How to Waterproof Electronics || Nail Polish, Silicone, Potting Compound

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In this video we will find out how well nail polish, silicone and potting compound can waterproof electronics and how well they can handle heat transfer. Along the way I will show you how to apply those coating materials and what is important to remember when utilizing them.
Music:
2011 Lookalike by Bartlebeats
Ecstatic Wave, Jens Kiilstofte
machinimasound...

[@tchevrier]

I've had quite a lot of experience with sealing electronics for commercial purposes. I'll start by saying that it is considerably more complicated than your video showed. A couple of comments. - there are many different types of potting compounds. The one you used seems to be quite hard. Most are a little bit softer. The hard ones can actually rip SMD parts off the circuit board. - Testing is also quite complicated and extensive. Far more so than just submerging it in water. Typically what causes problems is temperature cycling. Stress testing. - The other problem tends to be where anything touches the potting. Maintaining that bond is tough. So where wires exit the material is a source of water ingress. - Another big problem is the potting material separating from the enclosure. The enclosure needs to be very clean, and if a plastic enclosure is used then you have to make sure the manufacturer didn't use any mood release or any regrind. Both will cause the potting to separate from the enclosure. And if the PCB is touching the enclosure, which is almost always, water will find that spot and damage the PCB. - There are also commercially available PCB coating materials that do a much better job than nail polish. That said, those types of products are primarily used for water resistance, not water proofing. More for keeping the humidity in the air from damaging the parts. If you are looking to waterproof, both will eventually breakdown. But if you are just looking for something to work for a home project, I would go with an epoxy.

[@fredhayden9011]

What is the best option to waterproof a pwm for an underwater scooter?

[@jacobdallas7396]

Thank you, this is perfect :) Any PCB coating materials that you recommend?

[@jolalifire6838]

😊.

[@jolalifire6838]

O

[@tarsambimbra1040]

Thanks for sharing valueable knowledge

[@megadynamite]

I love the capacitor overcharging at the end. Really helps to show how stable the potting compound is. That and the fact that overcharging capacitors is just entertaining in itself.

[@zolatanaffa87]

To make a waterproof PCB with silicone I suggest you put the circuit in a plastic bag and then pour the silicone, which you can then shape around the components simply by squeezing the polyethylene bag where you need it. You will get smoother surfaces and thinner layers. and (perhaps) minor drying times. Afterthe silicone hardening you can remove the bag without difficulty since the silicone does not adhere to the polyethylene. The high temperature silicone does not have a better thermal conduction than normal silicone but only a higher resistance to high temperatures (around 250-280 °) while the normal silicone resists up to 200 °. Temperatures to which our PCBs are already permanently dead, so it is possible to use the normal silicon with a small saving (in case hig temperature is more expensive) Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr für Sie und Ihre Familie und für alle, die uns lesen! Merry Christmas and happy new year to you and your family and to all those who read us!

[@jasonponciano6823]

zola tanaffa "to make a waterproof PCB place it in a plastic bag then crush the bag" I'm sorry what?

[@zolatanaffa87]

+ Jason Ponciano sorry for the"googled" translation: I wanted to say: squeeze the bag to smooth and shape the surface of the silicone, then, when the silicone has polymerized you can also remove it from the polyethylene bag.. now i modify mi previous comment, hi and merry christmas

[@KanOfWhoopass]

Great idea!

[@gruenkragena.z.4597]

zola tanaffa danke dir auch fröhliche Weihnachten.

[@frogstair]

You can just put it in a plastic bag if you want

[@azimalif266]

Attach a heatsink with thermal compound and coat the whole thing with epoxy, leaving some of the fins of the heatsink. Done.

[@azimalif266]

@Andrew Hardy exactly.

[@ABaumstumpf]

You really overdid it on the silicon and the Kabelvergussmaße. I think the amount of silicon used also was the reason why it didn't cure: Uhu Datasheet says more than 3 days for anything thicker than 5 mm - and you went a bit further than that. With a mixing silicon it would have worked better. And for both the silicon as well as the sealing resin it would have been enough if you just gave it a coating (a few mm into the box, then dip the regulator into it and take it back out).

