Making a connector using potting compound

[Hank Fenster]

My work sometimes involves working with military-type circular metal
connectors, some of which have enormous lead times to obtain. Years ago, I
worked with a technician who would make temporary male-ended cables by
inserting the wired pins into the female socket, put some tape around the
female's casing, then use a potting compound to fill up the female socket
and the taped-in area. When it set up, he'd have a usable (for development
purposes, while we waited for the real male connectors) male cable. My
question is: what kind of compound would he have been using for this? It was
kind of rubbery, and wasn't so low-viscosity that it would seep into the
regions of the female connector where it shouldn't go, and it set up firm
enough to keep the pins in position and to withstand a number of
insertions/extractions. Any idea what he might have been using? I wish I had
thought to ask him at the time.

 

[tweak]

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 10:02:24 -0800, "Hank Fenster" <phony@nowhere.cc>
wrote:

My work sometimes involves working with military-type circular metal
connectors, some of which have enormous lead times to obtain. Years ago, I
worked with a technician who would make temporary male-ended cables by
inserting the wired pins into the female socket, put some tape around the
female's casing, then use a potting compound to fill up the female socket
and the taped-in area. When it set up, he'd have a usable (for development
purposes, while we waited for the real male connectors) male cable. My
question is: what kind of compound would he have been using for this? It was
kind of rubbery, and wasn't so low-viscosity that it would seep into the
regions of the female connector where it shouldn't go, and it set up firm
enough to keep the pins in position and to withstand a number of
insertions/extractions. Any idea what he might have been using? I wish I had
thought to ask him at the time.

I presume your talking about cannon plugs.

If you want to make a temporary male end here's what you can do.
You can use either a hard set silicone, maybe blue or red rtv, or even
use hot glue.
After you've crimped the connector pins onto the wires and inserted
them into the correct sockets. Position the cable into the position it
will be resting in during use. i.e. straight out if the cable is going
to run straight out or bent at an angle(usually downward) if it's
going to rest at an angle. fix it in this position for the duration of
the "set" time.(Time it'll take the silicone to dry or the hot glue to
cool and harden.)
Ensure all the crimped lead wires are evenly spaced and not touching
each other before application.
With the silicone it's simply a matter of squirting it into the wires
and building it up to form a large clump.
You will need to have some sort of flexible form sleeve to keep it
from running out the bottom end. I use custom cut plastic strips I cut
from gallon plastic milk or water jugs. Just cut a band strip wide
enough to go from the end of the open cable sleeve to the edge of the
female plug and long enough to wrap around diameter wise.(Kinda like a
sleeve cuff.)
If you have a dremel with a cutting wheel you can also use plastic or
pvc pipe. Cut a section long enough to cover the splice and cable,
slide it back on cable before inserting the pins and slide it up and
squirt the silicone or hot glue in the end. Once set you can cut the
pipe off with the dremel and you'll have a nice rubbery cover formed
around the male end to allow removal and reinstallation.
I'm using hot glue myself most of the time these day except whem the
connector will be exposed to water or the elements then it's
siliicone.

 

I had a kit do do that about 20 years ago. It was a hot glue gun! you can use
hi temp glue. the kit had a red glue stick, but I don't remember what it was

Have fun
Frank

Hank Fenster wrote:

My work sometimes involves working with military-type circular metal
connectors, some of which have enormous lead times to obtain. Years ago, I
worked with a technician who would make temporary male-ended cables by
inserting the wired pins into the female socket, put some tape around the
female's casing, then use a potting compound to fill up the female socket
and the taped-in area. When it set up, he'd have a usable (for development
purposes, while we waited for the real male connectors) male cable. My
question is: what kind of compound would he have been using for this? It was
kind of rubbery, and wasn't so low-viscosity that it would seep into the
regions of the female connector where it shouldn't go, and it set up firm
enough to keep the pins in position and to withstand a number of
insertions/extractions. Any idea what he might have been using? I wish I had
thought to ask him at the time.

 

[William P.N. Smith]

"Hank Fenster" <phony@nowhere.cc> wrote:

worked with a technician who would make temporary male-ended cables by
inserting the wired pins into the female socket, put some tape around the
female's casing, then use a potting compound to fill up the female socket

I'd use hot-melt glue. Not the greenish/yellowish sticky stuff, but
the clear/milky stuff, which is just plastic (polyethylene?), and
isn't sticky when cooled. Maybe a little release agent on the face of
the mating plug, something as simple as silicone spray would probably
work well....

--
William Smith
ComputerSmiths Consulting, Inc. www.compusmiths.com

 

[Hank Fenster]

"tweak" <Vampyres@nettaxi.com> wrote in message
newsdvn101pjg9emeeb2r8teskqe2ulmb9i9s@4ax.com...

