Making your Range Finder side earcap removable gives you future options for the Range Finder without having to worry about breaking off and possibly damaging the earcap.
Step 1, lets look at the ingredients:
I use small magnets from computer hard drives, because for me they are easy to get ahold of and pretty much free. They are also heavy-duty neodymium ceramic, and are just as strong as rare earth magnets.
This is a small stack of 4 magnets, and compared to the size of the earcap...you can see the size of magnets you want to work with.
Step 2, trace out!Using a couple magnets and a pencil, trace around the magnets so that they stay within the borders of the ear stump on the helmet. Make sure to spread them around so that the earcap will firmly attach itself to the stump.
Step 3, power up the dremel!Using your dremel and a tungsten carbide cutter attachment, carefully carve out all fiberglass/resin inside of the pattern you drew previously in step 2. BE CAREFUL! Make sure that you don't over-carve and ugly up the ear stump. Once you have the pattern initially carved out, place a magnet in the carved out area to make sure the magnet fits flush down inside.
Step 4, more carving!Once the initial carving is completed and both magnets can fit nicely into the ear stump, double the depth of the carved out area. BE CAREFUL! Again, make sure you don't over-carve the area and go through the helmet or break the thin border of the ear stump. Once you are done carving, snap 2 magnets together and put them into the holes. Both magnets holding together should fit flush.
Step 5. Tracing on the earcap.Place all 4 magnets into the holes on the helmet side of the ear piece. Both magnets together should fit nice and flush. Using some type of colored liquid (you can use paint, I use masking fluid) color the tops of the magnets, then place the earcap over onto the ear piece so it fits together properly. Press down on the earcap for a moment, so that the colored liquid transfers over to the earcap, then take the earcap off. Using 2 more magnets, place them over the area that was marked by the painted magnets and trace around them.
Step 6. Gluing down the outer magnets.Using heavy-duty epoxy, glue down 1 magnet. I suggest gluing the lower magnet so that you can adjust the top magnet if there is any slippage.
After the first magnet has been glued down and the glue is dry, place the second magnet in the hole with the top most magnet on the ear piece. Place a layer of epoxy on the top of the magnet, then place the earcap on the helmet. The magnet already glued onto the ear piece should pull the earcap into position.
Make sure to line up the earcap so that it is positioned perfectly over the earpiece. Then using a strip of elastic, tie down the earcap so that the epoxy can cure between the top magnet and the inside of the earcap.
LET SIT FOR 24 HOURS!!
Step 7. Remove the earpiece.After you have allowed the epoxy to dry for 24 hours, untie the elastic and use a flat-head screw driver to gently pry the earcap off in case some of the epoxy has dried. Once the earcap comes off, then the process is finished and you have a removable earcap!
Enjoy your new helmet modification!!
