Smashed my gimbal - anything salvageable?
- Thread starter andydunlop
- Start date
The top bracket is easily sourced. The lower bracket needs to be straightened out. It can be done if you know what you're doing.
(If you're not careful, you'll just break it more.) You could also sell it on Ebay as is and probably get over $100 for it.
(If you're not careful, you'll just break it more.) You could also sell it on Ebay as is and probably get over $100 for it.
CityZen said:
Just did this to mine a few days ago. Can you elaborate on "It can be done if you know what you're doing. (If you're not careful, you'll just break it more.)"
I did bend mine back and it's noticeably cracking.
I contacted a few DJI dealers in the States and they all point me to DJI North America for repairs as that part attached to the gimbal isn't available for sale (the dealers that aren't instantly trying to hock their wares anyway).
I'm no metal-working expert, but of course I've got opinions anyway (like everybody) on this.
I think the bracket can be bent back to a useable shape, but you need to be very careful about it. You want to:
- bend over a large area, since bending over a short distance will probably stress the metal too much and crack it.
- apply carefully measured force, slowly. Too much force and it might snap all of a sudden.
- just get it into useable condition; don't try to make it perfectly straight again.
- try to bend it against some kind of blocking in order to control what bends where. For instance, take a board and
cut a hole in it for the motor to poke through. Then clamp down the arms that already lie against the board and
carefully use another board to push the bent arm back down. Push near the bend (as if you are trying to unroll it)
rather than at the end of the arm (which may just bend the end instead).
I've read contradictory posts about whether heat helps or makes it worse (for aluminum). I'd go without.
All of this is just theory I'm spitting out. I have not tried this myself. Your mileage may vary, etc.
If you've already bent it back and notice cracking, then you can reinforce the weakened area with epoxy.
Just rough up the surface a bit to give the epoxy a better grip, then layer some on and let it dry. To make
it stronger, you can apply some material on top of the epoxy. Since you probably don't have any carbon
fiber mat or fiber glass mat, you might make due with some tyvek (from those envelopes that can't be
torn).
I think the bracket can be bent back to a useable shape, but you need to be very careful about it. You want to:
- bend over a large area, since bending over a short distance will probably stress the metal too much and crack it.
- apply carefully measured force, slowly. Too much force and it might snap all of a sudden.
- just get it into useable condition; don't try to make it perfectly straight again.
- try to bend it against some kind of blocking in order to control what bends where. For instance, take a board and
cut a hole in it for the motor to poke through. Then clamp down the arms that already lie against the board and
carefully use another board to push the bent arm back down. Push near the bend (as if you are trying to unroll it)
rather than at the end of the arm (which may just bend the end instead).
I've read contradictory posts about whether heat helps or makes it worse (for aluminum). I'd go without.
All of this is just theory I'm spitting out. I have not tried this myself. Your mileage may vary, etc.
If you've already bent it back and notice cracking, then you can reinforce the weakened area with epoxy.
Just rough up the surface a bit to give the epoxy a better grip, then layer some on and let it dry. To make
it stronger, you can apply some material on top of the epoxy. Since you probably don't have any carbon
fiber mat or fiber glass mat, you might make due with some tyvek (from those envelopes that can't be
torn).
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