What is this famous "Goop" that boutique builders clothe their circuits in?

[kimelopidaer]

Liquid electrical tape?
plasti-dip?
opaque epoxy?


I like the look of the pcb coverered completely; I think Pete Cornish does that.

thoughts on your own preferences?

K

[CynicalMan]

You like the look of it? If you're a DIYer then it's definitely not worth doing as it makes repairs and mods a pain in the ass. If you just want to protect the board, use hot glue or something like that that can be easily removed. If you like the black look, use hot glue and a sharpie.
If you're a builder, then it's not worth because people will just degoop if they want to trace your circuit and servicing will be much more difficult. None of the big companies do it AFAIK, just overly paranoid boutiquers.

[R.G.]

Even better, cast it up in a block of beeswax or paraffin. That can be removed in toto by mild and nonfatal (to electronics) heat and solvents. You can even put candle colors into it to make it black - or red, purple, green, pomegranite, cyan, fuscia, ...

[kimelopidaer]

I reason it's also done to hide the fact that a circuit is a knockoff.  
Personally, I have no need to use it.
Just curious about what it is.

Really like that paraffin idea...could even add a scent to tingle the senses!

K

[Govmnt_Lacky]

I think it serves some other purpose other than "protecting secrets!" 

Once, I opened up one of my kid's keyboard toys and it had the "goop" all over the circuit. I doubt there is a lot of children's toys espionage going on 

As for the content of it, I believe it is some form of non-conductive epoxy.

[PRR]

> I opened up one of my kid's keyboard toys and it had the "goop" all over the circuit. I doubt there is a lot of children's toys espionage going on

There is.... but low-low-cost toys (and calculators) are often assembled with naked chips, no package or pins. Apparently it can be cheaper to wire-bond from PCB to raw Silcon than to package-insert-solder. Then a blot of epoxy to seal the surface and leads. Such a scheme can't be very hermetic, moisture and corrosion WILL get in, but the kid will tire of the toy long before that.

[R.G.]

Just for the record, there are several *families* of encapsulant materials. They are, loosely, catalyzed rubbers (often urethanes), catalyzed polyesters and epoxies. This is in addition to the more primitive waxes and/or varnished. They may be the material only, or filled with some kind of filler particle.

There is a rich technology of encapsulating circuits for various things, among them secrecy, environmental hardening, ease of assembly of the potted units, and just esthetics.

There are many, many considerations of the encapsulants, the desired effects, and the side effects of the materials and packaging used. A suitable intro course would be about a semester's worth.

[Earthscum]

Even better, cast it up in a block of beeswax or paraffin. That can be removed in toto by mild and nonfatal (to electronics) heat and solvents. You can even put candle colors into it to make it black - or red, purple, green, pomegranite, cyan, fuscia, ...

I was thinking of some kind of "protection" to stabilize end-mounted components, but always thought "hard to degoop if it needs servicing", as is always pointed out here. Beeswax is a great idea... all I was looking for was a little bit of structural security on the topside, maybe just enough to cover the legs of a typical through-hole transistor, .2" at the most. That would keep the end-mounted resistors away from each other, even on a good bump. Some of the resistors I have got from the last 2 years have really flimsy leads... not bad for laying against the board, but they get kind of Emo on me when I want them to stand.

[DavenPaget]

not bad for laying against the board, but they get kind of Emo on me when I want them to stand.

[Seljer]

Even better, cast it up in a block of beeswax or paraffin. That can be removed in toto by mild and nonfatal (to electronics) heat and solvents. You can even put candle colors into it to make it black - or red, purple, green, pomegranite, cyan, fuscia, ...

I was thinking of some kind of "protection" to stabilize end-mounted components, but always thought "hard to degoop if it needs servicing", as is always pointed out here. Beeswax is a great idea... all I was looking for was a little bit of structural security on the topside, maybe just enough to cover the legs of a typical through-hole transistor, .2" at the most. That would keep the end-mounted resistors away from each other, even on a good bump. Some of the resistors I have got from the last 2 years have really flimsy leads... not bad for laying against the board, but they get kind of Emo on me when I want them to stand.

I alwas thought the approach here was if mechanical stability was a critical issue you'd avoid standing resistors in the first place.

Though to be honest, I've done it and just drowned them as well as electrolytic caps and PCB mount connectors in hot glue to be safe.

[DavenPaget]

Honestly , the resistors i dare to make them stand are ... 1/2W resistors , they have thick leads .
My quarters ain't bad at all  . They can stand too but throwing it in hot glue is a better bet .
( Honestly , 40W glue guns are no good , they take forever to heat up , i'm currently looking* at a 100W "temp-adjustable" glue gun )

[wavley]

Even better, cast it up in a block of beeswax or paraffin. That can be removed in toto by mild and nonfatal (to electronics) heat and solvents. You can even put candle colors into it to make it black - or red, purple, green, pomegranite, cyan, fuscia, ...

Plus if you use scented wax when you cook a component it will smell like a sensual scented candle instead of burnt semiconductor

[Earthscum]

Considering that I've been threatened with miniature fumigation tents for my feet, that's actually brilliant... Scented pedals, lol. I wonder if I could screenprint scratch n sniff graphics to go with, just to get people to sniff where my feet have been without some kind of money dare.

[Govmnt_Lacky]

Considering that I've been threatened with miniature fumigation tents for my feet, that's actually brilliant... Scented pedals, lol. I wonder if I could screenprint scratch n sniff graphics to go with, just to get people to sniff where my feet have been without some kind of money dare.

This thread has gone terribly... terribly wrong! 

[Paul Marossy]

This thread has gone terribly... terribly wrong! 

[The Tone God]

Considering that I've been threatened with miniature fumigation tents for my feet, that's actually brilliant... Scented pedals, lol. I wonder if I could screenprint scratch n sniff graphics to go with, just to get people to sniff where my feet have been without some kind of money dare.

This thread has gone terribly... terribly wrong! 

Or maybe right depending if you have ever gigged with someone with bad foot odour.

Back to topic I have said this before but I'll say it again, there are legitimate reasons for electronics to be encapsulated but in the effects world IP protection should not be one of them.

Andrew

[Tony Forestiere]

Considering that I've been threatened with miniature fumigation tents for my feet, that's actually brilliant... Scented pedals, lol. I wonder if I could screenprint scratch n sniff graphics to go with, just to get people to sniff where my feet have been without some kind of money dare.

Is that where you got your "handle"?  Bromhidrosis is no laughing matter. Just ask my wife!
Maybe we should goop our feet in that scented candle stuff, but I am sure nobody would think we are hiding IP from anyone

[deadastronaut]

tip: leave ripe camenbert cheese's around the house, that way nobody need know its your feet...

theres always a simple solution...

[boogietone]

Even better, cast it up in a block of beeswax or paraffin. That can be removed in toto by mild and nonfatal (to electronics) heat and solvents. You can even put candle colors into it to make it black - or red, purple, green, pomegranite, cyan, fuscia, ...

Plus if you use scented wax when you cook a component it will smell like a sensual scented candle instead of burnt semiconductor

Oh boy! ... here we go with another "mojo-factor:" essence of patchouli in beeswax vs oil of marjoram in hardened body butter cream, vegan cultivated vs simple organic blend.

Where will it end!!!