Conductive copper foil from the place that shall not be named...

Guiseppe

Guiseppe

Oct 26, 2003
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Vancouver, WA
#1
...as much as I dread their S&H, I keep reading that their foil tape is the real deal and it eliminates the need to solder between connecting pieces of foil. Any real-world experience on this? If it truly does what they claim, I'll spring for some. However, if it's no better than any other foil tape...

(I'm preparing to shield a bass for the first time, so please be gentle. I play well, just am absolutely non-electrical.)
 
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#2
I can think of several vendors that some people might be reluctant to name so I’m not sure exactly which one you’re (not) talking about but as long as the foil tape you buy uses conductive adhesive you shouldn’t need to solder the pieces together.

I got my most recent batch from Amazon and it was perfectly fine.
 
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#3
Lo-E said:
I can think of several vendors that some people might be reluctant to name so I’m not sure exactly which one you’re (not) talking about but as long as the foil tape you buy uses conductive adhesive you shouldn’t need to solder the pieces together.

I got my most recent batch from Amazon and it was perfectly fine.
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I was being tongue-in-cheek. I meant StewMac.
 
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#4
Guiseppe said:
...as much as I dread their S&H, I keep reading that their foil tape is the real deal and it eliminates the need to solder between connecting pieces of foil.
Click to expand...

I would not trust that claim at all. I do believe their copper foil shielding is the Real Deal, but that claim isn’t.

It’s entirely too easy to tack-solder those edges together.
 
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#7
Guiseppe said:
...as much as I dread their S&H, I keep reading that their foil tape is the real deal and it eliminates the need to solder between connecting pieces of foil. Any real-world experience on this? If it truly does what they claim, I'll spring for some. However, if it's no better than any other foil tape...

(I'm preparing to shield a bass for the first time, so please be gentle. I play well, just am absolutely non-electrical.)
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It's great!
Greater conductivity than shielding paint, and less hazardous if it contacts your skin.
I have also purchased a similar product from hamazon, and achieved the same quality of results as with the stuff from stewiemack.

I've shielded all of my electric guitars and basses with copper foil that has conductive adhesive backing.
Strong continuity throughout on all of them. Tested with digital meter.
 
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#8
I've been using Stew-Mac's copper shielding tape for decades, and the conductive adhesive definitely is conductive. Resistance less than an ohm between layers of tape overlapping each other.

But....That conductivity depends on that adhesive staying stuck down. The downside to shielding with copper tape is long term durability. If you don't apply it carefully, it may come unstuck and lift up. Temperature, humidity and vibration can loosen the adhesive. Corners can lift up, breaking the continuity or contacting against electronic circuity and shorting things out. If you open up a decades-old bass that was shielded sloppily with copper tape, the tape will often be loose and flopping around in there. A common "failure" of the electronics on an old modded bass.

There are many ways to use better technique when installing copper shielding tape to make it more durable. Soldering the overlapping ends together is one good method. A few small screws to mechanically clamp tabs together. Painting and smoothing the walls of the cavity before applying the tape. Burnishing the tape with a small rod or roller. Putting a layer of clear packing tape over the copper. Etc.

Good technique will make copper tape shielding reliable. The conductive adhesive makes the installation easier.
 
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#11
kevrex said:
i'm probably gonna see people outside my window with pitchforks and torches for saying this, but i've used slug tape from the hardware store with excellent results.
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Slug tape works fine for shielding, as long as you install it and ground it carefully. I think it's thicker than official shielding tape. And it will also keep slugs out of your electronics. They are attracted to the capacitors.
 
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#12
The most unique shielding material I've ever seen was in an old Danelectro: It had what's known in the construction industry as Copper/Kraft flashing...a layer of copper foil bonded between two layers of Kraft paper. I don't recall how/if the pieces were connected.
 
#13
Guiseppe said:
...as much as I dread their S&H, I keep reading that their foil tape is the real deal and it eliminates the need to solder between connecting pieces of foil. Any real-world experience on this? If it truly does what they claim, I'll spring for some. However, if it's no better than any other foil tape...

(I'm preparing to shield a bass for the first time, so please be gentle. I play well, just am absolutely non-electrical.)
Click to expand...
I used to use copper shielding foil with conductive adhesive, but I don't any more. I found that the conductive adhesive became less conductive over time. So I would spot solder the joints anyway. Then after running some tests with conductive paint I stopped using copper foil entirely. The paint is every bit as effective if properly applied and a whole lot easier to install that a bunch of pieces of foil.

My best advice is to use good quality shielding paint. But if you insist on using foil, spot solder the pieces and don't rely on the conductive adhesive.
 
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#16
Artman said:
It's great!
Greater conductivity than shielding paint, and less hazardous if it contacts your skin.
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I just finished shielding a bass with conductive paint. I tested and am getting 0 ohms end to end of the cavity. I don't think copper can do better than that. And the nickel water-based shielding paint is not hazardous except to those who get contact dermatitis from nickel - in which case they are far more likely to be affected by nickel strings.
 
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#17
If you have a stained glass supply shop nearby, they will sell copper foil tape in various widths, and likely sheets as well. The adhesive may or may not be conductive, but as others have said it is easy enough to tack-solder the joints.

Shielding paint is often an easier and more effective solution, and depending on the pickups and environment in which the bass is used, effort spent on shielding may not make a whole lot of difference in the end.
 
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#20
Turnaround said:
The water-based ones aren't. They are non-flammable, low VOC, and low odor.
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I did not know that. I had only seen the solvent-based type before.
That's great!

I'll still stick with the copper tape for my personal instruments.
Not only have I had shielding improvements over the oem shielding paint jobs, I also enjoy the process of taping, and I like the look of the end result when all of the pieces have been carefully cut, trimmed and laid down in the right order.
And no drying time needed once the tape is all in place, and no need for a respirator or skin and eye protection.

If I was running a production line, I probably wouldn't mind laying out an instrument to cure between coats while working on the next one, then I'd probably consider spraying one of the newer water based paints.

To the original question, the copper tape with conductive backing works very well.
 
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