Stress cracks

[theoneandonlybrooks]

So my new-to-me P3P had some very slight stress cracks in the lower shell under two of the motors. In a handful of flights they've gotten worse. This was supposed to be my cheap backup for my Autel Evo for video and photos, and backup for my 3DR Solo for mapping and farm ground sale videos. So after reading stuff here and elsewhere, and in trying to to keep my costs on this down, I've ordered a set of the strong arms from Carolina Dronz. My plan is to fill the cracks using the superglue and baking soda method and then put the strong arms on after that.

Any reason I might want to do it differently? Any feedback or tips on the method?
I also kicked around superglueing the strong arms on for added strength. Anyone try that?

 

[Phantom2USA]

I've noticed them on a P3P I recently purchased too.. I think if I don't swap the internals over to a new shell, which I've done before, it's not really difficult if you take your time & take some photo's.. I've been using a two part epoxy on a recent RC fixed wing build.. It's ZAP Z-POXY 30 minute.. & mixed with, Great Planes Pro Milled Fiberglass, This stuff sets up SUPER STRONG....probably a little more costly than the CA & soda.
All available from Tower Hobbies.. my .02 worth..

 

[WV. Rootman]

There are a lot of articles in the archives on this. We each have our preferred method. Yours sounds like the motor screws are on too tight. Repairs are easily done. Many methods work well. Don’t get too worried about it being fatal, it’s not. Take care of it and keep an eye on it. Good luck.

 

[theoneandonlybrooks]

Well, I've started. Might have gone a little heavy on the baking soda...

 

[Damnnickname]

Been using superglue and baking soda for years. Just recently repair the humble support arms that broke off. I always put the glue down first then baking soda on top of it. Did you use the whole box??? Lol

 

[Damnnickname]

Been using superglue and baking soda for years. Just recently repair the humble support arms that broke off. I always put the glue down first then baking soda on top of it. Did you use the whole box??? Lol

gimble support

 

[theoneandonlybrooks]

gimble support

I was wondering what humble support was.

My first time so I sprinkled until the glue was covered, and I guess then some. Seemed to come out ok.

 

[PhoenixOne]

So my new-to-me P3P had some very slight stress cracks in the lower shell under two of the motors. In a handful of flights they've gotten worse. This was supposed to be my cheap backup for my Autel Evo for video and photos, and backup for my 3DR Solo for mapping and farm ground sale videos. So after reading stuff here and elsewhere, and in trying to to keep my costs on this down, I've ordered a set of the strong arms from Carolina Dronz. My plan is to fill the cracks using the superglue and baking soda method and then put the strong arms on after that.

Any reason I might want to do it differently? Any feedback or tips on the method?
I also kicked around superglueing the strong arms on for added strength. Anyone try that?

Awesome your an evo owner i love mine! And if I may ask what makes the 3dr special for 3d mapping? And what in the world is farm ground sales? Like rgb camera stuff? In still new to 3d mapping and the color cameras but want to learn and find a decent setup on a budget? Would a 3dr be better for 3d mapping than my evo? My evos a workhorse anyway and im ordering a few more batteries to go with my 3 alreadym thanks for any advice and by the way I think your method sounds pretty good. If you're talking about plates they go on the bottom I would just make sure the superglue is flat and only in the cracks so it does not create a fulcrum for them to move around. I guess just make sure they are flat. If your talking about te plates. My p3p had stress cracks and I glued them and kept flying never had any problems though it did worry me at times but they never got any worse

 

[theoneandonlybrooks]

Awesome your an evo owner i love mine! And if I may ask what makes the 3dr special for 3d mapping? And what in the world is farm ground sales? Like rgb camera stuff? In still new to 3d mapping and the color cameras but want to learn and find a decent setup on a budget? Would a 3dr be better for 3d mapping than my evo? My evos a workhorse anyway and im ordering a few more batteries to go with my 3 alreadym thanks for any advice and by the way I think your method sounds pretty good. If you're talking about plates they go on the bottom I would just make sure the superglue is flat and only in the cracks so it does not create a fulcrum for them to move around. I guess just make sure they are flat. If your talking about te plates. My p3p had stress cracks and I glued them and kept flying never had any problems though it did worry me at times but they never got any worse

The Solo was built a little more for autonomous stuff, but the Evo can do mapping as well. I do some work for some people who sell farm ground and hunting ground, and we shoot aerial flyover video so people can see the ground and terrain, etc. Sometimes it's hard to see the property lines from the air, so I like to build those offline with a map and the fly those autonomously. With Litchi and other options, the P3P does that as well. But so far the Evo autonomous stuff seems a little weak.

With the Solo, I'm setting it up to do NDVI mapping , and for both the Solo and the the P3P there are mounts available for additional cameras. The Solo was a really cool concept but the execution wasn't that great. They were super cheap when they were discontinued and they were built off of the Pixhawk system so they are easy to modify and fix.

