USB Dongle Encasing...

[TaDa]

Has anyone got any ideas about how I can encase a usbA male to usbA female dongle I just made?

I scavenged the adaptors themselves from old cables and have soldered some resistors in to keep both the data lines on the female side at about 1v - this will allow my device to charge quickly from a non-proprietary USB charger.

but I'm now left with an ugly metal thing with visible resistors and wires which'll probably break quickly.

Sadly none of my heatshrink is big enough to wrap it so I'm hoping for ideas here.

I asked on chat but then had to rush away - so I've started a thread instead

Cheers

 

[jrz126]

encase it in epoxy or https://www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/Plasti_Dip?

 

[Sceadwian]

I've used that plastic dip type stuff before, it's good for basic insulation and providing a rubber like coating but not very durable as as potting compound, any general purpose epoxy should work fine and be tough as nails, go for a long set epoxy if you can as generally speaking the longer the epoxy set time is the less brittle hence stonger it will be once it sets. Epoxy putties might work too and could be formed into a more pleasing final shape but I'd be a little wary of how conductive they might be. Liquid epoxy for the protection and then epoxy putting for the final shape would probably work well, the putty I have takes well to sanding and shaping after it sets, and should take paint with a primer if you want it to look really pretty.

 

[TaDa]

Thanks everyone - epoxy filler it'll probably be - shame I'll end up throwing the rest of the tube away - it gets quite expensive like that

What about hot glue? Would that be any good?
Or 'no more nails'?
Or even flexible filler? ( I have a B&Q one and a Polyfilla one)

Not that I'm just standing in my garage and looking at the box with all these things in

 

[Sceadwian]

I forgot about hot glue, yes that will work fine, look like crap though I've never had much luck using hot glue except for burning my fingers =), epoxies are just much better. I'd be careful of other products unless you can garuntee that they won't be conductive when they set. There are conductive epoxies but generic epoxies are good insulators not conductors. If you wanted to experiment wire up a couple dirt simple circuits and try it out.

 

[alec_t]

If you want to use plaster-based filler just wrap the vulnerable parts in cling-film first so they're not affected by moisture.
Another mouldable/workable material is car-body filler (which is insulating and sets within 5 mins or so). You can easily knock up a mould from cardboard and smear it with oil/grease/petroleum jelly as a mould-release agent.