[@franziska1007]

Yeah, chunks of silicone can take very long to dry. The inside probably was still liquid. I did some silicone casts for an art project in school a few years back and sometimes the molds were still not hardened through a week after.

[@Appoxo]

franziska1007 Well if you do it like the king of random with 2 compound silicone, it can cure from some hours to one day

[@mrmeval1]

The store bought silicone that smells like vinegar has to be exposed to moisture. It does not cure well in a deep box and can take months. Epoxy and silicone will poison each other and can cause a fail to cure even trace amounts of uncured material. Cure one fully before applying the other. Make sure things are very clean after cure and between applications.

[@sammyd7857]

@@franziska1007 silicon casting in art. Who paid for that

[@franziska1007]

@@sammyd7857 I guess the school? It was a class that basically did renovation-like art and crafts around the school building. In our case creating casts for plaster figures with prehistoric ocean dwellers that then were put onto ocean themed school halls. It was just on course per year and a limited amount of students, so the individual budget was relatively high.

[@DanielSMatthews]

Thanks for sharing your research. Those bubbles can be removed by pulling a vacuum on the resin immediately after mixing. Silicon also comes in two part mixes that will set without the need for exposure to air, which was the problem you had with that black sealant. The one part silicon is also probably acidic so it could be corroding your electronics anyway, a slow death rather than a fast one from water. It would have been interesting to try Carnauba wax as it melts at over 80°C and is hard as far as waxes go, the potential advantage of wax is that you can melt it off to service or inspect the part. You can always dip the circuit that is potted in wax into silicone to give it a more resilient outer layer that can be peeled off. One last thing to consider is the specific heat capacity of the substances used, and wax may actually score well in that regard.

[@UpcycleElectronics]

It's probably better to avoid creating bubbles while mixing in the first place. Just use a stir stick and then use a cup to cup transfer a few times ending in the new cup not the original. Some clear plastics also require pressure to remove bubbles by reducing their size beyond the macroscopic range. There are some compounds that will begin to vent evaporative volatiles if exposed to a vacuum. It's probably best to check the MSDS sheet along with any extra documentation provided by the manufacturer before trying advanced techniques ;)

[@Thabadthabad]

can i make a buttplug for my ass from that carnauba wax youre talkin aboiu ?

[@Thabadthabad]

phuck ewe i tried and the gooey thing dissolves the condom in it . I mean there were bigass holes in the condom after 2 hours of freezing. Should i not freeze it or wut i think i just need to keep it solidify organically without freezing it

[@ytrew9717]

@@Thabadthabad his name isn't aboiu but robert paulson, his name is robert paulson, his name is robert paulson.

[@melonswag420]

I love you for blowing up that capacitor

[@R3MIXMODZ]

Time to tear apart my phone and apply some nail polish.

[@anonym7500]

Are you sure you don't want to submerge it in potting compound, apparently it's a lot more effective...

[@gaurabpokharel6373]

haha

[@RizLazey]

U peasants use nail polish Use silicon bois

[@AmeerulIslam]

hahaha u are so right!

[@arjunamalinao8312]

Just pour molten brass on it.... Works fine on me...

[@Reza-nu9gn]

ElectroBoom at the end

[@MrYoyo374]

hah

[@flounderguts]

Tip on using room temperature silicones...put some dish detergent in a bowl with water, about twice as much as if you were going to wash the bowl. If you dip your fingers and tools in that, the silicone compound will not stick to your fingers/tools. In fact, if you use a small container with water and dish detergent, you can squeeze a lump of compound right out of the tube into the soapy water. Then you can pick it up with your hands, and mold it onto your circuit manually. I’ve used this technique for years testing amateur oceanography instruments. Works a treat! Works with most moisture-cure polyurethanes, too.

