On Tue, 6 Jun 2006 20:36:46 -0700, "Sal M. Onella"
wrote:


"Chris W" wrote in message
news:fy7hg.52579$9c6.12825@dukeread11...
Can anyone tell me what the official name of the putty they use to seal
the holes you run your coax through so bugs don't crawl in the wall or
water doesn't get in? I like to get all my hardware type items from
mcmaster.com. I'm sure they have it, if I just know what it is called I
can find it on their website.

I use the "expandable foam" that comes in a can about the size of a
spray paint can. There are two types. The yellow foam that expands
and gets hard which also is sensitive to UV which will cause it to
change color (darken). Don't use this around areas where the pressure
of expansion can cause problems like sealing around a door.

They also have a "soft/flexible" version that is white and costs a bit
more. It's what I use to block the large conduit between the tower
and basement. http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/cablebox.htm
Shows the conduit at the tower and coming in the basement. I just
squirted the stuff in. I wasn't worried about it being pretty, just
effective. With care you can be a lot more artistic. :-)) It's easy
to apply and easy to remove when necessary. Bugs and critters appear
to not like the stuff. I like it far better than the putty.

The yellow foam is a tad over $3 USD a can while the white, flexible
stuff is $4 or $5 a can. Both are usually available at Lowe's,
Builder's Square, and hard ware stores.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com
I was thinking "electrician's putty" or similar -- what we used to call
"monkey ****" in the Navy, but I couldn't get a good match on Google for
those terms. While mulling this over, I remembered also Plumbers Putty.
While generally not used for coax, I have used it under sinks and in the
garage for sealing around pipe penetrations. What I have is light tan in
color. It stays soft and flexible (but I don't know what sunlight does to
it or whether it will take paint). It's cheap and available and might be
just what you need.