What's the best way to mount a waterproof LED strip?

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njordan311
 
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What's the best way to mount a waterproof LED strip?

Post by njordan311 »

I recently finished an LED strip project. I noticed that the Silicone lining on the outside is too smooth for anything to stick to it. that includes hot glue, tape, everything! How would you recommend i mount this light strip in the car. Note it's a Jeep BANNED so it WILL get bumpy. :lol:

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Franklin97355
 
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Re: What's the best way to mount a waterproof LED strip?

Post by Franklin97355 »

What about clamps or velcro wraps? What are you trying to mount it to?

njordan311
 
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Re: What's the best way to mount a waterproof LED strip?

Post by njordan311 »

franklin97355 wrote:What about clamps or velcro wraps? What are you trying to mount it to?
To the bottom of my dashboard. I also want it kind of easy to remove.

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pburgess
 
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Re: What's the best way to mount a waterproof LED strip?

Post by pburgess »

Pretty much the only thing in the universe that sticks to silicone is more silicone. I haven't specifically tested it with these strips, but the clear aquarium sealant type that you find in the squeezy tubes would probably work. This does fail the "easily removable" test though, but maybe you can glue the strip to some Velcro tape or such.

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pburgess
 
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Re: What's the best way to mount a waterproof LED strip?

Post by pburgess »

Well hey, I've got a variety of adhesives on hand, so rather than blow speculative smoke out my back side, I'll go try a few experiments. This includes silicone sealant, Sugru and Amazing Goop, and both the bullet-type and flex strip LEDs. These all require a full day to cure, so I'll report back tomorrow evening.

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pburgess
 
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Re: What's the best way to mount a waterproof LED strip?

Post by pburgess »

Okay, this isn't ultra-scientific or anything, but might provide some guidance and a starting point for sticking LEDs to things.

In this case, "things" was some 1.1" anodized aluminum tubing from the scrap bin (round cross-section, it's all I had handy), "LEDs" included a few 12mm diffused LED pixels and some of the waterproof flex strip (I removed the LEDs from this, just testing the rubber case), and "sticking" included Sugru, Amazing Household Goop glue, clear silicone adhesive/sealant, and 3M double-stick foam tape. All were secured with clamps and allowed to cure overnight.

All of the adhesives stick pretty well to the metal...but they also all can peel up with a bit of determined effort. None is permanent.

For the flex LED strip: nothing sticks worth a damn. It drops right off the Goop and the foam tape. The Sugru and silicone both held well enough if something's going to be installed out of reach and never touched, but the strip could be peeled away from both with just a little effort.

For the 12mm LED bullets: these drop clean off the clear silicone. Goop provides a weak bond...again, maybe good enough if something's out of reach. The Sugru and foam tape both held very well -- it took a bit of finger-prying to separate the LEDs and metal, and residue remained on both surfaces. Based on other stuff around the house, the foam tape has a finite lifespan of just a few years, especially if subjected to heat. But for a temporary installation, I was surprised how well this held.

In summary: there's no substitute for a mechanical bond: cable ties, or press-fit through holes, etc.

Other adhesives might fare better, but this is what I had on hand. If you've found a particular combination that works, please post your findings!

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lyndon
 
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Re: What's the best way to mount a waterproof LED strip?

Post by lyndon »

3M makes adhesives for silicone, but they are very expensive. I don't know what your budget is, but if you search their site for "silicone adhesive" you'll find a couple. Loctite would be another place I'd look.

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: What's the best way to mount a waterproof LED strip?

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

Those pixels may have some residual mold-release on them. You might get better adhesion if you clean them first.

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elmerfud
 
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Re: What's the best way to mount a waterproof LED strip?

Post by elmerfud »

I discovered this same problem. I tried a number of different adhesives and it seemed that anything that was toxic enough to make it stick also tended to dissolve the waterproof casing as well.

My project involved creating a more durable version of the LED belt for a "dancer". I needed to adhere the LED strip to a BANNED belt which would endure a certain amount of flexing and abuse during normal use. What I found that ended up working the best was cloth reinforced double sided tape, double-sided duct tape. I cleaned both the waterproof casing and BANNED belt with rubbing alcohol, and then stuck them together. Most glues, even on tapes, require some time to gain full adhesion strength. So, I let it sit for 24 hours. So far she's been using it for about 6 weeks and it has held firm.

oceaness
 
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Re: What's the best way to mount a waterproof LED strip?

Post by oceaness »

I have some LED strip waiting for some bits to arrive before it can go on the back of my TV.

After reading this thread it became clear that double sided tape wont work, I hadn't considered the fact that the strip covering is made of silicone.

I don't really want to use sealant to adhere it to the back of my TV as I'd like it to be easily removable leaving little mess.

So now I'm planning to cable tie the LED strip to some Velcro (hook & loop) tape. I figure this way even if the tape wont stick to the silicone it should still be able to hold it in place, plus it should be very easy to remove from the TV and the strip?

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pburgess
 
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Re: What's the best way to mount a waterproof LED strip?

