One more note: tap water is still very pure. Add a little salt to the water and the electrical resistance is reduced 100 fold.
In professional electronics, these are a big deal to stop corrosion and add reliability. Potting and conformal coating is a science on its own. Imagine how it reacts at -40 deg C or 85 deg C, If it shrinks it will pull the components of your board. This is more mechanical engineering than electrical engineering. This has been a real headache in a project I've been involved.
silicone if you add a small bit of cornstarch, it will cure through, much faster.
I like your thoughtful methodology. Thanks for sharing.
Silicone conformal coating spray is very easy to apply.
Also cynoacrylate, CA glue, is better than nail polish, and even better when used in conjunction, as in a layer of CA, then a layer of laquer, because the softer laquer adds a bit of shock and abrasion resistance to the very hard CA glue
cyanoacrylate is expensive as hell...atleast here
3:23 Smoooooke 'under' the water! XD
Silicone use the water molecules for hardening procedures. Make it wet before you use it. That make the hardening process much faster,serious.
I was wondering what would happen if you were to blow up that capacitor at the end haha Thanks for the demo! :D
thats bloody brilliant , but will the circuit overheat.
That capacitor at the end was great hahahaha
The only question is. How durable is nail polish? How long will it hold? Like will it just dry out after a month or a year?
For the silicon just coat the inside of the box with oil and oil a knife to smooth the top 👍
Hey GreatScott,
Maybe you should re-visit the diy or buy function generator,
as aliexpress released a new version witch features an display and the same button controll as your professional function generator
Automotive body filler might be good alternative, easier to work with than silicone and cheaper than potting resin.
I think it is by now a litle Bit to late for this tip but you can buy 2part molding Silikon it is just like the potting compount in viscosity
Can you make a video on dissolving potting compound in order to free electronics?
If anything, potting compound turns electronics into art. If you could get rid of the airbubbles, it'd look amazing.