Looking for good heat shrink

[Matrix37495]

I find myself using heat shrink and solder more, but i haven't been able to find heat shrink i like.

Does anyone have a source for the heat shrink tubing with the glue in it? Like those weatherproof butt connectors have...

 

[w4dsb]

http://www.mcmaster.com/#electrical-heat-shrink-tubing/=jr2q4t

Mcmaster carr has all kinds of cool stuff!

 

[Matrix37495]

I thought of that right after i posted...

The size i use the most is pretty reasonable for a 25' spool....

I usually use the plain stuff and have never had a problem, but i prefer the glued stuff...

 

[Coyote_Red]

McMasster has my vote too! I ordered some 3:1 shrink with the glue and it works awesome.

 

[Trying my best]

I dude once told me this trick....cut a little strip of glue from a hot glue stick and shove it in the joint when the tubing shrinks, the glue melts ant the joint is strong. It tried I like it. Just my 2 cents

 

[WhiskeyBottle2]

I find myself using heat shrink and solder more, but i haven't been able to find heat shrink i like.

Does anyone have a source for the heat shrink tubing with the glue in it? Like those weatherproof butt connectors have...

I get mine from Harbor Freight...They are usually a lot more inexpensive...and they do have the kind with glue...

 

[hce]

waytek very reasonably priced. Get the stuff that is adhesive lined.

These butt connectors are a little shortcut to soldering and then heatshrink and work great with a heat gun to shrink the heatshrink and melt the solder.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I get mine from Harbor Freight...They are usually a lot more inexpensive...and they do have the kind with glue...

I have used Harbor Freight's heat-shrink for years and I use a LOT.

I find it to be of better quality, stronger, and more durable than most of the more pricey brands.

The same goes for their black tape, in my own experience, it stretches and conforms better, adheres better, and stays better.

I dude once told me this trick....cut a little strip of glue from a hot glue stick and shove it in the joint when the tubing shrinks, the glue melts ant the joint is strong. It tried I like it. Just my 2 cents

Thanks for posting that tip.

I am definitely going to experiment with that one.


When I want a soldered joint to be impervious to the elements, I saturate the soldered area generously with Vaseline and then apply THREE layers of heat-shrink.

Vaseline is the best copper protectant I have ever found.

 

[Matrix37495]

I get mine from Harbor Freight...They are usually a lot more inexpensive...and they do have the kind with glue...

I usually get all mine there, but i hadn't seen the adhesive lined stuff...

waytek very reasonably priced. Get the stuff that is adhesive lined.

These butt connectors are a little shortcut to soldering and then heatshrink and work great with a heat gun to shrink the heatshrink and melt the solder.

Thanks for the link. Their stuff is priced better than mcmaster too (not that that's hard... )

 

[riotwarrior]

When I want a soldered joint to be impervious to the elements, I saturate the soldered area generously with Vaseline and then apply THREE layers of heat-shrink.

Vaseline is the best copper protectant I have ever found.

My suggestion would be dielectric grease.....instead of vaseline...just a thought....it's designed for working in around electricty....I do not think that vaseline is but I could be wrong....it would be cheaper with vaseline though

 

[icanfixall]

Vasolene has "other" great uses. To me the most important use of vasolene is when you around sulfuric acid. Rub the vasolene on your skin. Then the acid can't get thru that to burn you. Sulfuric acid will remove tissue. It leaves horrible scars too. Many years ago I worked in a chemical refinery and we used sulfuric acid in lots of reactions. One product we mad required something called Oleum. It was sulfuric acid that had been condenst to 110 to 114% by removing the water in it. It went by another name of fuming sulfuric. Talk about nasty... That stuff was like looking directly into hell. Simple vasolene was a barrier to that stuff. I'm impressed about the other uses mentioned here. Something else to try someday too...

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

My suggestion would be dielectric grease.....instead of vaseline...just a thought....it's designed for working in around electricty....I do not think that vaseline is but I could be wrong....it would be cheaper with vaseline though

I learned about using Vaseline to protect wires from corrosion years ago from reading salt-water marine electrical articles.

One article I read even had test results where they made electrical connections using various recommended means of protection; and then, after several years out in the salt sea environment, they disected all of the connections to see how well each product/method fared.

The copper strands of the Vaseline saturated splice looked newer and cleaner in the "after" picture than they looked in the "before".

My own experiences have proven likewise.

 

[Optikalillushun]

The adhesive heat shrink from Hobo Freight i use comes in a little plastic case, with various sizes about 6" in lenght. Great stuff IMHO. In face i used some tonight while repairing some wiring on our 66 Fairlane GT.

Also, i dont know if most know this but there are different grades of heat shrink, ie thinknesses and shrink ratio. Also its graded for useage.

http://shop.genuinedealz.com/Marine Electrical Supply/Heat Shrink Tubing/

 

[460mudsports]

I like to use the heat shrink without the glue, but I substitute some RTV silicone instead. The RTV seals off the connection from outside containments and adds a bit of stability. This works on heat shrink over soldered or crimped connections. I make the connection, then slide the heat shrink up close to one side and then squirt some RTV into the heat shrink and some directly onto the joint. Then I slid the the heat shrink across the connection and add some more RTV to the second side of the connection. When heating and shrinking the tubing, I start in the middle and work to the ends which pulls the RTV across the connection and out to the ends.

My dad drove a semi for many years, we almost always soldered and heat shrunk with RTV any wiring. I cut one connection apart after 10+ years of use with lots of winter driving from Chicago to New York. The solder on this connection was still as clean as day 1.