Post by pburgess »

The Great LED Strip Adhesive Shootout II

Resurrecting an old thread with the latest findings...

A prior test ran through Sugru, Amazing Household Goop, generic silicone sealant and 3m double-stick foam tape. None was quite satisfactory. This time around, I'm testing joining waterproof LED flex strip to Velcro using silicone "rescue tape", Scotch Permanent Clear Mounting Tape, Loctite Plastics Bonding System (2-part CA glue), GE Silicone II and Permatex Clear RTV Silicone (#66BR).

If Rule #1 with silicone is that Nothing Sticks to Silicone Except Other Silicone, then Rule #2 would be that Rule #1 Doesn't Always Apply. Murphy has his say first.

Carpet tape was previously mentioned as a mounting possibility. I've tried this out and it's not too bad, but isn't a permanent solution...the LED strip in its silicone sleeve can still be pulled away, sort of like a strong Post-It note. So...

Rescue Tape (aka Fusion Tape, among other brand names): this is a weird rubbery tape that only sticks to itself. It clings pretty well to the LED strip, but isn't permanent...again, it's more like a strong Post-It note. Its unique property is that it won't stick to the back of the Velcro or to anything else for that matter...it would need to be sewn or stapled to the base surface, and the LED strip then pressed into it. Really weird stuff...I wouldn't recommend it for this task, but if you have a specific use for sewn/removable/strange stuff, there you go.

Scotch Mounting Tape: a rubbery, clear, double-sided tape. This is yet another temporary "Post-It" bond with the LED strip, but clings well to most backing surfaces.

Loctite Plastics System (aka 2-part cyanoacrylate): both surfaces are rubbed down with an applicator pen, allowed to dry, then a thick superglue-type adhesive is applied and the parts are pressed together. I was skeptical...this is silicone, after all...yet it holds even better to the silicone than it does to the back of the Velcro!

GE Silicone II "Premium Silicone Glue": a clear, aquarium-type sealant. TOTAL FAIL. Would not even cure after 24 hours. This sometimes happens with silicones...contact with certain materials (even other silicones) can inhibit the cure.

Permatex Clear RTV Silicone #66BR: another clear sealant in a squeeze tube, but a completely different result: strong and permanent. (66B and 66BR are the same thing, apparently -- the package might be labeled either way.)

WINNERS: Permatex and Loctite. The Loctite comes in a tiny tube and will glue your fingers together if you're not careful, but it sets up quickly. Permatex is more economical in a big ol' squeeze tube, but requires some time to cure (clamp for ~30 minutes, full cure in 24+ hours). These two are The Stuff, guys. The only adhesives so far that will hold the waterproof LED sleeve permanently. Everything else is junk.

Images swiped from their respective manufacturers:
permatex.JPG
permatex.JPG (33.4 KiB) Viewed 8796 times
loctite.png
loctite.png (99.84 KiB) Viewed 8796 times

stallionent
 
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Re: What's the best way to mount a waterproof LED strip?

Post by stallionent »

I had the same problem on my pool enclosure, LED strips fall off within a few minutes. I FOUND THE SOLUTION! Scotch window insulator tape for outdoor use only. First clean the object with alcohol and a paper towel. apply tape. Remove paper backing from tape. Remove backing from LED strip and apply to tape. This system has lasted 2 years now, outside in florida heat, wind and downpours you would not believe.

sagebrush
 
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Re: What's the best way to mount a waterproof LED strip?

Post by sagebrush »

I can confirm that the Loctite plastic-bonding solution does indeed bond the silicone weatherproofing on the NeoPixel strips. Bought some today and gave it a shot. I cleaned both the silicone and the mounting surface with acetone (alcohol is probably fine too), applied the primer/activator pen to both sides, put the cyanoacrylate on the strip, and pressed it into place. Instant bond -- great.

The other stuff that I've found to work is DAP silicone sealant adhesive. It's sticky and messy and takes several hours to cure, but it bonds to the silicone (obviously) as well as basically anything else, and when it cures it's as flexible as the weatherproofing itself. So this would be the ultimate solution if you need the strips to be attached to something while maintaining some of their flexibility.

http://www.loctiteproducts.com/p/sg_pls ... System.htm
http://www.dap.com/product_details.aspx ... ubcatID=27

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zara2355
 
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Re: What's the best way to mount a waterproof LED strip?

Post by zara2355 »

I was wondering if anyone had had any luck with using epoxy to mount the weatherproof strips? I have some Loctite "Quick Set" epoxy and am curious if this will work? Further, does anyone think/know if the epoxy would be a good bonding agent for neopixels that DO NOT have the weatherproof strip on them? Im curious

stallionent
 
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Re: What's the best way to mount a waterproof LED strip?

Post by stallionent »

I used VHB (very high bond) tape. Strips have been up for over a year, outside in Florida heat and downpours. Still holding tight.
I had occasion to take off a strip and had to pry it off with a putty knife. Bought the tape on Ebay

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