How to waterproof your RCX with the Pelican 1010 MicroCase
Theo Brower
Funded by the National Science Foundation

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Materials:
Pelican 1010 Microcase
6 long electrical leads for RCX (only 3 are pictured)
Aquaseal
Nail polish remover

Tools:
Drill
9/64" drill bit
Scissors
Paper towel
wire stripper
electrical tape
soldering iron (optional, but recommended)
solder (optional, but recommended)
vice (if you're not comfortable holding the case vertically while drilling)

Time:
Due to the cure time of aquaseal (12 hours), it will probably take two days to complete this process. The actual work will probably take 2-4 hours

Step1:
Remove the rubber insert from the Pelican Case. Cut out the bottom of the rubber, leaving about 1cm (3/8 of an inch) below the top.
Step2:
Secure case in vice (optional), being careful not to squeeze too tight and break the case. Drill 3 (evenly spaced) holes in the side that doesn't have the thing to attach the tether to. The holes should be drilled about 1cm below the lip of the case and about 1 cm apart. .
Step3:
Cut wires in half, the halves should be about 25cm long. Prepare case for Aquasealing by cleaning surfaces that will contact Aquaseal with nail polish remover. This includes the area around the drilled holes on both the inside and outside of the case as well as the inner lip of the case, the trimmed rubber insert, and the wires. 		Pretend there was a picture of me wiping stuff with a paper towel with nail polish remover on it.

Step4:
Insert wires part way into holes, two wires per hole. It will be a tight fit, but this is by design. Attach wires to RCX and pull them through the holes until the length of the portion of the wire inside the case is right. The wires should be relatively tight, but they shouldn't be taught. Makes sure the case can close. (The latch won't click shut because the rubber lining isn't in).
I trimmed the three wires that connect to inputs so that they were noticeably shorter than those connected to outputs so that they were easy to distinguish.

Step5:
Squeeze a little bit of Aquaseal onto a paper towel (folded over twice so it doesn't soak through). Use a piece of wire that you cut from your electrical lead (or a toothpick) to apply a line of Aquaseal around the trimmed rubber lining. Make sure not to leave any holes in the aquaseal line. After Aquaseal is applied around the whole lining, carefully put it in place inside the case. It is a good idea to practice putting the lining inside the case before you put Aquaseal on it so that the operation goes smoothly when it matters. After the lining is in place, press it firmly to the side of the container. You should be able to see the seal between the case and the lining. The Aquaseal should provide a continuous barrier between the case and lining. When it is pressed in, close the case to make sure it closes well. If the closing the case moves the lining around, press the lining back into place. The top of the lining should be level. This is probably the most difficult step.

Step6:
Open the cover of the case about half way and turn the case so that the side with holes is facing up.Using the piece of wire, apply Aquaseal around the wires in holes. Make sure to also apply aquaseal between the two wires in the holes to make a complete seal. Leave the case in this orientation and let it dry for 12 hours.

Step7:
The last step in this process is putting the Lego electrical connector pieces on the ends of the wires outside of the box. There are various methods for doing this and if you have a preferred method, feel free to use it instead of the following.

Start by stripping 1-2 cm from the end of each of the wires exiting the case. I first separate the two electrical leads but cutting the insulation connecting them. Then strip each electrical lead separately. Repeat the process on the wires with the electrical connectors on them.

Intertwine the leads coming from the case with the leads coming from the connectors and solder them to solidify the electrical connection. Wrap electrical tape around the exposed wire to protect it.

Picture coming soon...
Step8:
Test your case for leaks but putting some weight inside it and submerging it without the rcx in it. A better way to test it would be to add a tire valve to the box and pressurize the inside of the case. 		 


 


This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0212046. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation (NSF).