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[How-To] Motor insulation material help
- Thread starter jster1963
- Start date
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- Oct 14, 2013
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- 986
Fiberglass circuit board material would work. G10 is a good grade. Phenolic or Garolite is probably what that part was made out of.
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- Joined
- Jun 7, 2013
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Yes, it is likely a paper/phenolic laminate.
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- Apr 30, 2015
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Auto stores used to carry a thick fiber board material for making exhaust gaskets, but it may have contained asbestos
so might not be sold anymore
Circuit board material is probably easier to get, just be careful about the fiberglass dust when you cut it
-Mark
so might not be sold anymore
Circuit board material is probably easier to get, just be careful about the fiberglass dust when you cut it
-Mark
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2013
- Messages
- 10,089
McMaster carries small sheets of phenolic/garolite.
Thank you so much for the reply. I will look for that......
Thank you very much Mark.
Awesome! I'll check that out. Thank you very much.
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The material is called "micarta". It is a phenolic resin over a sheet and is very brittle. It is available from Amazon in 1/32 and 1/16 thicknesses, about a square foot sheet. And likely other sizes, but those are the two that I use. It is difficult to work, tending to splinter off in pieces. That particular part was likely cast to shape.
The above mentioned material will be a lot easier to work with. And more forgiving of flexure. But avoid prepunched "perf board". Most of the boards will be copper plated, either one or both sides. I use a Nr 11 E-xacto blade but there are small retractable utility knives that work almost as well and cost a lot less. Whatever you use, it must be new sharp. Do not use an old blade.
The copper foil will peel off easily once you pick a corner loose. If you want to leave a soldering surface, score an outline and peel around it. Be careful not to score the plastic, though. Sometimes it will help to heat the copper foil (with a soldering iron) in an area to start the delamination process. Circuit boards are made with a chemical process. (Ferric Chloride or others) You do not want to chemically remove the copper, it is a messy process and often leaves some residual conductive material.
Shaping can be done with sheet metal shears for coarse work, and files for detail work. Do wear PPE and work outside if you can. The fiberglass will get in your lungs. And probably cause severe itching. Sketch out the general shape and specify what you want to save. Cut to general shape before delaminating, it will mean much less work. If you spot a crack, discard the piece and start over. The board cannot be repaired.
Cleaning the board matters. The laminating "glue" will catch particulate, often conductive. I use "Isopropyl" alcohol (95%) for just about every thing. Any good solvent that does not attack the base board is fine. Avoiding, of coarse, really flammable solvents like gasoline. Avoid "drug store rubbing alcohol", it is a low percentage isopropyl and is mostly water.
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