[@desparky]

As always, nice video. I often use heat shrink tubing, filled with neutral cure silicon (non acidic). When you shrink it the excess silicon is squeezed out and looks tidy. Works great for waterproof wire connections too.

[@amorphuc]

GreatScott! You just saved me $20 bucks for expensive conformal coating. I suddenly had a thought to use clear nail polish for an outdoor solar light, did a google search and YOU show up as the first search result! Too Cool! Normally I'd skip the video results but I recognized you as one of my subscribed Go-Tos! Congrats and Thank You!

[@LUCLUCLUCKY]

I still learned more than at school. You better do a function Generator DIY or BUY

[@greatscottlab]

It is on my to do list

[@ariafpv]

GreatScott! Ich hab eine racing drone, die komplett offen ist und weil ich sie erst jetzt bekommen habe würde ich sie gerne wasserfest machen( 1 mal ist sie schon im schnee gecrashed) In der Schweiz kann ich kein Silikon conformal coating finden!! Wie sieht es aus mit nail polish??? Vtx ist halt schon ziemlich heiss Aber ich hätte 4in 1 esc's und wenn was kaputt geht muss ich löten können!!!

[@LUCLUCLUCKY]

GreatScott! Thanks so much!

[@Minecraftmigapiku]

Less DiY or buy more diy

[@yagzefedemirel3934]

Just use your phones jack output. Your phone is a function generator.

[@BlueBluby]

the temperature measurements were flawed, an ESC doesn't draw a lot of current/create a lot of heat if the motor is spinning freely. You should have put some load on the motor.

[@greatscottlab]

I did not have the equipment to add a constant load to the rotor.

[@blattferenc9647]

GreatScott! I think a propeller would be good and consistant enough, because you can set the same speed everytime

[@philso7872]

Valitos At no load, very little heat would be generated relative to the heat generated at the full load rating of the ESC. It is quite likely that some of those configurations tested would cause the ESC to go into thermal shutdown or to fry if run near the full load rating. Adding nail polish between the FET's and the heatsink will decrease the effectiveness of the heatsink. In the past, I have used thermally conductive epoxy to attach heatsinks. That would likely work better than anything you tested in this video. I think it was made by Deltabond and was sold in tubes by DigiKey.

[@0xbenedikt]

Even a resistor connected to a constant power source would've been a better way to measure the thermal conductivity.

[@1Hippo]

It is also not recomended to run the motor without load because of the bearings. Some high kv motors can destroy the bearings in seconds at full power/rpm, in any case it increases the wear on them. So always use only low throttle for testing or put a prop on.

[@tux9730]

IDK anything about electronics, but his vids are so satisfying

[@justDIY]

I've found Plasti Dip clear to work well. Since it's an aerosol it gets into fine spaces. It cures quickly so a few coats can be applied. It also remains somewhat flexible so it handles flexing around wire to board connections.

[@AS-pu7gj]

Hello , hope u r doin great ! Can we use plastidip on car engine sensors , under the bonnet ?

[@joeallen9897]

Can we talk about your handwriting and how on point it is?

[@FALprofessional]

KZbin read my mind. I'm working on cooling PCBs with water, while keeping material density and conductive coefficient in mind. Thermal resin with silicon dioxide filler did indeed end up being the solution of choice. Except I'm trying to dissipate 50W of power, not 1 or 2. Good stuff.

[@brokepilot6969]

Good video! Only problem is that those ESCs are huge after you applied those coatings! Not to mention the increased thermals when the ESC takes on a load because running the motor like that won't stress out the ESC. Running the motor with some 1045 props will. I think PeterSripol's Waterproofing ESCs can help.

[@starguard4122]

This looks to be an excellent video. I was only looking to waterproof my R/C trucks against rain puddles and small bodies of water. The Nail Polish approach is something I would never have thought of

[@PabloGonzalez-hv3td]

I water proof my RCs with Corrosion X spray.

