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Finalizing breadboard circuit w/glue? — Parallax Forums

Finalizing breadboard circuit w/glue?

bulkheadbulkhead Posts: 405
edited 2011-05-05 21:43 in General Discussion
I have a circuit that's basically done (its on a breadboard) and I want to make it permanent. I just want to keep the wires from getting pulled out. What kind of glue would work? I'm thinking of just using super glue or so to fill the holes where I have components stuck in. I don't think its conductive, so it should be ok. Any thoughts?

Comments

  • ForrestForrest Posts: 1,341
    edited 2006-04-16 23:41
    Hmm, if you poured glue on the wires I think it would wick down the holes and cause an open circuit.

    I think it's a better idea to replicate the circuit on a printed circuit board with the same layout as the breadboard - and solder all wires. See here for an example
    www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102846&cp
  • PJAllenPJAllen Banned Posts: 5,065
    edited 2006-04-17 00:08
    Well, I'm not in favor of your proposal, bulkhead, but you could·use·"RTV" (silicone glue).· It has practically no viscosity and it's electrically inert --·but this gluing up a breadboard is, like, totally hideous (sorry.)
  • CatharsisCatharsis Posts: 27
    edited 2006-04-17 00:15
    Maybe try putting a very small amount of a very thick glue around the brims of the holes on the breadboard with the wires already in place. Whatever you do, do not put any glue inside the holes.
  • bulkheadbulkhead Posts: 405
    edited 2006-04-17 04:10
    Well, if I can get it to work I'd like to keep everything in the breadboard, transfering the circuit to a PCB would increase the chances that something gets wired wrong (I just fried my javelin!). I guess I'll just glue the point where the wires go into the holes, and not pour glue over the whole thing. Thanks for the advice.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2006-04-17 05:09
    How about Hot Glue?
    I use it on the backs of my PCB and if there is a problem I can pull it off later.
    It is a good insulator and not so liquid as to get too deep into things.

    It is just no good with things that get hot enough to melt it.

    Super Glue is very tricky stuff. Something you don't want to stick usually gets stuck.

    Silicon rubber is good. So is, 5-minute epoxy. But, you really can't expect to ever repair or modify.

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    ······································································ Warm regards,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan

    Post Edited (Kramer) : 4/17/2006 3:56:55 PM GMT
  • StaatsStaats Posts: 22
    edited 2006-04-17 15:53
    What type of operating environment will this device be in?
  • bulkheadbulkhead Posts: 405
    edited 2006-04-17 23:13
    On an indoor carpet robot, I only need it to work for the next month or so. I think I'll give hot glue a shot since I can peel that off if I want to modify it, thanks for the ideas.
  • StaatsStaats Posts: 22
    edited 2006-04-18 10:57
    If its an indoor robot that will be used for a month, you shouldn't need to glue anything. Just trim the wires and route them flush with the breadboard. As long as the wires aren't sticking up and they aren't arched, you shouldn't have any problems. Same goes with components like resistors and such. Trim their leads and make them as low-profile as possible...
  • Jeff DegeJeff Dege Posts: 85
    edited 2006-04-18 15:02
    We were discussing potting compound in another thread. That might be safer than glue.

    It'd be safer, I think.

    Just glue a bit of cardboard around the edge of the breadboard and pour the potting compound over the whole mess.
  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2006-04-18 16:01
    I would recommend RTV or wax.
    But it shouldn't really be required if the wires are short and tidy.
    Bean

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  • KenLemKenLem Posts: 94
    edited 2006-04-20 14:10
    Radio Shack sells a PCB that matches the size of one of their breadboards.· You place the PCB over the breadboard, setup your circuit and when you're happy with it, you lift off the PCB with the circuit from the breadboard.· At that point, it's simple to solder the circuit.

    I don't think that helps you now but you might consider it for next time.

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  • ForrestForrest Posts: 1,341
    edited 2006-04-20 15:56
    Is there an echo in here? See my post from 4/16 tongue.gif
  • EradicatoreEradicatore Posts: 1
    edited 2011-05-04 19:45
    Loopy Byteloose wrote: »
    How about Hot Glue?
    I use it on the backs of my PCB and if there is a problem I can pull it off later.
    It is a good insulator and not so liquid as to get too deep into things.

    It is just no good with things that get hot enough to melt it.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    ······································································ Warm regards,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan

    Post Edited (Kramer) : 4/17/2006 3:56:55 PM GMT


    I just found this thread since I was trying to do this same thing, and Hot Glue was AWESOME! Perfect solution to my situation. I tested it a few times to make sure it was a good hold, yet removable if necessary. And non-conductive. Perfect!
  • Peter KG6LSEPeter KG6LSE Posts: 1,383
    edited 2011-05-04 20:08
    Please do NOT use normal RTV .
    it out gasses corrosive fumes that WILL eat Copper !

