Epee difficulties (big shim)

[drseudo]

Now, I know what you're thinking. "Problems with the big shim? Unheard of! Sure, a weapon failing the small shim and going off when it shouldn't, that happens all the time. But not even being able to get that big shim into the gap? Preposterous."

Up until about 40 minutes ago, I would have agreed with you. But try as I might to get the thing legal for a competition on Sunday, I just couldn't get that shim in there, and only after switching out the point entirely did I get it to sort-of work. As of now, I can just barely shimmy that thing in there, but it's anyone's guess whether it will work Sunday with someone else's shims.

So my question is this: how the heck do you fix this without making it fail small shim? I tried going over the slots (for the screw) with a file to try and catch any invisible burrs, but to no avail. Advice?

[telkanuru]

Sometimes it's a problem with the angle of the insertion of the screws. If it was working originally, the only way to fix it I can think of is to put a new tip in (making sure the screws are in straight), unless the barrel is deformed in some way...

[DHCJr]

It happens more than you think. Which also why you should have slightly thicker 1.5 shim, because as you said will it someone else shim.

I have found 3 things that have caused the problem. The screw holes, the grooves and the plating of the barrel.

Because of what you described, I would say your problem is most likely the screw holes. I have seen putting in one screw and everything is fine, putting in the second screw and it fails. Either the hole was not drilled at 90 degrees or it one hole is slightly higher. A way to check it is to put in two new screws into the tip, but not it the barrel and observe how the screw allign and if one angles up. What can you do, not much to the tip.

What you can do, is a pain, file the grooves a little higher or file off the top a little. You will need to readjust for the 0.5 shim, which should be thinner, just in case.

One thing that happens more often is the grooves of the barrel are not alligned. Many times it is because of poor plating. If they are not at the same height, be patience and using a round jewelers file make them even.

Something I am seeing more lately is uneven plating on the barrel where the surface, especially the top is not even. Depending on where the shim is pushed in you may fail either shim. This should be filed very carefully in a vise with a large flat file, not a bastard file.

I hope someone has a better idea, because my way is a pain.

[MyraTrue]

at a recent tournament, I had a lovely (hear tone of sarcasm) time deal with an epee doing just that. It was one of three left handed epees in circulation for 4 left handed fencers, all fencing at the same time.

It was an issue that if I put the tip on, but didn't tighten the tip screws all the way, it would just BARELY pass the large shim. If the screws were tightened, it wouldn't pass. If the screws weren't tightened, they fell out repeatedly. I fussed with it and fussed with it, and finally put a new tip on it between bouts. I don't know if the tip was designed for a different barrel (we reuse all our parts, though I think they all should be identical), but simply changing it was the easiest thing to do.

That said, THAT tip is compatible with my other personal spare barrels, but not with the barrel it was with.