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Broken front arm - fixed

mrpilot

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Broke right front arm yesterday, glued it back on using two component epoxy glue and a brush. Test flight ok. Seems like stiffness improved.
Now I'm gonna add a layer of epoxy on both front arms, as I think they are way too weak.
No DJI Care ?
 

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Broke right front arm yesterday, glued it back on using two component epoxy glue and a brush. Test flight ok. Seems like stiffness improved.
Now I'm gonna add a layer of epoxy on both front arms, as I think they are way too weak.
No DJI Care [emoji3]
1. Was it cracked or completely broken off ?
2. Did you fill the crack and hold it together ( like when using superglue ?)
3. It appears you had a slight crack and the you brushed epoxy over the top of the arm extending past the break an inch or so in both directions..... please provide more detail on the break and the steps you did to fix it.
 
It was completely broken off. First I applied epoxy in the crack and held it together with a rubberband for six hours, making sure it was in the exact correct position. Then I used the brush and added a layer on top. It's really strong, lots of flying today as well.
 
You like to live dangerous, don't you? Looking at the picture, this can (and will be) a problem. I have serious concerns that the forces that work at the arms will be stornger then the repaired spot can handle. Might work for the moment, might work tomorrow but I am afraid the arm will break in flight, causing the drone to crash.
Parts like that, after a fracture, should be replaced.
 
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If it breaks again do your step one with the rubber band to get it in position. Then use about a 1/2”-3/4” (12-18 mm) wide strip of light fiberglass cloth or CF tape saturated with the epoxy, and wrap it one time around the break. It will never break in the same spot again. Or, you could do the cloth wrap now before it breaks. You did a good job, but epoxy is not good at bending forces. And that is what the arm experiences. The cloth will greatly increase its resistance to bending.
You may want to sand or chip off the first layer of old epoxy.
 
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I have worked with epoxy a great deal in my RC fixed wing flying days. It can give a false sense of security. Although, I admit, my first instinct would have been to go the epoxy route, too. I think I would have gone a step further, as suggested, wrap a strip of light fiberglass cloth or CF tape saturated with the epoxy, as it will provide for a more reliable secure hold. I have seen parts break just beyond the (stronger) epoxy repair point. BTW: You did a clean job.
This is also one of the reasons that I purchased the DJI refresh for this quad. Wish you well and hope for the best.
 
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