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Tunar

What's the best way to secure an esc?

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I'm getting some old cars back on the road and need a good way to secure new esc's. I've tried some foam double sided tape and after that didn't hold, I tried some carpet tape, which also didn't hold. I could figure out how to zip tie, but was trying not to because of the heat sinks. 

 

 

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I recently used Velcro on three road cars and it did a good job.

Don't know how it would fare off-road though.

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I'll try that. I tried to clean the surfaces on the last one, but it still came off, next time I'll use acetone to do the final cleaning. 

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I use 3M VHB mounting tape.   They are very secure until you spray a bit of motor spray and with some effort lifting the edge, the electronics and tape comes off cleanly with no adhesive gunk stuck to either of the surfaces.

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yeah rubberised double sided tape (rather than Foam). the key is cleaning the surfaces first, Acetone, Methylated Spirits, or Shellite work very well in my experience. The Scotch/3M Grey tape is very strong

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I just use a bit of glue from a hot glue gun these days and  it works a treat, just go easy on the glue as I have found it sticks really good 

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3M tape.  I bought a huge roll for dirt cheap at Home Depot…

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I’ve used 2 sided tape, Velcro, “heavy duty” Velcro, screws, zip ties and other methods all to great success 

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3M automotive double sided tape (with red peel). Tough and sticky enough to hold.

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I also have used the 3M automotive trim/molding tape for years. Have never had any issues, and probably won’t since it’s made to hold stuff to the exterior of cars.

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For many, many years I used a roll of "number plate tape" that I got from Halfords.  It was own-branded stuff and worked in probably 90% of cases.  Some ESCs always seemed to have a grease on them that I couldn't get off and wouldn't stick so well.  Also wouldn't stick well to some of my carbon chassis.

I now have a roll of Core RC adhesive tape which is just as good but probably 5x more expensive because it has "RC" in the name.  I need to get up the courage to actually go into a Halfords branch to buy more tape.

I also have some 3M Heavy Duty Velcro that I use where I want quick-release installations.  This is exceptionally good - the hard part is getting the velcro off if I want to go back to a permanent installation.  Actually, no, the hard part is getting the backing tape off before sticking it down...

It depends on the installation though, sometimes a cable tie is more appropriate.

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I purchased a pack of Tamiya 50171 about a decade ago and still have most of it left. It's never failed me.

 

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Always preferred Tamiyas stuff. Tried the 3M stuff, other brands etc, still prefer T's in house tape.

Sell it in a big roll too, #54693

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Another vote here for 3M VHB tape. I wouldn't use acetone for pre-cleaning though, as it attacks many of the plastics Tamiya use. Methylated spirits seems safe enough though, removing grease and old glue without attacking the plastic. 

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+1 to 3M automotive body molding tape.

Adheres extremely well. I use it on ESC's, RX's & transponders without any issues.

I use brake cleaner or contact cleaner on both surfaces first.

To remove, simply twist. Prying upwards will cause damage to something.

If you want to switch regularly & easily between cars, brand name Velcro or 3M hook & loop tape is also good.

Like most things, you get what you pay for.

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45 minutes ago, djmcnz said:

Acetone would also eat through CF and FRP laminate.

Instead of acetone, zippo lighter  fluid ( or generic paint and varnish makers naphtha from the hardware store ) will clean off adhesive residue and grease and not eat plastic like acetone will 

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Yes, methylated spirits or isopropyl alcohol is enough.

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1 hour ago, djmcnz said:

Acetone would also eat through CF and FRP laminate.

Instead of acetone, zippo lighter  fluid ( or generic paint and varnish makers naphtha from the hardware store ) will clean off adhesive residue and grease and not eat plastic like acetone will 

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4 hours ago, Mad Ax said:

For many, many years I used a roll of "number plate tape" that I got from Halfords.

I was going to say exactly this.  It's water proof and lasts decades of UV / wind / rain / being on the front of a real car.

If you want to be able to remove them for use in another car or whatever, heavy duty sticky back velcro is now my number plate mount adhesive of choice, and would be happy here too.

Remember to clean the area before you stick, it makes such a difference.  I use a citrus based degreaser (for cleaning bikes / chains) or even just washing up liquid to remove any of the plastic release agent that is still present.

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I use 3M Dual Lock. It’s thick though but it allows me to move things around if I want and as both sides are “hooks” it doesn’t end up getting all messy like normal Velcro. As others have said the main thing is to get both services clean.

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3M VHB I use a lot. Look for the thicker stuff like you get with gopro pads (type 4991), the larger amount of foam allows you to get a good surface mating even if the surface isn't glass flat whereas the really thin 3m stuff is less able to conform to minor surface imperfections.

I used to use off brand stuff but it can come loose if you drive hard or roll etc but the 3m is amazing. Sometimes I'm blown away by how well it will keep a gopro in place! And it's also held a heavy Hobbywing max6 ESC in place through multiple rollovers and heavy landings.

It helps a lot to clean the surface, though. Just take care to use something that won't attack the surface. I use iso alcohol on plastic/lexan usually. It also helps to apply some pressure and give it time to bond, I swear it's about 5x stronger after a few hours although in a pinch, it can be impressively strong right away. I've taken RCs out and stuck a gopro mount on them "in the field" and they have held. Adding a little heat with a lighter can help it to bond faster too but not so hot you singe it!

More time is definitely better, though.

Be careful not to peel the backing off until you need it though, it tends to become inert quite easily if you do that ie: if you have a roll, only peel off exactly what you need, don't peel a load off, cut it then roll it back. Same with if it peels/gets torn off of something unintentionally, you won't get much of a second chance as it looses pretty much all adhesion. 

When you need to remove it, some heat from a hairdryer will help and it will come off nice and clean without leaving residue. 

There's also two reusable options that I like to use, although I don't use them nearly as much as I should. If I was more disciplined, it would make life much simpler because parts could be easily interchanged between vehicles in a more modular way.

The first is simply decent 3m brand Velcro, it tends to have very decent, VHB like adhesive and the velcro itself seems to stay good for a long time and stands up to many reuses.

The other is 3m "dual lock" this is supposed to be like a successor to velcro and has essentially tiny little plastic mushrooms that interlock into each other. This stuff also has really nice VHB style adhesive. This would theoretically be my favourite but I have one slight issue with it. It comes in different strengths with the strength increasing alongside the number of "mushrooms" per square inch and you can mix different grades to tune the strength of the grip but I always feel like the strongest option is a little TOO strong and then the next option down seems to be not quite strong enough and I will occasionally have the ESC come loose after a tumble etc. I need to use it more though and get a better feel for it.

Sorry for the massive life story lol.

Essentially, I find 3m VHB to be the best overall choice for a quick and strong solution! Just get your surfaces nice and clean and the ESC won't be going anywhere! It works great for servos too. I mean you wouldn't want to mount a 40kg servo into an x-maxx with it, but I've used it a few times on hobby converted nikko/radio shack type stuff around 1/10 scale where I haven't wanted to alter or cut about the original chassis and it's held just fine.

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20 hours ago, Tunar said:

I'm getting some old cars back on the road and need a good way to secure new esc's. I've tried some foam double sided tape and after that didn't hold, I tried some carpet tape, which also didn't hold. I could figure out how to zip tie, but was trying not to because of the heat sinks. 

Most of the esc's I've bought recently have come with double sided tape in the box.

Some esc's barely get warm, so a zip tie could work.

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Very good points about using acetone. My acetone is actually only used to debond racing tyres from rims for my 1/8 scale, I use Metho for cleaning surfaces for DST application (and cleaning tyre beads and rims prior to gluing)

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