Sealing cut flexible strip in tubing

[AussiePhil]

Just making up an arch and the Pixel strip need to be trimmed down to just under 4M, decided to make them 125 pixels long, 375 channels per arch


Here's how i soldered some wires and sealed the cut end.


Cut End



Just push the tube back a little and hold in place



At this point i soldered on wires only to Gnd-SD-CK.... the wire is only there to grab onto rather than for use.
Next pulled tube back down over joint and injected silicon inside tube



Next slip some clear heatshrink over the joint and add some more silicon



Next heat-shrink shrunk using hot air gun. expect a little silicon to squeeze out, i always see this as a good thing and then just clean up with a tissue to remove the excess.



Cheers
Phil

 

[fasteddy]

Thats pretty much the way i do it as well and has worked perfect for 3 years

Just ensure you use non corrosive, neatural cure silicone

 

[lithgowlights]

I do it the same way, except I use end caps (I bought 500 of them for next to nothing), but the same basic idea minus the heatshrink.

Neutral cure silastic is a must - I had to repair a strip I gave a mate for his work ute when he used normal acetic cure to seal the ends... lasted a few months before failing and on closer inspection the copper had literally been eaten away by the silastic he used

 

[Robbo]

I do it the same way, except I use end caps (I bought 500 of them for next to nothing), but the same basic idea minus the heatshrink.

Neutral cure silastic is a must - I had to repair a strip I gave a mate for his work ute when he used normal acetic cure to seal the ends... lasted a few months before failing and on closer inspection the copper had literally been eaten away by the silastic he used

got a link for the end caps?

 

[lithgowlights]

got a link for the end caps?

http://www.aliexpress.com/fm-store/701799/210128048-459153462/Silicon-end-cap-8mm-10mm-12mm-optional.html

 

[ԆцряєсϮ]

Just out of curiosity, how do you know which silicons are Neutral cure?
I just had a look on some I have which is Selly's all clear but it doesnt say on the tube?

 

[AussiePhil]

Rup


Selleys All Clear .... I wouldn't use it for this.


I use PARFIX roof, gutter and concrete highly flexible clear silicon, Neutral Cure, Non-Corrosive.


Any brand will do as long as the label say all of the following... Clear - Neutral Cure - non corrosive AND Silicon


Cheers
Phil

 

[ԆцряєсϮ]

Thx Phil.... noted.

 

[Henedce]

If the silicone smells like salt and vinegar chips it is acetic cure . Bad for all metals

 

[ԆцряєсϮ]

I notice your using a syringe as well, care to explain that little trick?
Do you buy it in a syringe or do you put it in for each use?

 

[StevenAndrews]

Hi AussiePhil

Do you still use this trick? is the silicone injection method still working for you?

Can you explain how you use that syringe? compared to just the tip of the store bought nozzles?

I have normal string lights

{productName}

Find {productName} at Bunnings. Visit your local store for the widest range of products.

www.bunnings.com.au

and was thinking of "injecting" silicone in the back of them or even grabbing a 500mm length of clear heatshrink and doing the bottom 500mm on every drop, this will of course make all the lights be rigid in a straight line at the bottom of the 2.4m drop and a little ugly but i dont mind.

I have them draped over a trampoline on a lawn that has irrigation.

 

[StevenAndrews]

more images here

specifically of the opening i need to fill to waterproof




as mentioned in the above post, i was thinking of outright heatshrinking the entire bottom 500mm of each vertical strand, but this would bind those lights all together in a straight line, so they wouldnt sway in the wind quite the same as they do at night and is maybe more ugly, but it might be more effective then individually siliconing each globe - or i could do both

 

[bjpc2716]

great reading

 

[franky_888]

@StevenAndrews I know this is at the wrong end of the season for you, but I've only just stumbled onto your question.

Through an ACL member, I've discovered something called flowable silicon, which might work in this case, you can get it at Repco, and it comes in a tube with a narrow nozzle on it:

https://www.repco.com.au/en/car-care-panel/adhesives-sealants/general-adhesives/permatex-flowable-silicone-windshield-and-glass-sealer-42gm-px81730/p/A9723072

 

[i13]

For sealing strips in silicone tubing, I've learnt a couple of things from experience. Firstly, if your tube of silicone is old or cheap, test that it still sets before putting it to use. Last year, I tried to use a very cheap tube of silicone that was opened at least 18 months earlier. After giving it several days to set, the silicone was still sticky and it must have been slightly conductive which resulted in flicker. It took a year for the silicone to set and then the flicker went away.

Another thing that I've found is that the heatshrink does not need to be clear. The joins in my strips are sealed with black heatshrink and it is surprisingly invisible. The heatshrink doesn't overlap any of the lights.