Gardner Bender Liquid Electrical Tape from Home Depot

[Painless]

Just some part related information that might help save someone wasting money:

I performed a heat test this morning on some Gardner Bender Liquid Electrical Tape applied to steel and left to dry for 24 hrs. I used a cable tie to immerse it in boiling water in a saucepan on my stove and monitored the temp with a laser thermometer, it lasted until approx 190F before the tape deformed, exposing the steel.

Probably not ideal for use in a generator.

Does anyone know of a brand of liquid tape that is more heat durable?

[BoyntonStu]

If you can keep a cell below 175 it looks OK.

A thermal cutoff switch at 180 seems appropriate.

Why go to 190?

Boyntonstu

[Painless]

I agree, but I'm thinking that there will always be the possibility of that 'accident' where the cell boils too high. I'm looking to use the electrical tape or some other method of shielding my connectors from current leakage and would feel better with something with a higher heat tolerance.

[Stevo]

You are probably already aware of this site, but just in case: http://www.mcmaster.com

This site has all kinds of supplies and just might have an epoxy or sealant that would resist the heat you mention while maintaining proper electrical insulation.

[HYDROTEKPRO]

HDPE seems to withstand the temperature margin you're talking about.

So get a little touch, and get some small piece of HDPE in the other hand, held by insulated vise-grips, pliers, whatever. Then melt the plastic with the torch and let the molten drops land right on your connections, which should cool off the molten plastic on contact quite a bit!

[Painless]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'm going to check out mcmasters today while I'm at work.

HDPE?

High Density Polyurethane?

Nice idea about melting the plastic, wouldn't there be a fine line though with a torch between melting and incinerating?

[Johnh]

Hot melt glue is LDPE probably worth a try as a coating.
You could try some HDPE rod and see if it will run through a hot glue gun a torch is useless. We use a hot air welder (much like a paint stripper but only a 1/4" nozzle) for welding HDPE and even that will burn the plastic if you aren't very careful.
The industry uses hot plates much like on a stove for butt joining HDPE pipes. Both ends are melted against the plate then pushed together.

You can melt HDPE in a saucepan if you control the temperature and start with the finest grain powder you can get. What we use for rotomolding is almost like talcum powder but it will work with sawdust from cutting HDPE.

I use 5 minute epoxy spread on plastic kitchen film for coating things but will try the hot glue gun - I think it may be better.

John

[HYDROTEKPRO]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'm going to check out mcmasters today while I'm at work.

HDPE?

High Density Polyurethane?

Nice idea about melting the plastic, wouldn't there be a fine line though with a torch between melting and incinerating?

High Density PolyEthylene, is very common for cutting boards. Even LDPE Low Density PolyEthylene may be just fine.

The plastic will start to burn on it's own. And it will drip drops of molten plastic as this continues. You can use the torch to keep it hot or re-ignite it as needed.

A small propane cannister with the inexpensive little touch attachment is all you need. Practically every hardware store has them.