Looking for a good sealant for soldered wires

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C

Cow

Senior Member
Location
Eastern Oregon
Occupation
Electrician
I have a bunch of soldering to do and am looking for a good sealant I can goop around the connections before I put the heatshrink over it. I'm using the good Thomas and Betts adhesive lined heatshrink. What I'm doing is running a 12-3 SJ cord and making splices every 4' to add a pigtail that's runs a pulsator for a milking machine. The heatshrink will basically be wrapping around two cables leaving a void between them I need to fill with something. Scotchkote is a little too thin, I'm looking for something almost like caulk, that'll easily fill a void without needing to be applied/built up over several coats? I'm definitely trying to avoid silicone, I'm trying to get 10+ years out of this install. Maybe some sort of epoxy or resin that's safe for rubber cord/wires? I went through the 3m and T&B catalog and couldn't find anything.

Does anyone have any ideas?
 
mcclary's electrical

mcclary's electrical

Senior Member
Location
VA
Cow said:
I have a bunch of soldering to do and am looking for a good sealant I can goop around the connections before I put the heatshrink over it. I'm using the good Thomas and Betts adhesive lined heatshrink. What I'm doing is running a 12-3 SJ cord and making splices every 4' to add a pigtail that's runs a pulsator for a milking machine. The heatshrink will basically be wrapping around two cables leaving a void between them I need to fill with something. Scotchkote is a little too thin, I'm looking for something almost like caulk, that'll easily fill a void without needing to be applied/built up over several coats? I'm definitely trying to avoid silicone, I'm trying to get 10+ years out of this install. Maybe some sort of epoxy or resin that's safe for rubber cord/wires? I went through the 3m and T&B catalog and couldn't find anything.

Does anyone have any ideas?
Click to expand...




What's the cable used for? Are these splices in a box?
 
LarryFine

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Cow said:
Does anyone have any ideas?
Click to expand...
liquid_tape.jpg
 
don_resqcapt19

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
Have you thought about something like this? The 3 cords would come out the three small ends and you would shrink the big end around a PVC cap after you have made the splices.
 
W

WinZip

Senior Member
Cow said:
I have a bunch of soldering to do and am looking for a good sealant I can goop around the connections before I put the heatshrink over it. I'm using the good Thomas and Betts adhesive lined heatshrink. What I'm doing is running a 12-3 SJ cord and making splices every 4' to add a pigtail that's runs a pulsator for a milking machine. The heatshrink will basically be wrapping around two cables leaving a void between them I need to fill with something. Scotchkote is a little too thin, I'm looking for something almost like caulk, that'll easily fill a void without needing to be applied/built up over several coats? I'm definitely trying to avoid silicone, I'm trying to get 10+ years out of this install. Maybe some sort of epoxy or resin that's safe for rubber cord/wires? I went through the 3m and T&B catalog and couldn't find anything.

Does anyone have any ideas?
Click to expand...

Try this link they have the aqua bond - guns - nozzles

http://www.aquabond.com/
 
C

Cow

Senior Member
Location
Eastern Oregon
Occupation
Electrician
mcclary's electrical said:
What's the cable used for? Are these splices in a box?
Click to expand...
It powers the pulsators which milks the cows. And no, these aren't in a box, they are low voltage. They are under the carousels milking platform where they are constantly being dripped on and hosed off.

Larry I'll have to look into that stuff. I've never used it.

Wireguru, I'll try that too. But I'd sure feel better if I could squirt something in there first.

Don, I had a look at those breakout boots. None of them would shrink down to a 3/16 OD wire, plus my supply house guy told me they were $41 apiece. With 72-80 milking stalls on each carousel and the fact I have to do 4 carousels, it'd really add up.

Winzip, I'll take a look at your link.

Gunning, I don't think tape would work that well. It would still wrap around the cables just like the heatshrink would and leave a void.

I appreciate all the responses, thanks guys!
 
Last edited:
W

wireguru

Senior Member
i thought of another (and better) option (i dont know your budget or how quickly you need it) There is a place near me that makes molded rubber Y adapters and such. As I recall, they have a mold for a 'T' adapter, they could make you the cord with however many molded rubber Ts with the pigtail coming out. I think each molded splice is going to run $15 or so. PM me if you want more info
 
TwinCitySparky

TwinCitySparky

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
This is the product you are looking for cow. I have used this stuff for the break out wiring configuration you described countless times. Flexible, waterproof. Works great on many other applications too. They also make a UV rated version.

This 6100 is the high viscosity "no slump" version. I get the caulk-tube size and cap the end of the tube with a bolt and a couple wraps of tape when I'm done. Lasts a long time.

http://eclecticproducts.com/_tds/e6100_tds.pdf
 
C

Cow

Senior Member
Location
Eastern Oregon
Occupation
Electrician
TwinCitySparky said:
This is the product you are looking for cow. I have used this stuff for the break out wiring configuration you described countless times. Flexible, waterproof. Works great on many other applications too. They also make a UV rated version.

This 6100 is the high viscosity "no slump" version. I get the caulk-tube size and cap the end of the tube with a bolt and a couple wraps of tape when I'm done. Lasts a long time.

http://eclecticproducts.com/_tds/e6100_tds.pdf
Click to expand...

This stuff looks perfect. Does it handle the heat alright when the heatshrink is being applied?
 
Ravenvalor

Ravenvalor

Senior Member
Location
Piedmont region of NC
Silicone

Silicone

Would you reconsider filling the void with silicone. If you leave a little bit of slack at each splice you can completely cutout and replace the entire splice in the unlikely event that the soldered splice will give you trouble. Are you going to support the splice from strain with tieraps? If so, can you make a loop of slack cable there?


This is what we use for splicing uf cable.

http://www.diverssupplyinc.net/browse.cfm/4,871.html


Good luck,

Jim
 
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