If there is a chance that you'll be tasked with doing covert installations in the future, this is a must-read, and for sure...you'll want to bookmark this article. Over the past twenty-seven years, I've learned a ton of lessons about covert installations from body worn, mobile, static, and stealthy work inside of buildings. One of the key lessons is getting the right adhesive for the job, which can make a pivotal difference between a cock-eyed camera view a day after the install, and a dead-on money-shot of the bad guy.
Ribbon Sealer - (Mobile, Static, Buildings)
Ribbon Sealer, a.k.a. monkey poop was introduced to me at an Illinois State Police class for BMV, and I'll have to say...if I could only pick one adhesive to work with for covert installs, it would be ribbon sealer (RS). RS can be shaped like putty, sticks to almost anything, but its forgiving if you need to adjust it. Very important for pinhole cameras, it's tolerant to high temperatures and over time it cures, keeping cameras in place for years. Also, RS works great with microphone bodies and holding IR LEDs in place.
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The only drawback with RS, it's a little messy. So have some goo-gone and towels handy, but I assure you it's worth the hassle.
You can find ribbon sealer at auto parts stores, and you may need to ask for windshield adhesive as some clerks won't recognize the proper name.
Mounting Tape - (Mobile, Static, Buildings)
Mounting Tape, a.k.a. big red is my second most favorite adhesive, and to be specific, I prefer the 3M Extreme Mounting Tape. It adheres to a wide variety of surfaces, holds up to 20 pounds, but can be removed if need be. Also, if the job calls for it, you can roll it up into a ball and shape it to meet unique install needs.
If you're buying mounting tape, I'll save you 30 minutes of grief, you'll find it in the paint aisle of your home improvement store.
Hot Glue - (Mobile, Static, Buildings)
In some circles, mentioning hot glue for covert installations will get you tried for heresy. Why? It's mainly because hot glue, well, melts...and that doesn't mix well with pinhole cameras that get hot. When you put the two together, your installation may last a day or two, but eventually, the camera will drop out of place. Even so, I do find some excellent uses for hot glue.
Anytime I need to tack something in place that isn't heavy and doesn't get hot, it works very well. Another great use of hot glue is providing electrical insulation to items that couldn't be insulated. For instance, insulating the post of an auxiliary battery in a bait car.
A very nice attribute of hot glue is that it's easy to remove from almost anything. So if you make a mistake, you can correct it without having to buy new gear.
Obviously, you can get hot glue anywhere, but don't bother with the cheap stuff at the discount stores. Go to a home improvement store, and my new favorite is the Gorilla brand sticks.
Epoxy - (Mobile, Static, Buildings)
Epoxy can be used for almost any installation, but the key thing to remember is that it will likely be permanent. Once you apply it and let it set, your gear will be there forever.
There are some tricks to working with epoxy as its very hard to manage during the installation. What I've found that works best is to use small dabs of superglue or RS to tack the device in place. Once tacked, I typically coat the entire device with epoxy to ensure it grabs the mounting surface.
When buying epoxy, make sure you get a formula that is designed for the working material, i.e. metal, wood, and plastic.
Superglue - (Tacking)
For me, superglue is an aid to a primary adhesive. I typically use just tiny amounts to simply tack things into place. In my opinion, it's too unforgiving and too expensive to use a primary adhesive.
Medical Tape - (Body)
If you need to wire somebody up with a covert camera, microphone or both, you'll need some medical tape for sure. If it's your first time doing so, don't buy just any ole tape. Most of the medical tape at the stores are truly terrible at keeping wires in place, especially when the person starts sweating. Even the tape in the stores that claim to be "waterproof", from my experience are a waste of time.
A great tape to have is 3M Transpore. If you need some, hit up your pals at the ER. Although 3M doesn't purport Transpore to be waterproof, it does a great job of holding up against oily sweat. As a bonus to the poor soul who has to wear the wire, Transpore won't rip their skin off when it comes time for removal.
UPDATE - 171129 - Excellent additional suggestions from newsletter subscribers
SUPERGLUE
Read your tips on adhesives. Good stuff. I use a lot of the items you recommend. I would also include baking soda when using super glue. It makes CA dry much faster and adds material. It is great when you have s stripped screw going into plastic or fiberglass. Just work fast when putting the screw in and remember it is now a PERMANENT installation once the CA sets. Helps in tacking and on porous surfaces also.
GOOP GLUE (Same Hardware Aisle as Other Adhesives)
Works great to put over the monkey glue (RS) for a permanent install. Does an amazing job holding stuff in place and insulating. I use it on the back of some boards that need a bit of insulation when you are stripping the device down to component level for space in an install. I also use it with the 3M tape, for power supplies and such that I don't want to come off in extreme heat.
Thanks for reading, and I sincerely hoped these tips have helped now, or will help in the future. Also, if you're reading this and you want to add to the article, please sound off. I certainly don't know everything and you may have a tip that will truly make a difference to someone else.
Best regards,
Jake