have a breadboard for a small circuit and it has all the regular componenets such as transistors, resistors, diodes, realys, microchips, etc. I will have the breadboard mounted in a plastic project case and it will be mounted vertically... I need a way to secure the componens in the breadboard better so i waas wondering if i can use hot glue...??? I know some components such as the microchip is heat sensitive when solidering but i didn't know if hot glue is to hot or if there would be other effects to the circuit in some way...???
I do not have a soldering iron and don't know how to use one so I planned on making the protoboard breadboard hold the permanent project. It really doesn't matter if it is no longer usable since it will be permanently mounted in the box... I really just want to put a few small dabs of hot glue around the components to help make sure they don't fall out over time... Superglue may be another option but it gets crusty over time and i though hot glue woudl work better... I am open to any other suggestions also....
Hello,
I think this is not a heat problem.. Hot glue is available in low-temp varieties (often used by schoolchildren)..
Wikipedia: Glue guns come in low-temperature and high-temperature (hot-melt) versions. Low-temperature glue guns operate at approximately 250 °F (121 °C) and are well suited when high temperatures are undesirable, such as gluing lace and cloth. High-temperature guns operate at approximately 380 °F (193 °C) and produce a stronger bond. Dual guns have a switch for both low- and high-temperature use.
I have used hot glue in quite a few electronics applications without problems.
I have used hot glue for many things from keeping components in place as well as insulation.
I have also worked in assembly lines of production electronics and they have used similar there.
The only problem I have ever had is when I forgot to test the circuit first, found a problem and had to dig into the glue to fix it.
With regards using a solderless breadboard - should be ok if kept dry etc, but as they are not fixed connections I guess they could become less conductive over a period of years.. although I have had many temporary breadboard circuits work for years without any problems (or glue).
WARNING: I have found superglue tends to be too thin, and will find its way into all the small spaces. This can cause loss of connection. I would personally stay away from any "thin" or "runny" glues.
I think the hot glue should be OK, but it may not be necessary unless you have some heavy components (incuctors, transformers, switches...). About 15 years ago I built a car-alarm on a plug-in breadboard (with a different microcontroller) and it's still working!
(I don't actually remember how it's oriented in the car.)
SummitSeeker:
I do not have a soldering iron and don't know how to use one
Not to be critical, I find hot glue in all kinds of crap I take apart. But if you want reliable connections, get an iron and read up online, it's really not that hard. You'll be glad you did.
But if you want reliable connections, get an iron and read up online, it's really not that hard. You'll be glad you did.
There are solder protoboards that have exactly the same layout as breadboards, so it's easy to transfer a circuit physically and then solder it for reliability.
Hmm. Gotta find those in China so I can source them...
I have a friend who built his first embedded PIC project on Solderless breadboard. He mounted it upside down under his portable Model Railroad Module. Lets just say it didn't survice long. After fixing it countless times... he finally soldered it to a matching layout proto board like this: http://www.escience.ca/hobby/RENDER/0001/88/3088/12165.html
Eventhough I would always recommend to not buy or use a cheap soldering iron when better ones are affordable and long lasting (I still have my first Weller... bought used in 1978) ... even a cheap Walmart $10 pencil soldering is better than not having one at all.
pwillard:
I have a friend who built his first embedded PIC project on Solderless breadboard. He mounted it upside down under his portable Model Railroad Module. Lets just say it didn't survice long. After fixing it countless times... he finally soldered it to a matching layout proto board like this: http://www.escience.ca/hobby/RENDER/0001/88/3088/12165.html
Eventhough I would always recommend to not buy or use a cheap soldering iron when better ones are affordable and long lasting (I still have my first Weller... bought used in 1978) ... even a cheap Walmart $10 pencil soldering is better than not having one at all.
I'm using a cheap radioshack one...serving me well
I use hot glue all the time on my finished PCBs. I solder everything in, TEST IT, and then use hot glue for any areas that need extra insullation, where wires may be hanging (LCD to processor), etc. Has always worked great! I always put a generous glob to hold the power wires to the PCB. Can't tell you how many times I have ripped out wires trying to get a 9v battery clip off.
One word of caution. Keep an eye out for pieces that may heat up or near heat-sinks. I have had hot glue re-melt because of small pieces that get pretty warm. And Ghoti, I feel your pain. I have spent many an hour re-melting hot glue, chipping away at it, etc., because I put something in backwards and forgot to test it first!
Anyway, hot glue works great with most electronics, but for a more reliable connection do as you have been suggested. Get a solder protoboard from Radio Shack or somewhere. Same size, same layout... just requires a bit of solder to make everything stick. It is much more sturdy and much more professional. Once you're comfortable, take a peek online on how to etch your own boards. I was terrified the first time I tried it, but it was VERY easy using the toner-transfer method, and it came out amazing. I etch at least one or two a week for my myriad little projects!
I was about to post a question if anyone ever used hot glue as an insulator. Glad I did a search first. I just spent most of the day putting together a fairly intricate circuit on a 1.5 x 1.5 perf board and thought about coating the bottom (solder) side with hot glue since this will be stacked with several other 1.5 boards. I just want to make sure something like a coin doesn't get dropped in there and starting shorting things. Did you ever have any issues with hot glue aside from the ones you mentioned? I know I will be SOL if I have to make a change so I will be testing very carefully.
I use hot glue, too, to fix things. Easier than drilling holes for screw mounts, and doesn't need any bosses in the enclosure
However, hot glue will soften and even melt if the temperature gets too high.
Also, I wouldn't want to hot glue on top of a solderless breadboard, for fear the glue might actually creep in between the components and the breadboard strip, and stop the contact. For anything permanent, I will transfer from a solderless breadboard to a soldered breadboard, and solder the bottom.
I've seen hot glue used to make a temporary 23-D connector body (for Amiga) along with some cardboard and pins stuck into a 25-D female as a jig. It worked. 2 days later the same person cut a 25-D male down to make something more permanent and professional.
