Securing brittle wires on old transformers

[Murdock]

Hey folks,

what would be a good way to secure brittle wires that come out of the bobbin of old transformers?
I heard of super glue or paraffin / wax.
I fear some stuff would maybe kind of expand when drying and would damage the winding when it get's inside of it.
I know potting is an option but would rather use a less invasive technique.
Any tips/experience?

 

[sahib]

Definitely not super glue.

Low melt hot glue is a good option that I used before, if cosmetics does not bother you.

 

[Murdock]

Definitely not super glue.

Low melt hot glue is a good option that I used before, if cosmetics does not bother you.

Thanks for the tip!
Would you elaborate why you don’t recommend super glue?

 

[sahib]

Thank you too.

Most importantly, cyanoacrylate reacts with certain compounds and causes burn. You can try it on for example a bit of toilet tissue and see the smoke generated. The same will happen with polyurethane content. It may not cause smoke with certain types of paper but it may generate heat which in return can be damaging to the enamel.

Also if you ever need to rework on the transformer you'll be ripping things apart.

 

[Script]

Definitely not cyanoacrylate

Transparent lacquer, maybe.

 

[Murdock]

Someone else suggestes wood glue (especially the brand Ponal).
Seems easy to apply, is transparent when dry and could be removed with moderate heat.
Any thoughts about that?

 

[sahib]

Possible. It would not stick onto the enamel, so you do not even have to heat it remove it as it would crumble. However, it would not be my choice of adhesive for that. I'd stick to low melt hot glue.

I remembered that I posted some transformer mods where I used low melt hot glue. Here is the link
https://groupdiy.com/threads/modding-a-transformer-doing-a-cj-badly.81739/