repairing coil ears on a exterra coil

[jimmy clark]

im asking this on the exterra fourm because its a exterra coil .has anyone repaired the coil ears,and can it be done with glue instead of plastic welding?by cutting peaces from plastic that will match the ears.

 

[coherent]

I would use a two part epoxy made for plastics. Most hardware stores should carry it. They made a JB Weld epoxy for plastics that is good. If needed, you can drill small holes in the broken "ears" into the side where the break occurred and into the coil base at the same location and use small dowels (like pieces of toothpick or something non metallic or similar) to reinforce the assembly and add strength to the break points when epoxied back together. Steel pins made from pieces of coat hanger or wire may also work even better. Just make sure they don't interfere with the detectors operation. It's doubtful since there are normally bolts and nuts that hold the coil on at these locations anyway.
Modern epoxies made for plastic are extremely strong and much less effort and better results than trying to use plastic welding techniques.

If you no longer have the original broken "ears" you can cut/form some out of similar plastic using a dremel or similar tool and attach them using the same technique.

 

[txop]

Do a Google search on Plast-aid. I have used it to repair several plastic items. Watch their videos. You can use it as a glue or to form plastic parts.

This stuff dries so hard it a bit of work to sand down even with a dremel. My point is don't over do it.

All that said there are some types of plastic it will not bond but I haven't found any yet that it doesn't work on. If you read the instructions you will see how to do a quick test before you mix up some. You can even add paint to it for the color you need.

Not sure if a link is allowed here so if you can't find it let me know and I cam PM you with the link.

 

[jimmy clark]

how about marine epoxy.will it work even if it dont say its for plastics.the ears im going to repair or broken off about where the bolt holes or.im going to cut a peaces of plastic,that matches the ears shape.then glue them to the out side.then cut a peace for each side, for the inside.

 

[Robert Hohman Sr.]

I have repaired two stock Minelab coils with plastic washers and JB Weld. They have both held up well. I had to make sure the surfaces of both the coil ears and washers were cleaned and roughed up pretty well to get the JB Weld to bond right. I cut and trimmed the washers to line up and fit the area as well before I epoxied them.

 

[jimmy clark]

what kind of plastic was the washers robert?was the jb weld standard, or made to glue plastic?

 

[Robert Hohman Sr.]

These were just standard white plastic washers that were pretty slick on the sides. So I roughed them up with sand paper as well as the area of the coil that the ears had broken off of. Then I made sure the areas were clean with rubbing alcohol. I then matched up the holes on the outside where the shaft would go with the washers and bonded them together with the mixed JB Weld. When they were dry I made another batch of the JB Weld and covered the entire area of where the washers attached to and where the ears had broken off. All the way down to where the ears are connected to the coil. Still making sure there was enough clearance for the shaft to fit and making sure the holes remained clear to run your plastic bolt through. This is with the standard A&B component JB Weld.

 

[oldkoot]

im asking this on the exterra fourm because its a exterra coil .has anyone repaired the coil ears,and can it be done with glue instead of plastic welding?by cutting peaces from plastic that will match the ears.

I know this is a fairly old post but it may help some others with the same issue

Back in 09 or 2010 I purchased a used X TERRA 705 with three coils the standard 9 inch 7.5 KHz coil one of the ears was broke off I was able to fix it with a plastic block that I had laying around I used a two part epoxy made by 3m the ear on one side was broke off close to the top of the coil I used a drimmel tool with a grinding wheel and carefully ground the area flat the block I had was like a channel I cut on side of the channel off and sat it in place and with the 2 part epoxy glued it on have been using that coil ever since with out any issues of breakage again when your cheap you have to improvise the epoxy when dry was vary hard the new JB weld quick drying works good also it sets up in 4 to 6 minuets and totally dry in 4 to 6 hours