German Tip Spins and Goes Off Target

[Mr.Piccolo22]

I have a Foil that another fencer gave me to repair. Same manner as all, "it doesn't work, fix please". Anyway, I spin the tip and the the light goes off. It does this ever so often but enough to be a problem. Anyone know what causes it and how to fix this problem. Thanks in advance!

Mr. P

[Purple Fencer]

I have a Foil that another fencer gave me to repair. Same manner as all, "it doesn't work, fix please". Anyway, I spin the tip and the the light goes off. It does this ever so often but enough to be a problem. Anyone know what causes it and how to fix this problem. Thanks in advance!

Mr. P

Hmmm...suggestion. Remove the tip & spring, hook the weapon to a testing box, insert a jeweler's screwdriver into the barrel, touching the cap of the wire, and short it against the barrel. You should have a completed circuit.

Next, roll the shank of the screwdriver around the interior of the barrel, and keep contact with the wire. If the circujit breaks, you have a broken wire at the base of the cup...even a slight movement of the wire cup will break contact.

Rewire time.

[DHCJr]

Another posibility is you described it as a German tip. These are more prone to corrosion. With a French style, the screws go into the collar of the tip making a better connection. The screws on the German will sometimes have only the points of the treads in contact with the collar. This could be even more of a problem if the collar edge is not completely flat, it may come in contact at times with just one of the screws and a little corrosion there could do it.

There are other places to check, which all tips can have problems, the contact between the collar and the base, the base and the spring as well as the spring and the contact as Sam suggested.