Introduction: Using Hot Glue to Insulate and Support Soldering Joints
Hot glue is an awesome semi-permanent material for electronics, I find myself using it frequently. It is an insulator, it sets quickly, and it can be peeled off if needed.
In the first two images I show how you can use a thin layer of hot glue to insulate a breadboard. This is useful if you are making a metal enclosure or if you are worried that the breadboard may come into contact with other components in the enclosure. As shown in the third image, electrical tape is also a good choice for these situations (although sometime sharp points in the solder may poke through the tape).
In last two images you can see how I used hot glue to support and insulate the leads on an audio jack. This way there is no chance of a short circuit and the soldering joints are less likely to break.
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5 Comments
7 years ago
Do you recommend any particular brand of glue or glue gun or are they pretty much the same?
10 years ago on Introduction
Temerature is not something to warry about. The temperature of (my) soldering iron is 420 degrees C, while the glue gun is about 100 degrees C
11 years ago on Introduction
I never tried this trick because I was worried the heat from the molten glue would cause thermal problems for sensitive transistors and integrated circuits. Have you checked to see what kind of temperature rise you get on active electronics?
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
haven't tried, let me know if you find anything out.
11 years ago on Introduction
Like this.
I usually just use electrical tape but it has issues too.
In the the near future, I'll be soldering onto a dip socket (no board) and I might do this with the glue. Keep it stable and some electrical protection.