[@mysterygamer4896]

A good idea for coating esc’s is conformal coating. It works good and is very similar to nail polish

[@ColinMill1]

The technique I have used for decades on, for example, greenhouse automation electronics but also ESC and receivers is to apply about 6 generous coats of Ambersil acrylic conformal coating allowing time for the coats to air dry between applications. This coating is very thin and with low surface tension is very searching and with the boards flooded with the coating it covers the underside of chips and, importantly, their legs. I protect any connectors while applying the coating but, having completed the coating protect the contacts with Electrolube EML (this latter protection I repeat about every 12 months).

[@PolakPL2002]

What have you done to this poor capacitor at the end? ;)

[@gaurabpokharel6373]

GreenMC how 1 hr ago ?

[@Thomas_Ricks_]

he's a patron probably.

[@Thomas_Ricks_]

yeah. patrons are #1 on the priority list ;-)

[@FilippRoos]

Probably connecting it backwards.

[@Thomas_Ricks_]

confirmed i've done that like 200 times just for fun :)

[@gopalsuryawanshi7555]

I want to thank you for continuously delivering such a quality material which educates us improves our knowledge

[@greatscottlab]

No problem

[@luminumlx2604]

"So... how many Arduino's do you have?" GreatScott: yes

[@Wes-Ai]

Your handwriting is perfect.

[@derwissenskiosk8041]

JLCPCB man that looks like a deal... :D

[@GRBtutorials]

Yes, but it has relatively expensive shipping costs (here to Spain is $11, much more than the PCBs). OK, there's an special offer, but that won't last long (in fact, I believe it's already expired).

[@bdot02]

Manolis Agkopian I did the same but didn't get the free shipping :/ only like $6 though so NBD.

[@1Hippo]

Yes, ordered 10 PCBs with free DHL Express shipping and payed only $2. That is just crazy, I am sure they actually lost money with this. I looked and the next order shipping costs are $22 for DHL Express and $8 Registered Airmail (to Germany), which is still fine i think. But the price rises a lot if you need something a bit different, bigger than 100x100mm, more than 10 pcs... 15 pcs are already at $29, other colors than green +$9 and so on.

[@bdot02]

Manolis Agkopian the US, probably just Europe then

[@ThetaDev256]

I ordered 10 PCBs at Allpcb.com for 5 USD with free express shipping to Germany.

[@MotionArtist3D]

We used to have a cooker that its main electronic control box was susceptible to 'flooding' from cooking overs-pills which water spills usually contained salt and as we know salt is not only corrosive but also conductive. Therefore it used to short circuit the entire circuit board. Obviously this was a design fault on part of the manufacturer but I had to find an alternate solution until we can afford a new cooker. After buying a new control box and removing the cover, I protected its' circuit board with epoxy resin which made it pretty water proof. But I always wondered if the resin had any effect on the operation and current flow. This video was very helpful! Thank You!

[@anonym7500]

Wait, is this a German uploading out of Schedule? Shouldn´t it be this time tomorrow as a Christmas present? Anyway, still a great video :)

[@greatscottlab]

It's an early present from me ;-)

[@anonym7500]

Thanks and Merry Christmas!

[@AtomkeySinclair]

I would like to recommend JB Weld Plastic Bonder. It comes in what looks like the typical two part epoxy side-by-side syringe. Use a small disposable container and plunge the contents in and mix well. You can then either dip or brush on the adhesive agent. Instead of a block of material with the components inside, you have a closer resemblance to the nail polish, except it is opaque-white and much thicker. This will also aid in heat concerns compared to the 'block' style submersion.

[@zanpekosak2383]

So potting compound is basically liquid epoxy renamed?

[@gbsnb]

AirsoftSlo I also wondering if it is just regular epoxy?

[@ytrew9717]

probably: "Epoxy resins are excellent electrical insulators" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epoxy

[@ronniepirtlejr2606]

Clear, temporary peel coat paint for cars work great! It's good enough to hold up to the weather for 6 months or more.