 

[PhoenixOne]

That sounds pretty cool and that's what I figured as far as the hunting property in farmer's land goes I was just wondering because I have seen a few 3drs for sale pretty cheap around here. And I agree that the evil is not very good at some of the autonomous stuff.. I still can't get mine to do an orbit and I know I'm doing it right....

 

[Capt KO]

Most use these. Done many myself. Prevents and repairs.

This would’ve showed up if you had use the search tab

 

[theoneandonlybrooks]

Most use these. Done many myself. Prevents and repairs.
View attachment 117432
This would’ve showed up if you had use the search tab

Yes, as I mentioned in my post, I had searched here and read several posts on the topic. This is where I learned about the super glue and baking soda method, and where I learned about the strong arms kit, which is the brace set that I had ordered. There seemed to be some debate as to which was better, plastic or metal braces, and I went with the plastic. Thanks.

 

[JoBe]

Yes, as I mentioned in my post, I had searched here and read several posts on the topic. This is where I learned about the super glue and baking soda method, and where I learned about the strong arms kit, which is the brace set that I had ordered. There seemed to be some debate as to which was better, plastic or metal braces, and I went with the plastic. Thanks.

i hte to add to ANOTHER stress cracks thread but doesnt super glue melt the drone plastic?

 

[PhoenixOne]

Also make sure you read up about the screws because I've heard problems with the screws either being too long and causing problems hitting the motors or over tightening them and cracking more

 

[theoneandonlybrooks]

That sounds pretty cool and that's what I figured as far as the hunting property in farmer's land goes I was just wondering because I have seen a few 3drs for sale pretty cheap around here. And I agree that the evil is not very good at some of the autonomous stuff.. I still can't get mine to do an orbit and I know I'm doing it right....

The 3DR has some cool capabilities, but they aren't making or selling batteries anymore, which I think is a big part of why the drones are popping up everywhere for sale now. When they first went on clearance, they were a bargain, especially if you already had a GoPro. There were several companies that popped up to offer improvements and products for them, but I think it's all starting to die off now. There are some hardcore hobbyists who have continued to update open source firmware and put time into them, and some guys trying to come up with a battery solution, and I wish them luck. If my setup was worth any more, I would probably sell it. Since it's not, I can use it for mapping and keep the wear and tear off of the others.

The P3P is every bit as good or better for mapping, at least in my opinion. If Autel could get someone to develop 3rd party software for the Evo, like Litchi or Drone deploy, it would be just as good for that as well, at least in my opinion. Of the three, I like flying the Evo the best, I think it has the best camera, and I use it the most. I think the Evo II could be really great.

 

[PhoenixOne]

i hte to add to ANOTHER stress cracks thread but doesnt super glue melt the drone plastic?

I think that's part of what the baking soda does neutralizes so it doesn't eat the plastic I used plastic Weld I think actually

 

[Bone4Drone]

I've noticed them on a P3P I recently purchased too.. I think if I don't swap the internals over to a new shell, which I've done before, it's not really difficult if you take your time & take some photo's.. I've been using a two part epoxy on a recent RC fixed wing build.. It's ZAP Z-POXY 30 minute.. & mixed with, Great Planes Pro Milled Fiberglass, This stuff sets up SUPER STRONG....probably a little more costly than the CA & soda.
All available from Tower Hobbies.. my .02 worth..

I would prefer that plan of yours, I think, at least for aesthetic reasons if nothing else. I love the smooth, sleek design of the Phantom shells and can't imagine taking gobs of any kind of glue to the external surfaces. I would try a good epoxy like JB Weld applied to the inside surface (roughened a bit) along with a small section of a flattened screw (or screws) at 90 degree angles to the cracks for added strength but all done on the inside of the shell. I would also try placing a clamp on the arm ends and gently applying a little pressure to close the crack(s) as small as possible before the epoxy sets up. If external glue was absolutely necessary, I would choose to replace the cracked shell(s) with new ones instead. In fact, since the shells are cheap anyway, I would simply replace them if the stress cracks were still going to be noticeable after a glue repair. This is just me. I can't take loving pride in something ugly except my dog.

 

[Damnnickname]

When I first learned of the super glue backing soda thingy I thought I remember reading that it was like carbon fiber, you can work it with sand paper and paint it as well. If you haven’t tried it.......put a couple drops on a piece of paper and sprinkle baking soda on it and see

 

[Capt KO]

Tried-and-true Owoda brand aluminum motor supports. Inexpensive and no glue needed. And they look awesome.

Just a couple of the several I have done. No P3 left my house without them.

 

[Bone4Drone]

i hte to add to ANOTHER stress cracks thread but doesnt super glue melt the drone plastic?

Don't think so. My P4P v2.0 body is metal.