Trim capacitor setting-freeze paint (for lack of a better description...)

[clintrubber]

Just wondering what's actually used for those little dots on trimmers (caps, resistors), to freeze (keep) the trim-settings?
Simply some ordinary paint?

A little bit of force (for a new setting) should be able to easily break the dot, I guess simple paint would still qualify. A dot of glue probably not.

Having seen many of those dots, it's actually funny the question arises just only now.

(Background is that I thought my oooold Veroboard-Theremin had died, but just a small cap-trimmer tweak (see pic) brought back the Whuu-Whuu sound.

Now I obviously want to fixate that setting.)

Thanks / bye

Thanks / bye

 

[JohnRoberts]

glyptal

JR

 

[clintrubber]

glyptal

New to this name, so that's the industry way of doing it I understand, thanks for the info.

I figure as long as it's some kind of insulating paint (most will be I assume, to be verified) it'll be fine for this kind of DIY?

Thanks / regards

 

[Lampie519]

I use nailpolish for this.

 

[Newmarket]

"Thread lock". Various strengths. See EVO for product details. More casually people use nail polish/varnish.

 

[clintrubber]

Perfect, thanks all, nail polish it'll be for this yellow trimmer.

 

[soapy_goat]

bolt marker, or torque seal, is for marking heads to give a quick visual of fasteners backing out loose and in this case a slight amount of security for a trim pot, It's more of a glue-like consistency that dries hard, but is brittle and weak enough to crack off if needed

I'd be worried that nail polish or even glyptal could seep into pot? that's suitable for fasteners, but maybe not trim pots...

 

[clintrubber]

I feel (and felt) your point, nail polish for this trim-cap actually far from a perfect combination.

Those old all-aluminium types come to mind, easy to put a drop of something on the screw-end of those, totally away from 'where it happens'...

 

[JohnRoberts]

I feel (and felt) your point, nail polish for this trim-cap actually far from a perfect combination.

Those old all-aluminium types come to mind, easy to put a drop of something on the screw-end of those, totally away from 'where it happens'...

yup, finger nail polish is the DIY solution.

I recall last century at a trade show when I repaired a small tear in a loudspeaker cone with some borrowed nail polish. The speaker worked fine, but I spilled some polish on the booth carpet, effectively negating any political capital I gained from my Macguyver repair.

JR

 

[Lampie519]

You maybe should have asked the person you borrowed it from to apply the polish on your speaker... as the owner may had mastered the art ...

 

[JohnRoberts]

I did fine applying it to the speaker cone. The open bottle of nail polish got bumped off the counter top it was sitting it on.

Indeed I am not an experienced regular user of nail polish, while the woman I borrowed it from was not very knowledgeable about repairing torn speakers. In hindsight we are all experts.

JR

 

[Punkerdubh]

When I was a tech at dbx they called it Glyptal, but it was in small unmarked bottles so it could have been anything.

 

[KA-Electonics.com]

Loctite 425 "Blue" low strength adhesive.

https://www.henkel-adhesives.com/us/en/product/instant-adhesives/loctite_425.html

• Used for tamper proofing the heads of screws or potentiometers

Datasheet: https://tds.henkel.com/tds5/Studio/...=REAC&language=EN&plant=WERCS&authorization=2

 

[Whoops]

Nail Polish here also...

 

[KA-Electonics.com]

Although I used Loctite 425 when I worked for Scott Instruments I almost always use nail polish as well.

If its a little old and thicker/less runny the better.

I had to repair a Texar Prism that used something more like glue and it required replacing the trim pot to re-calibrate it.