What's the red locking goo on the screws called?

[hg_man]

Hi, folks, the hurdy-gurdy lurker here..

When opening up gear, I'll sometimes find that the screws, bolts, etc are secured with some kind of solidified goo.  It's usually red in color, but I've also seen green and blue.  By "secured" I mean that the goo is painted on top of the fastener to show whether it's been removed: it flakes off onto the bench (or into the depths of the chassis) when the fastener is removed.  The fastener works fine without it, so my surmise is that it's an anti-tampering device, to clarify questions of whether the warranty has been voided by removing the board, etc.  In other situations it seems to be there to hold the fastener in place, like Loctite.

I've also seen it used on trimpots, I'm assuming for the same reasons, though it could also be helping to lock it in place.  I'm familiar with the Loctite family of products, and I thought it might be that for a while, but it never hardens into the material I'm used to seeing.   

I've tried googling, of course, to no avail - I never came up with the right combination of terms to answer my question.  Your insights will be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[zayance]

If the one you see is some that will crackle easely than it's red nail polish i guess, added just for keeping the screw in place, and also to avoid warranty as you said, or at least reveal the manipulation....

 

[hobiesound]

If the one you see is some that will crackle easely than it's red nail polish i guess, added just for keeping the screw in place, and also to avoid warranty as you said, or at least reveal the manipulation....

and if you want to spend crazy money on it it's called electrolube laquer.. http://www.banzaimusic.com/Electrolube-Lacquer-red.html . so just ask the old lady nicely....

greetings,

Thomas

 

[3nity]

thats called locktite or lock tight....buts really hard when used...people in the trucks mechanics use it too!

 

[bruno2000]

Loctite comes in a couple of flavors.  Red is for permanent fixing, but I use the blue version, which is easier to break if you change your mind.
My $0.02.
Best,
Bruno2000

 

[idylldon]

thats called locktite or lock tight....buts really hard when used...people in the trucks mechanics use it too!

Actually, the visible stuff on the surface isn't Locktite.  Locktite is an anaerobic, thread-locking adhesive and is used on the threads themselves.  It doesn't really harden when it's just puddled on top of the screw heads.  There are quite a few different types of Locktite depending on the application and the need to disassemble the pieces at a later date.  For many years, I was a diesel truck mechanic and used it every day to prevent vibration from causing problems that might result in down time.  When trucks aren't moving, they aren't making money.  The owners get really nervous when that happens!

Cheers,
--
Don

 

[3nity]

i know..im a truck driver.

 

[tomcat]

Like Don said. Loctite needs the absence of air to harden out. You want the opposite.

Btw. if you use Loctite to secure screws, just put a small drop on the thread and use the right product! There are different loctite thread lockers, you want the weakest (especially with tiny screws we are used to work with).The others need brutal force or heat to loosen the screw again, you dont want to try this inside electronic equipment

 

[jsteiger]

I use the wife's fingernail polish. Probably more expensive than Loctite but it's here and paid for. Works great for trimmers and stuff. I don't think the regular red Loctite can be used on plastic.

 

[DaveP]

This is the stuff

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/products/1965245/?searchTerm=tamper+evident&relevancy-data=636F3D312664663D5926696E3D4931384E44656661756C74266C753D656E266D6D3D6D61746368616C6C7061727469616C26706D3D5E5C442B5C735C442B2426706F3D3926736E3D592673743D4B4559574F52445F4D554C54495F414C504841267573743D74616D7065722065766964656E742673633D592677633D4E4F4E4526

best
DaveP

 

[jsteiger]

Yes, but they won't ship that stuff to us here in the US.

 

[JohnRoberts]

Glyptol/glyptal

JR

 

[guavatone]

Glyptol/glyptal

JR

at $50 /quart I would use nail polish and be a true DIY-er.

 

[matta]

I'm just wondering if the audio sounds better depending on the shade of nail polish?

 

[0dbfs]

Like Don said. Loctite needs the absence of air to harden out. You want the opposite.

LockLoose ???

Cheers,
jb