Homebuilt ROVs Forum

I have these LED light bulbs I picked up (cheaply) online. They are very small: G4 size, *very bright* (I have 2 watt bulbs), run on 12VDC, and don't require any cooling. And the best thing about these is that they come packaged in an epoxy-like rubbery casing. The only thing exposed to the elements...

I called around to a few local places near me. One of them said they couldn't supply me with fluorosilicone (they had a minimum order of $200 for pieces of it!), and because it's so expensive, they don't really have small leftover pieces floating around their warehouse. But the sales guy I spoke to ...

By the way: when I started building my ROV, I thought to myself "If I build it myself, I can save a lot of money". LOL. Not true. Well, it's been a lot of fun building it myself (and tackling the engineering challenges along the way). So I don't regret the journey!

You could... but as you plan to go to about 70 feet depth, the external pressure on the o-ring will be just over 2 atmospheres, or about 30psi above the that inside the hull. There's a good chance your o-ring would not withstand that and it would just pop inside the hull. You could add a lip just i...

For gasket material, try fluorosilicone sheet. That's what we find most effective. Maybe the 3.2mm stuff. It's expensive but maybe worth a shot. I did some research on your recommendation for fluorosilicone, it sounds like a really good idea. If I got an O-Ring of that material, it would *just* fit...

Grease won't actually add much at all to the seal. Best to get a good fit using dry components for gasket seals. Grease is good for o-ring seals, and certain waterproof connectors. What's important is the finish of the various surfaces and the hardness and thickness of the gasket material. Your PVC...

Does anyone think I can improve the seal between surfaces by applying marine grease (or similar)? Or is it better to keep these surfaces clean and dry, and let the pressure-fit do it's job?

Surfaces that are coming together:
- Acrylic lens
- rubber gasket
- spray-painted PVC

Hi, your big metal washer idea is the first thing I'd suggest. That's how acrylic covers are attached on commercial ROVs. Secondly, don't over tighten the bolts, you only have to tighten them just enough to create a seal with the gasket. Once you are over a few feet down, the water pressure holds t...

Hi ROVers. I had a problem last summer with my ROV that prevented me from making my maiden voyage. I've been scratching my head ever since and trying to come up with a better strategy. It suddenly occurred to me to ask the community for opinions. Note: attached are a few images. My ROV hull is made ...