Buy a MD to Get Coil Housing

[Silver Dollar]

All the coil housing makers are gone except Bulgaria and Ukraine and on Ebay they charge shipping and then list a nebulous import charge and fees. I was buying something from Canada and they
wanted to charge twice the price of the item for broker fees, tariffs and cod. These guys seem to be the only ones selling PCB's too. That's a bummer as I'd like to build some more PI Detectors.
I do still have a Barracude, Minipulse and 2 SMT Hammerheads to play with.

So I found a DR.ÖTEK MT-XR Metal Detector on ebay new in an open box. I offered $15 and won it (Total cost to me $39). It comes with a bag, a digger and headphones too!

So I figure I got a stick and coil housing and a few extras for the price. The circuit looks like TGSL but with a computer chip. It works but chatters a bit and doesn't discriminate too well.

The coil was probably the problem. It feels light like they didn't flood it with epoxy but that's good. I started just running my xacto blade around the slot then prying the crack open and have it

half way open. I hope to make it into a PI detector as I'm now in Fla on the Treasure Coast! I also bought some old coils off ebay for $25 to $30 to make more PI coils to try! Fun Times!

[GeoMax]

Hello,

Find someone near you who can 3D print a coil housing for you. There are free 3D housing files available online; you just need to search for them.

[Silver Dollar]

Well I found this "https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/tool/metal-detector-searching-coil-housing-22cm-dd-shell-the_king_boril-2" but how do I get it printed?

I had a tiny front panel printed once for another project and it took a long time and cost quite a lot!

[KRinAZ]

"https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/tool/metal-detector-searching-coil-housing-22cm-dd-shell-the_king_boril-2"

Hey Silver Dollar, I think I remember you from back when I made the MiniPulse Plus project some 10 years ago - I believe you were very helpful when I made a "basket weave" coil for the MPP. I've been thinking of coming back to the MPP and that coil and making a housing for it, and this thread caught my eye...

I took a look at that link - looks like they charge $6.92 in order to download the file, not much if it is the correct dim's and all for the coil you want to make. I'm assuming it includes both the top and bottom halves but it isn't clear if the bottom is included. I say that because I see only one .STL file apparently for the top half - I would expect one .STL file for the top and one .STL file for the bottom...but maybe someone has to pay first to see just what they will get...

There are other sites (Printables for one) that have mostly free to download files (models).

Have you considered picking up a used 3D printer and making/printing coil housings yourself? I had zero experience with CAD or 3D printing a couple years ago, my only experience was pencil and paper light mechanical drafting 30+ years ago, but bought two complete Ender 3 Pro's for $40 total, learned about calibrating them, then Mod'ing them, then compiling my own firmware for them, and learned the basics of FreeCAD - they have proven useful countless times...

I frequently make TPU (basically printable very tough urethane) parts that I design in FreeCAD and print - replacing rubber components on my old trucks with much higher higher quality and durability parts than the oem natural rubber parts. I also make hard plastic parts for all kinds of things around the house, etc. Sometimes the design part takes all of 15 minutes.

Anyway, coil housings would be straight forward to print and you could choose the type of material to make them from - there are better material (plastic) choices than the traditional ABS - and you could produce as many as you want as the raw material (filament) is very inexpensive.

If they were printed from PETG plastic or glass filled nylon they would be virtually indestructible and not need an additional skid plate as they would not wear like ABS can.

I'd be happy to relate how I did my setup if you'd like.

Cheers!

[daluka]

3d DD 220 stl

[Silver Dollar]

Well I don't really need another career making coil housings. I did get the Dr Orek apart and rewound so I have a stick and coil.
I just happen to have a Minipulse board from back in the day maybe I'll use that for this detector.