    I tryed to pot a few underwater devices with it and it ate the wires
    You can get E tech rated RTV but its not cheap .
    . Hot Glue is now preferred glue . and its cheap ......
  • HollyMinkowskiHollyMinkowski Posts: 1,398
    edited 2011-05-04 20:25
    I would not do this.

    But if I did I would get a small tub of that conductive wire glue.
    I'd give you the name of the stuff but I am away from my tools
    and parts and can't remember. I have used it and it works and
    is a fair conductor. I'd just dip the leads into the glue and then
    stick them back in the holes. Perhaps just a few at a time so
    they can set up well and won't be dislodged when you start
    pulling out other parts to glue them in.

    Then drizzle a bunch of hot glue on top of the whole ugly mess
    to add some stability.
  • b.p.m.b.p.m. Posts: 59
    edited 2011-05-05 07:41
    Whatever you do, do Not use super glue (aka crazy glue). Cyano-acrylate (sp?) is extremely viscous (again sp?), it will creep in between even the tightest contact and act as an insulator . I know this from personal experience. I have used it in the past as an emergency applied insulator on a short that was too hard to work on because the short was buried under a SD socket. Hot glue is probably the easiest to work with in this situation. I use prepunched PCBs that match a double bus 840 tie breadboard perfectly; they are about $5 apiece and you just transfer your circuit directly without redoing the layout. I know RP Electronics carries them (but, the polarity markings were backwards...I just ignore them.)
    http://www.rpelectronics.com/pc-102-pcb-version-of-standard-solderless-breadboard-mb-102.html

    Blake
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    edited 2011-05-05 15:51
    bulkhead wrote: »
    Well, if I can get it to work I'd like to keep everything in the breadboard, transfering the circuit to a PCB would increase the chances that something gets wired wrong (I just fried my javelin!). I guess I'll just glue the point where the wires go into the holes, and not pour glue over the whole thing. Thanks for the advice.

    If you transfer it to a PCB, put in sockets for the chips and verify the voltages on the socket pins before plugging in the chips. This will not guarantee it will work, but it will find reversed power connections and power on the wrong pins. Also measure resistances pin to ground, pin to V+, and pin to pin.
  • PJAllenPJAllen Banned Posts: 5,065
    edited 2011-05-05 16:00
    For what it's worth, this timely thread dropped carrier > 5 years ago.
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2011-05-05 16:47
    PJ Allen wrote: »
    For what it's worth, this timely thread dropped carrier > 5 years ago.

    That's kinda ominous, don't you think? "The man was last seen pouring viscous fluids over unprofessionally wired circuitry... Details at 11..."
  • HollyMinkowskiHollyMinkowski Posts: 1,398
    edited 2011-05-05 17:42
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  • Beau SchwabeBeau Schwabe Posts: 6,568
    edited 2011-05-05 20:55
    Super glue huh? ... reminds me of a story I once heard where I guy tried to return a kit from Radio shack because it didn't work. He used super glue instead of solder. The instructions said 'attach' and 'connect' but they didn't say with what.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-05-05 21:12
    The layman's misunderstanding of things electric/electronic never fails to amuse me. Many years ago (yeah, I know: when mammoths roamed the tundra -- yadda, yadda, yadda) when I was writing my dissertation, I needed to correct some Rapidograph drawings I had done. I went to the campus bookstore to buy an electric eraser that could minimally, and with some precision, remove inked lines. Here's the conversation I had with the salesperson:
    "Hi, do you have any electric erasers?"
    "Yes, we have several erasers. Here's one."
    "Is it electric?"
    "Oh, no, I'm sorry: it runs on batteries."

    -Phil
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2011-05-05 21:36
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »
    The layman's misunderstanding of things electric/electronic never fails to amuse me...

    Phil,

    Technically speaking, the salesperson was correct. Batteries do not contain electricity. Batteries contain photons. You can prove this by putting batteries into a flashlight, which has an inner mechanism that presses down on the batteries (like when you press down on the top of a spray can), and this releases the photon gas, which we see as light. You will note that no sparks or lightning bolts are ever generated. I have performed this experiment countless times, even underwater, even in the dark. Solar batteries collect photons from the sun and store them for release later on. Obviously the eraser the salesperson was showing you worked via photobleaching, not via electric shock.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-05-05 21:43
    ElectricAye,

    Thank you! My mind is always open to further en- ... um ... lightenment! :)

    -Phil
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