I have some stress cracks on my Phantom 3 Standard. I have a set of arm reinforcements on the way, but want to glue the cracks first.

What kind of plastic is the drone made of? I was thinking of Testors model glue, will that work?



Thanks,

Gary

I think their supplier mixes regrind together with virgin resin.   Cheaper, but results in brittle plastics.

It is most likely high-impact polystyrene, or HIPS. Most model glues designed for glueing plastic should work, but just try on a small area to test it.

Read this article, which tells about a useful plastic adhesive product called Bondic.

http://www.lemondrone.com/drone- ... eres-best-glue-fix/

• INCREDIBLE ADHESIVE - When fully cured Bondic is 100 percent waterproof and is also heat-resistant. Dries clear and can be sanded or painted after it is hardened. Non toxic
• UV LIGHT ACTIVATED - The incorporated LED UV light has an easy press button and when the liquid is exposed to the UV light it cures in seconds to a permanent bond
• BONDIC IS NOT A GLUE - The formula stays liquid until it is hardened by UV light which means there is no chance of drying up in the container
• BOND, BUILD, FIX AND FILL - plastic, wood, metal, PVC, steel, rubber, wiring, ceramic, figurines, vinyl, Kevlar, polypropylene, leather and so much more
• COMPLETE STARTER KIT - Includes everything needed to start fixing: applicator, LED UV light, TWO 4 gram tubes of LED curing liquid
  

RedHotPoker

WARNING - my Avast gave me a warning THREAT HAS BEEN DETECTED when I clicked on the above link

Mark The Droner Posted at 2018-8-2 03:09
WARNING - my Avast gave me a warning THREAT HAS BEEN DETECTED when I clicked on the above link

There is no threat. Not sure what your Avast is, nor care... haha

It tells about a plastic fix...

Try their own website.
https://notaglue.com/



RedHotPoker

A small drop of MEK will weld the cracks shut. Use a pin to apply a small drop to crack.

I have actually used just a dab of super glue.  I remove one motor at a time to do this.  Then I took a suggestion and reinstalled  my prop guard mounts.  Now after about 6 months of flying, I have checked for the cracks, and they have not cracked.  So not sure if the prop guard mounts are helping as reinforcement, or the super glue stop the cracks from getting worse.

Lonesome Crow Posted at 2018-8-11 05:28
I have actually used just a dab of super glue.  I remove one motor at a time to do this.  Then I took a suggestion and reinstalled  my prop guard mounts.  Now after about 6 months of flying, I have checked for the cracks, and they have not cracked.  So not sure if the prop guard mounts are helping as reinforcement, or the super glue stop the cracks from getting worse.

Do you land as normal or hand catch your drone?


Hand catching can certainly put undue stress on certain parts of the drones shell...
Just mentioned this as it’s been shared here before.

RedHotPoker

Plast-aid works nicely.  

Mark The Droner Posted at 2018-8-11 07:17
Plast-aid works nicely.

So, where have you used it, on your drone?

Please post pics.. ;-)


How did you apply it?


RedHotPoker

RedHotPoker Posted at 2018-8-11 07:41
So, where have you used it, on your drone?

Please post pics.. ;-)

Yes, I used it on tiny cracks near the motor mount screws.  Hardens like rock.  I first heard about it a couple years ago as recommended on that other site.  i applied it with that little stick they give you to mix it up with.  I just sort of slathered it over the crack.  Nothing fancy.  Pics?  You want pics?  Haha I hate doing pics.  I will add them if you insist.  

That's a nice video.

RedHotPoker Posted at 2018-8-11 06:53
Do you land as normal or hand catch your drone?

Rarely do I ever hand catch, but will land on grass/dirt, and I really avoid pavement landings.  That will do a craft in quickly!

Lonesome Crow Posted at 2018-8-11 09:03
Rarely do I ever hand catch, but will land on grass/dirt, and I really avoid pavement landings.  That will do a craft in quickly!

That’s good... avoiding a dangerous practice is prudent,.. ;-)



RedHotPoker

Mark The Droner Posted at 2018-8-11 08:18
Yes, I used it on tiny cracks near the motor mount screws.  Hardens like rock.  I first heard about it a couple years ago as recommended on that other site.  i applied it with that little stick they give you to mix it up with.  I just sort of slathered it over the crack.  Nothing fancy.  Pics?  You want pics?  Haha I hate doing pics.  I will add them if you insist.  

That's a nice video.

Not if it’s a bother, heck no... hahahaha


RedHotPoker

Awright, so I initially checked out RHP's Bondic product above, mentioned in post #4.  Did a little research and I didn't like the amazon reviews.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ ... eld-keywords=bondic

It looked interesting but lots of people were complaining that it didn't work.  And it wasn't exactly cheap.  So I dismissed it.

A couple weeks go by and I happen across this stuff on amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/produc ... 1_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Seemed to be basically the same stuff, but it was a bit cheaper.  So I figured what the heck, and bought.  It arrived today.

I had some broken eye glasses.  They were hopelessly broken because the section that needed to be glued was miniscule.  There was no way normal glue would work.  So I tried to fix it with this stuff.  First I cleaned both broken areas with isopropyl alcohol.  Then I applied the glue to one of the broken areas.  Then I pressed them together.  Then I applied the UV light.  

FIXED.  
I have to admit, this is very amazing stuff.  It hardens like concrete and adheres to whatever it is touching during the curing.  It is like a weld.  Imagine you have two pieces of steel and you need to weld them together.  That's what this stuff does.  I would imagine this stuff would be perfect for fixing the infamous motor mount cracks.  The applicator is very tiny and very precise.  

Here's a vid I found... it's a vid showing off the bondic product but it seems my stuff is the same stuff.



(I would not use it to fix a broken prop, but that's just me)


Edit:  See post #18 below...

Hello there, I appreciate your time bringing this query to us. However, we do not recommend to self fix their drone because this may worsen the damage and can void the warranty of the drone. I suggest you send it in for repair. Thank you.

Okay I need to update post #16.  The glue had cured hard but guess what?  It starts to become pliable as the days go on.  And that's not usually a good thing.  I tried hitting it with the UV again but it didn't have any effect.  The repair didn't fail or break, it just became flexible.  So do we use this for motor mount cracks?  I think not.  I will stick with plast-aid.  

I'm sure this stuff is still very useful in certain situations, but keep in mind it will become pliable.  

Mark The Droner Posted at 2018-8-22 07:32
Okay I need to update post #16.  The glue had cured hard but guess what?  It starts to become pliable as the days go on.  And that's not usually a good thing.  I tried hitting it with the UV again but it didn't have any effect.  The repair didn't fail or break, it just became flexible.  So do we use this for motor mount cracks?  I think not.  I will stick with plast-aid.  

I'm sure this stuff is still very useful in certain situations, but keep in mind it will become pliable.

Seriously, try the MEK,(methyl ethyl ketone) works great. A small drop in the crack welds it.