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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Lanx on Mon, 06 December 2010, 12:36:09

Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: Lanx on Mon, 06 December 2010, 12:36:09
so i'm in the final process of modding about to take the wiring/soldering plunge. My previous mod the wires were all over the place, every connection worked fine but it really was
1. a nightmare
2. was a disgrace to cable management

so i've confessed many times i know zero about electronics all that.
simply question
if i want to "nail down" a wire do i use a hot glue gun? (like the type for arts and crafts) or krazy glue? or some other wierd epoxy?
and while i'm at it can i glue already soldered wires in place so that they don't move around and shift? (so as to not cross wiring paths), what do i use here?

i plan on using zip ties but that won't manage the mess of wires going in and around the board.
thanx guys.
Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: 8_INCH_FLOPPY on Mon, 06 December 2010, 13:06:39
I'm not really sure what you're trying to do, but hot glue is fine for cable management.  I've seen it done in consumer electronic equipment before.  I would not use krazy/superglue for this.  Was that your only question?
Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: WhiteRice on Mon, 06 December 2010, 13:08:27
Hot glue is fine for tacking wires down. If you're looking into wrangling wires zip ties and hear shrink tubing is the way to go.
Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: itlnstln on Mon, 06 December 2010, 13:09:25
I got your hot goo gun.

Wait...


In all seriousness, hot glue should be fine.
Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: clickclack on Mon, 06 December 2010, 13:11:55
Indeed +2 to hot glue.
I usually would never recommend it for anything but in this case it's very common and a good solution for tacking down (for both modders and manufacturers). I see it on many, many, many, many, many boards!

You may want to next time mention/post this in the Modifications part of the forum.

=)
Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: RoboKrikit on Mon, 06 December 2010, 13:18:57
Some people put hot glue over their solder joints, but I would recommend gathering the wires together just upstream of the joints, and gluing that down in one spot instead.
Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: lowpoly on Mon, 06 December 2010, 13:33:28
I use medical tape:

(http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/2931/03caseinnersz0.jpg)
Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: itlnstln on Mon, 06 December 2010, 13:42:10
Alright.  Sofa King brought out the Holiday avatar again.  Well done, sir.
Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: lowpoly on Mon, 06 December 2010, 14:19:50
Quote from: itlnstln;258170
Alright.  Sofa King brought out the Holiday avatar again.  Well done, sir.


:-)

Now with better aliasing.
Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: msiegel on Mon, 06 December 2010, 14:25:38
Quote from: lowpoly;258158
Show Image
(http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/2931/03caseinnersz0.jpg)


"the energizer's bypassed like a Christmas tree" ;)
Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: itlnstln on Mon, 06 December 2010, 14:33:31
Happy Hornydays!
Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: Lanx on Mon, 06 December 2010, 14:41:13
Quote from: kishy;258201
lowpoly: don't you find that stuff leaves a really nasty residue?

Hot glue is nice because when you remove it, it comes off clean (from a flat surface at least)


how do you remove hot glue? i'm interested incase i miss glue something, this would be nice to know, thanks.
Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: lowpoly on Mon, 06 December 2010, 14:42:04
Quote from: kishy;258201
lowpoly: don't you find that stuff leaves a really nasty residue?
I've never seen that. I know what you're talking about though.

There's a similar black variant of this tape for use in electronics. I couldn't find that.

The white tape is called Leukosilk.
Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: itlnstln on Mon, 06 December 2010, 14:44:31
Quote from: Lanx;258210
how do you remove hot glue? i'm interested incase i miss glue something, this would be nice to know, thanks.

On most plastics, you can just pull it off.  It sticks, but its not really all that permanent.  You would probably have a harder time getting it off any wires you had glued more so than the case/PCB you glued it to.
Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: WhiteRice on Mon, 06 December 2010, 14:49:06
Quote from: lowpoly;258211
I've never seen that. I know what you're talking about though.

There's a similar black variant of this tape for use in electronics. I couldn't find that.

The white tape is called Leukosilk.
What about gaffers tape? Expensive though.
Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: Lanx on Mon, 06 December 2010, 14:51:29
got it thanks,
i also have a heat gun, i don't know why since i've never used it, but i guess i could use it for heat shrink (used to just use a lighter), it was cheap and on sale. (also have a rivet tool too, same reasons).

i'm think i'll maybe zip tie some things, prolly doubt i'll be heat shrinking anything as i have to "tube" the wires into the heat shrink first.

Or is it possible to just slit the heat shrink vertically and heat shrink the wires that way too?
Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: itlnstln on Mon, 06 December 2010, 14:54:40
A little OT, but I found heatshrink is very useful in fixing broken plastic parts.  I broke a clip on the cover for the in-cabin air filter in my car.  I used a couple of small pieces of heat shrink, a minute with the hairdryer, a minute in the freezer (the hairdryer got the heatshring pretty hot), and it was as good as new.
Title: hot glue gun?
Post by: lowpoly on Mon, 06 December 2010, 15:06:59
Quote from: WhiteRice;258216
What about gaffers tape? Expensive though.


May work but will look like gaffer tape.