Equinox Solid Skid Plate

[GB_Amateur]

3 hours ago, Gold Hound said:

I just silicone on a piece of 1.5mm lexan...

I'm 0 for 2 with silicone and 0 for 1 with PC-11 epoxy.  Neither has seemed to really stick (long term) to either the injection molded Eqx 6" skid plate or the polycarbonate.  (Note, I'm attaching mine to the skid plate, not the coil itself.)  Also I used half the thickness of polycarb that you did (i.e. 1/32" = 0.8 mm).  Too flexible?  (Pretty sure Steve H. used same thickness as I did.)  I have other epoxies that I can try.  The PC-11 in particular seemed pretty brittle after this came apart (3rd try).  But silicone is just the opposite.

How many hours in the field do you have on your silicone+polycarb setup?

[rvpopeye]

I wonder if 3M Super Weatherstrip Adhesive could work , it's a type of contact cement .

Coat both surfaces and let them dry , be verrrrry careful touching them together exactly right though...LOL

[phrunt]

I can't glue any skid plate onto my coil, I also use my coil in water and I don't want it solid for that.

[rvpopeye]

Maybe you could make up one using a fitted skid plate . 

Then you could add/remove it as needed ?

[Gold Hound]

On 7/16/2021 at 12:16 AM, GB_Amateur said:

I'm 0 for 2 with silicone and 0 for 1 with PC-11 epoxy.  Neither has seemed to really stick (long term) to either the injection molded Eqx 6" skid plate or the polycarbonate.  (Note, I'm attaching mine to the skid plate, not the coil itself.)  Also I used half the thickness of polycarb that you did (i.e. 1/32" = 0.8 mm).  Too flexible?  (Pretty sure Steve H. used same thickness as I did.)  I have other epoxies that I can try.  The PC-11 in particular seemed pretty brittle after this came apart (3rd try).  But silicone is just the opposite.

How many hours in the field do you have on your silicone+polycarb setup?

Sorry for the belated response,

I throw away the stock skid plate as I use it until it wears out then I stick the 1.5mm lexan directly to the coil the 1.5mm lexan will last the life of the coil or about a year for me. By then the coil will usually go touch sensitive and be replaced. I do this on all of my coils.

Just remember to make the skidplate about 5mm wider all the way around as the edges are the new wear point. You will never again wear through the base if you do this.

[Sinclair]

This could be done with a vacuum former. Actually it isn't very difficult to build one yourself..

[midalake]

6 hours ago, Gold Hound said:

Sorry for the belated response,

I throw away the stock skid plate as I use it until it wears out then I stick the 1.5mm lexan directly to the coil the 1.5mm lexan will last the life of the coil or about a year for me. By then the coil will usually go touch sensitive and be replaced. I do this on all of my coils.

Just remember to make the skidplate about 5mm wider all the way around as the edges are the new wear point. You will never again wear through the base if you do this.

Can you explain "touch sensitive".  Which coils have had this problem?  Thanks.  

[Gold Hound]

On 8/31/2021 at 2:27 AM, midalake said:

Can you explain "touch sensitive".  Which coils have had this problem?  Thanks.  

Touch sensitive is when the coil makes spurious noise or false signals when bumped or when bad even touched.

The cause of this is loose, broken or damaged in some other way coil windings or coil lead.

I prospect for a living so my detectors get way more Hrs put on them in a year than most will see in their service life if owned by a hobbiest.

Most coils are fairly robust but there is only so much constant abuse that they can take and then something has to give. That is why I never send them back to the supplier for replacement unless they break within the first year(one prospecting season). I figure if its lasted 8 months out of a year getting scrubbed on the ground and used to knock sticks and rocks out of the way 8 to 12 hours a day im happy with that.