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Thread: Insulated Bus Bars

  1. #11

    Join Date
    Jan 2012
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    Quote Originally Posted by CraigCantwell View Post
    Ron: Cut and drill the bar with any additional length you think you want. Dip the entire bar in one of the insulating plastic/rubber dips and let dry. Now use an X-acto and cut away the the dip only where you need to for connections. Trim to fit the breaker on the one side and just enough for the screw and washer on the other. If you end up needing some more positions, all you need to do is trim away the covering for the next breaker and install it.
    I really like this idea.

    Or just wrap in electrical tape. It was good enough for a Piper open bus bar AD...

  2. #12

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    Jul 2011
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    Normal, Illinois
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    Ron
    After you have sized the bar for the ampacity required, lay it out for the distance between lugs you need, and drill and tap the holes. I would use a minimum of 10-32 tap size. Once the whole bar is drilled and tapped you can then slide the right size heat shrink tubing over the whole bus. After shrinking, the tapped holes will appear as slight depressions. Using a sharp pointed tool, poke a hole in each depression. Then
    using one of the lugs as a template, and a 10-32 screw, lightly tighten the lug to the bus. With a "sharpy" draw an outline around each lug. Next, cut out the heat shrink material from under the lug area. The remaining insulation should remain in place and provide the insulation safety you are looking for.
    Tom KJ9P

  3. #13
    Many years ago on a company project, we used a material that I think was called strippable vinyl. We got it at a marine supply store and it is intended to provide corrosion protection for electrical connections. It is easy to cut and adhers only to itself so changes and maintenance are easy. It can be applied by brush, dip, pouring, etc. It is very similar if not the same as the tool dip. I suspect that safety wire will easily puncture it. Kapton tape is very good at resisting puncture and could be applied to the bar but not easily cover the connections. It seems like a box cover would need to be custom and when you need it the most is when it is removed for maintenance.

  4. #14
    Eric Page's Avatar
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    Jul 2011
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    Another idea is to use a thermoplastic sheet (Kydex is the most popular and readily available) to form a cover to the shape you want. A block of wood shaped as a mold would work quite nicely. I've used Kydex to make sheaths and holsters and it's pretty easy to work with. You can get small sheets of it on Amazon. Heat it up in a toaster oven until it's pliable, then form it. Trim to size and drill as needed. There are several grades of Kydex, some of which are FAA approved for aircraft interiors.

    For general info and spec sheets: http://www.kydex.com/

    I built a mold press for my projects. If the part you need isn't bigger than about 2x8x10, I could press it for you.
    Last edited by Eric Page; 02-26-2012 at 11:51 AM.
    Eric Page
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  5. #15
    Hi Ron: I used large shrink wrap to cover my exposed bus bar. I'm pleased with how it worked out.


    Terry.

  6. #16
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Jul 2011
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    Seattle
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    Thanks for all the suggestions, folks. I found this at a marine supply store:


    Just $17, and there's a version without the insulated cover (for the ground) for just $7. It's not perfect (looks like some of the power strip is still a bit exposed with the cover in place) but I can probably add an additional bit of insulation.

    Ron Wanttaja

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