[@markusgametech]

His name in Diffent Languages English: Great Scott German: Großartiger Scott? Russian: Великий Скотт Chinese: 伟大的斯科特 Japanese: グレートスコット Hungarian:Nagy Scott Czech:Skvělý Scott ↕ Its the same whatever Slovak:Skvělý Scott Hindi:महान स्कॉट Thats it 9 Languages are enough Translated by Google Tranlator Expect German and English

[@markusgametech]

English: I know German: ich weis

[@JayFolipurba]

eigentlich ja "großer Schotte", aber great Scott ist eine floskel

[@blackerhawk1508]

Spanish: Esteban el grande

[@mindthependulum6245]

Interesting video! In the past, I've used epoxy, crazy glue, but mostly bees wax. I used a nitro powered RC truck once. I took the circuit boards out for the servos, and receiver, and battery connections and packed with pure bees wax. The receiver cell pack was multilayered in heat shrink that had wax applied first. I ran that around in heavy rain for several tanks of nitro. I don't think this would work well in high heat areas, as with all electric rc applications, but it's fun to experiment!

[@TampaTec]

liked 👍 this would be great for boats!

[@paulmacgiollacaoine8619]

Tampatec yeah. I’ve had issues waterproofing my model speedboat, it lets in water at the rudder, any tips?

[@johns3655]

Paul Mac Giolla Caoine use o ring seals, bit of rubber, or construction silicon.

[@jkg6211]

Just make sure to use a flexible sealant on components that may have resistance and/or generate heat. As I'm sure you know, heat/cooling = expansion/contraction. If the coating doesn't expand/contract too, the PCB is doomed to fail.

[@dtiydr]

Only if the ESC had water cooling as cooling, otherwise it will overheat.

[@raloed.363]

first time i used nail polish was for a boat. Made it from the seed husk from a three we call the donkey peepee tree. placed a motor on it

[@oseiagyeman9820]

Great videos. Am I the only one who finds the attention to detail fascinating.

[@LalanDesai]

Merry Christmas 'Greatscott!' and everyone!!!

[@kalolmerijaan1966]

Lalan Desai Jay Hind.!

[@greatscottlab]

Thanks mate

[@LalanDesai]

GreatScott! Please Usb Soldering iron Diy Or Buy please!!!!!

[@4mb127]

Whenever I'm wondering how to do something with electronics, somehow, GreatScott always has a video about it.

[@strausstechnik1896]

Mery Crismas tomorrow from Bayern ^^

[@greatscottlab]

Thank you

[@TheSilverster0001]

Krefeld too

[@janwrobel9734]

I love your rich vocabulary. I learn not only electronics from your videos but also English :D

[@ChiliFPV]

Could you Repeat this Test with a Propeller attached? May change the results

[@Hasitier]

I use plastic 70 or urethane 71 for making PCBs waterproof. Just spray it on and let it dry for a day. Works great for me. Greetings from Dresden Michael

[@gaurabpokharel6373]

now today is saturday

[@greatscottlab]

Correct

[@davidroberts1852]

It is also Sunday here in Australia

[@martijnellenbroek6448]

Now its sunday in the netherlands

[@900bz]

Gaurab Pokharel its now wednesday here in canada

[@900bz]

Gaurab Pokharel its now wednesday here in canada

[@vainparasite]

That's pretty fab. I have an older car sat Nav or GPS unit and instead of throwing it away as my car comes with one nowadays, I'm going to use it on my motorcycle. After using nail varnish. A dedicated waterproof unit is around £400. I've got nothing to lose 🙂🙂 Thanks

[@spwim]

too bad you didn't mention anyting about the price, that would be interesting as well!

[@theradiodragon2awo]

I am not electrical engineer (mostly iam doing with computers) but i like your videos because they are educational.

[@MarksGoneWicked]

No conformal coating in this round-up?

[@greatscottlab]

Maybe next time

[@61barrackroad]

MarksGoneWicked conformal coat mostly causes more problems than it solves with a lot of applications 😉

[@thelennipede9382]

in what way?