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 10:02:24 -0800, "Hank Fenster" <phony@nowhere.cc
wrote:

My work sometimes involves working with military-type circular metal
connectors, some of which have enormous lead times to obtain. Years ago,
I
worked with a technician who would make temporary male-ended cables by
inserting the wired pins into the female socket, put some tape around the
female's casing, then use a potting compound to fill up the female socket
and the taped-in area. When it set up, he'd have a usable (for
development
purposes, while we waited for the real male connectors) male cable. My
question is: what kind of compound would he have been using for this? It
was
kind of rubbery, and wasn't so low-viscosity that it would seep into the
regions of the female connector where it shouldn't go, and it set up firm
enough to keep the pins in position and to withstand a number of
insertions/extractions. Any idea what he might have been using? I wish I
had
thought to ask him at the time.

I presume your talking about cannon plugs.
If you want to make a temporary male end here's what you can do.
You can use either a hard set silicone, maybe blue or red rtv, or even
use hot glue.
After you've crimped the connector pins onto the wires and inserted
them into the correct sockets. Position the cable into the position it
will be resting in during use. i.e. straight out if the cable is going
to run straight out or bent at an angle(usually downward) if it's
going to rest at an angle. fix it in this position for the duration of
the "set" time.(Time it'll take the silicone to dry or the hot glue to
cool and harden.)
Ensure all the crimped lead wires are evenly spaced and not touching
each other before application.
With the silicone it's simply a matter of squirting it into the wires
and building it up to form a large clump.
You will need to have some sort of flexible form sleeve to keep it
from running out the bottom end. I use custom cut plastic strips I cut
from gallon plastic milk or water jugs. Just cut a band strip wide
enough to go from the end of the open cable sleeve to the edge of the
female plug and long enough to wrap around diameter wise.(Kinda like a
sleeve cuff.)
If you have a dremel with a cutting wheel you can also use plastic or
pvc pipe. Cut a section long enough to cover the splice and cable,
slide it back on cable before inserting the pins and slide it up and
squirt the silicone or hot glue in the end. Once set you can cut the
pipe off with the dremel and you'll have a nice rubbery cover formed
around the male end to allow removal and reinstallation.
I'm using hot glue myself most of the time these day except whem the
connector will be exposed to water or the elements then it's
siliicone.

Excellent description. Thanks very much.

 

[Hank Fenster]

<William P.N. Smith> wrote in message
news:5oto101ee05ph859eoegor4fjgv889brjh@4ax.com...

"Hank Fenster" <phony@nowhere.cc> wrote:
worked with a technician who would make temporary male-ended cables by
inserting the wired pins into the female socket, put some tape around the
female's casing, then use a potting compound to fill up the female socket

I'd use hot-melt glue. Not the greenish/yellowish sticky stuff, but
the clear/milky stuff, which is just plastic (polyethylene?), and
isn't sticky when cooled. Maybe a little release agent on the face of
the mating plug, something as simple as silicone spray would probably
work well....

I hadn't even considered hot melt glue. Thanks very much for the suggestion.

 

[Watson A.Name - \"Watt Su]

"Hank Fenster" <phony@nowhere.cc> wrote in message
news:I5SSb.2282$IF1.2059@fed1read01...

My work sometimes involves working with military-type circular metal
connectors, some of which have enormous lead times to obtain. Years
ago, I
worked with a technician who would make temporary male-ended cables
by
inserting the wired pins into the female socket, put some tape around
the
female's casing, then use a potting compound to fill up the female
socket
and the taped-in area. When it set up, he'd have a usable (for
development
purposes, while we waited for the real male connectors) male cable. My
question is: what kind of compound would he have been using for this?
It was
kind of rubbery, and wasn't so low-viscosity that it would seep into
the
regions of the female connector where it shouldn't go, and it set up
firm
enough to keep the pins in position and to withstand a number of
insertions/extractions. Any idea what he might have been using? I wish
I had
thought to ask him at the time.

THe guy I worked for did exactly the same thing. He used silicone RTV
to pot the pins in.

 

That takes longer to setup. The only problem with hotmelt, (which could be
good) is alcohol will dissolve hotmelt!
Frank

"Watson A.Name - \"Watt Sun, the Dark Remover\"" wrote:

"Hank Fenster" <phony@nowhere.cc> wrote in message
news:I5SSb.2282$IF1.2059@fed1read01...
My work sometimes involves working with military-type circular metal
connectors, some of which have enormous lead times to obtain. Years
ago, I
worked with a technician who would make temporary male-ended cables
by
inserting the wired pins into the female socket, put some tape around
the
female's casing, then use a potting compound to fill up the female
socket
and the taped-in area. When it set up, he'd have a usable (for
development
purposes, while we waited for the real male connectors) male cable. My
question is: what kind of compound would he have been using for this?
It was
kind of rubbery, and wasn't so low-viscosity that it would seep into
the
regions of the female connector where it shouldn't go, and it set up
firm
enough to keep the pins in position and to withstand a number of
insertions/extractions. Any idea what he might have been using? I wish
I had
thought to ask him at the time.

THe guy I worked for did exactly the same thing. He used silicone RTV
to pot the pins in.