Will Permatex® Copper Spray-A-Gasket carry an electronic signal?

Question

I am shielding the insides of a Fender Stratocaster and do not want to pay a ton of money for "special copper paint". It doesn't have to carry an inteligible signal because it is only being used for grounding EMI. It just needs to be conductive. I have not bought the paint yet. I am waiting to see if anyone else has used the paint for purposes other than intended. I guess I could buy it and toss the can in a fire if it doesn't work... Thanks

Answer 1

I don't think the permatex material will work very well.  From everything I have read, including its msds safety sheet, it apparently does not really contain any copper, but a "copper colored" silicon. The closest thing to a metallic component that it apparently contains is iron oxide(rust).  And true Iron oxide is not conductive,

The foil idea is good, but to make it easier to implement, try the Heating/plumbing department at a local Home Depot or Lowes.  I have used inexpensive foil tape for electrical sheilding and it works well, even for some RF stuff.  The stuff is sold where you find the duct work and duct tape.  It comes in a roll of tape that is about 2 or 3 inches wide.  Just use strips of the stuff and overlap the edges a bit.  The tape has an adhesive backing and is heavier than regular aluminum foil.

If you still want to use the spray shielding paint, there is a nickel based spray coating made by MG Chemicals ( mgchemicals.com )  The stuff is called MG841 Super Sheild EMI Coating.  You can buy the stuff online at www.mouser.com or other electronic suppliers.  The stuff is expensive though, at between $35 and $45 a spray can.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Hard to answer definitively.  The copper in Spray-A-Gasket is mainly there to increase heat transfer, so the gasket won't degrade under the heat coming from the engine.  

If I had to guess if it would be conductive to any degree, I'd say no.

Answer 3

Form-a-gasket does poorly, but aluminum foil is cheep, and works fine. Use contact adhesive to stick to the cabinet.