[@FelipeBudinich]

@@61barrackroad do yo u have some examples I'm researching the subject, as I'm looking for a reversible process to protect retro electronics from ambient humidity.

[@AlienWacker]

I hope you will see this message, this video being so old now, but there's a great product I've discovered that works as well as silicone, but is a lot easier to use - you just paint it on... "Liquid Electrical Tape"... It's like silicone, but it dries really quickly, and like I said you just paint it on... I use the black, but it's also apparently available in red, green & white. It's from Gardner Bender.

[@torbenvoltmer]

I think the temperature could become a problem if the motor is under load

[@BrianPhillipsRC]

I have personally learned this with my hot glue "water proofing"...which despite staying dry, ultimately REQUIRED water.....to put out the fire :)

[@dutchsailor6620]

To make silicone mass harden,mix it with some corn starch. The hardening doesn't take more then half an hour.

[@tommyhoughton8264]

Honey, Where’s all my nail polish gone!

[@frankorosz901]

To use silicone. Make sure you have 100% pure silicone. Mix corn starch 1 tbs with silicone 5 tbs for about 2-3 minutes (disposable container/cup and plastic/latex gloves). Then pot device. Will set in about an hour. Set silicone will easily come off fingers, cup &whatever but will be a solid block covering component. (Maybe use a little silicone to seal around wires.)

[@Nionix123]

Can you make a video about converting AC to DC please

[@Ujwal5555]

quangluu96 ElectroBOOM Fan spotted

[@deddy21tutorials]

IT ISN'T A PUNY SINGLE DIODE RECTIFIER

[@Ujwal5555]

davide patrone Are you a patreon of ElectroBOOM?

[@deddy21tutorials]

+Ujwal Bhagat not already

[@vornamenachname6300]

Just 4 diodes in a specific Order But DC to AC would be nice. Maybe a DIY or Buy?

[@tjwalkr3]

I really enjoyed the clip of the capacitor exploding in the resin

[@telmoribeiro3931]

Knipex pliers

[@greatscottlab]

I do, used mine for 5 years so far. Never had problems.

[@TheMorc]

I have these too, they are really good!

[@anonym7500]

Definately, they are amazing tools and they'll last you forever

[@telmoribeiro3931]

thx for being so fast love your videos too, keep the great job

[@telmoribeiro3931]

pricy tag but want my tools to lasta long time , thx guys

[@yareps]

You have very readable handwriting! It's careful and neat.

[@sumit_kashyap..]

How to make BL Dc motor waterproof ? For example project like RC submarine..

[@freddotu]

BLDC motors are not affected by water, as there are no open contacts across which current would flow. They are commonly used for model submarines and other watercraft for this reason. See this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmeQnWWVia2ajcU

[@remopong]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWXdaYSDnLl4d5Y

[@Prash1c]

Great scott! What a great video! :D The silicone likely had a problem because so much was added, and the surface cured before the inside, and sealed the inside from curing and having the volatile compounds vaporize, I think...

[@mwagner1996]

Once you notice the sound of him breathing between takes, you can't stop hearing it

[@warbot2544]

Now I regret reading your comment

[@aniket.kumarr]

Why did you have to tell me this? I can't unhear it now 😂

[@RX3115]

You cannot twist or solder thermocouples, they have to be welded so that they are only connected at one point and only contain two metals. By twisting you are introducing multiple junctions and have no idea what you are measuring and by soldering you are introducing multiple new metals. Thermocouples work by the seedback effect which is producing a voltage between two different dissimilar metals and introducing solder to this mix will give you a very bad thermocouple because you now have something like 4 metals at that junction.

[@Gothika47]

Once you start hearing GASP every time before he starts talking...

[@BillyBob-qu1fs]

WHY DID YOU SAY THIS CANNOT BE UNHEARD

[@TheVideoVolcano]

Thanks a lot, now I can't hear anything but that.

[@JimmyJamesJ]

I use a 2 part epoxy with a brush like your nail polish. It doesn't build up much volume so allows heat transfer. The epoxy resin is also much more robust than an acrylic paint.

[@wendylammington6264]

Avasva is cool

[@cadenaek3066]

True

[@wendylammington6264]

Yeah

[@rikilshah]

Dow Corning has some awesome silicon elastomers for electronics. They have very high dielectric strength and heat conductive.

[@НиколаНиколов-м1л]

What happened with the drone ?

[@greatscottlab]

2022

[@НиколаНиколов-м1л]

Ok waiting till then ;)

[@Tech2K]

lolll but why so long i made a esc and a drone with cargo max load of 5KG in 2 months whilst juggling school,homework and sailing

[@НиколаНиколов-м1л]

Hes joking :D

[@bashirsfar3825]

ive noticed in your more recent videos you have really improved in quality! Keep up the great work!

[@JeromeBill7718]

Clear polyurethane.

[@tfuntoy]

Just a tips when you want to smooth out the silicon glue you may use some soapy water on your finger and smooth it out. This way the glue won’t stick to your hand and the glue surface will looks much better

[@mexicanchad]

how to waterproof your phone don’t get your phone wet

[@markmmm1737]

Buy a better phone.

[@lochinvar00465]

I've used silicone to waterproof in the past. And it is commonly used to waterproof CB antenna connections by some. What I found was that it worked well, but a later teardown revealed corrosion of metal parts due to the acetic acid released during the silicone cure. Nail polish does not have this quirk and worked well for me waterproofing a circuit that had around 60 to 70 volts.

[@monton5440]

i want to water sound proof my wife

[@JeanLucCoulon]

When I was young, the companie I worked for was designing some electronics that needed waterproofing. There was a subcontractor who was doing the waterproofing and the global packaging. But wa had lots of failures after several months. I've done a forensic on those modules and remarked there was a lot of corrosion. The product used to waterproof the modules was a silicon compound. But the solvent for the the compound is acid acetic. And you have to be VERY careful befor applying it becase otherwise, this can lead to corrosion. In fact you have to put a thick layer of varnish before the compound. But if you are able to protect the board against acid acetic with varnish, maybe this can be enough to protect the board.

[@johnpossum556]

I use the 2 part epoxy. I buy the cheapest epoxy HF sells and stock up on it because it works like a charm and it never goes bad in storage when its a 2 part formula. I've dragged circuits through lakes with this on and never an issue.

[@PabloGonzalez-hv3td]

CorrosionX spray is much easier to apply and the thermal properties of the device are unaltered

[@richhagenchicago]

Guten Tag, I enjoy your videos here in the USA.

[@gustavodfavatier]

Watching this reminded me of "proto-putty", it could seal the pcb/smd without sticking to them, so, if something would need to be repaired you could always cut it and take out a clean pcb/smd. (haven`t tested this tho).

[@PyroRob69]

You are using the nail polish and the potting compounds differently. In the case of the nail polish, you are attempting to use it as a conformal coating. That is typically used for making the parts more rigid for preventing vibration and shock damage. There are many kinds of conformal coatings, some include silicone in them, but the main purpose is not water resistance. When potting a board, you typically will draw a vacuum on the potting mix before pouring it into the form, and sometimes, in critical applications, you will also cure it in a vacuum. This takes all of the air bubbles out of it so you don't get temperature variations or pin holes in the end product.

[@williamread720]

Seems very clever to apply clearcoat to various electronics that are NOT particularly prone to heating up, like remote controls.

[@MagicSteve46]

The motor was unloaded! if you put a prop on it, or some kind of load you will find those ESC's get well above 28c. I use those ESC's in my planes and i know if they don't have airflow they overheat. The cooling is the main problem for waterproofing, as the heatsink really needs airflow. Great video, just wanted to point that out.

[@tonytoon98]

A two part silicone mixture flows smoother. Like from the company Smooth-On

[@Sangre755]

For silicone rubber seal you need cardboard or paper box (moisten box before cast for easy separation). Because silicone for curing need water vapor from air. Your box with plastic sheets - totally block water and curing time 1 day per each 2 mm thickness from top. For fast cure - put in the hot water.

[@haydenc2742]

You can dunk the entire board into a small tub of polyurethane varnish and let dry...it's about the same as applying the nail polish and the potting compound but is more "conformal coating" because it penetrates and coats rather than making a huge block, and you don't have to break the heat sink loose.

[@kiroma0]

You got a sponsorship? Man, I'm glad for you!

[@greatscottlab]

Thanks

[@GaudyMarko]

I use epoxy for the most part, but there's quite a few projects that need far more complex waterproofing strategies. Ports, for example, need rubber plugs which is usually the main point of failure. While components that need breathing room like LIPO cells usually get a plastic housing. The company I work for makes smart batteries for the military and even we don't guarantee full waterproofing.

[@patw52pb1]

Thank you and all those involved in the content, efforts and production of this channel. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all. May the new year bring you, your families and friends much health, wealth, happiness, safety, security, appreciation, respect and peace.

[@61barrackroad]

RTV coating to pot electronics normally Scott as its tough as old nails also need to de-gas whatever it is your using using a vacuum chamber to get consistent potting results (without air bubbles), costs a lot but get a really professional end product. Another great video Scott well done 😉

[@christophhorth2813]

I think the type of nail polish is essential. I checked the brand that you used and its aceton free. Aceton containing nail polish may destroy your circuits/plastic components.

[@autrionfpv6922]

You should have tried MG CHEMICALS 422B, which is very hard to get by in germany. It is silicone modified conformal coating and can be applied like the nail polish. You can even still solder things to the board through the coating.

[@mk_annan22]

One of your most awesome project videos. Been watching your channel for more than a year and a half. :)

[@greatscottlab]

Glad you like it ;-)

[@binaryburnout3d]

if you wanna get really fancy with the epoxy, use a pressure pot to minimize bubbles. You can either vaccum the bubble out, or apply pressure to shrink the bubbles when curing.

[@Zplizor]

Great idea when dealing with electronics that includes a electrytic caps...

[@BharathRamMS]

The potty component looks so beautiful!

[@ayrow69]

My new favorite channel. Awesome info and thorough.

[@preytec]

You can mix silicone with white spirits and make a silicone paint. Very easy to apply and works better than nail polish. That black silicone looks like gutter/roofing silicone, it doesn't dry due to the need for it to keep moving with the roof tiles.

[@flat-earther]

hi preytec have you become a flat earther yet?

[@MaverickSpawn]

If you want to use silicone to waterproof anything, use a little bit of oil or cooking spray on your tool of choice and spreading the compound will make it easier to contend with. Be mindful that certain items chemical mess with the silicone so use something that will not affect it. It's the same principle used by painters and window installers. They get a rag or tool, spray it with water or something that makes the silicone not want to stick and boom, clean application.

[@juanarizpe8197]

Ive watched enough of his videos to finally subscribe to this channel

[@MrBrymstond]

GreatScott!+ The best potting compound I ever used is 2 part epoxy... It also stops the components from corroding.

[@sterkriger2572]

Nail polish seems to be the safest one in simpler circuits since you can use acetone to remove it if you need to resolder or fix something

[@borliebulus6147]

I used apoxy on 220 volt phone charger and 2 years later it still works!

[@willrnsantana]

The nail polish idea just saved a project of mine. Thanks

[@ducomaritiem7160]

Hi, just use the right type of silicone, which is the 2- component version. It's also used for casting pewter abd resins. Hardens in 24 hours, if used the standard hardener.

[@Tripmonkey]

When working with Silicone, have a bowl of warm soapy water that you can dip your fingers into nearby. It will allow you to smooth down the Silicone with out it sticking to your fingers. Thanks for the video :)