Stupid sabre body wire question

[sabreur]

Just had a body wire fail (both wires broke at the base of the weapon plug), and I'm going to bite the bullet and fix the damned thing myself, since our armorer has gone AWOL.

Are there diagrams/instructions somewhere? Do I need anything other than a screwdriver and a pair of wirecutters?

MR

[TheArmourer]

If you've got a bayonet plug, look at
http://www.thearmourer.pwp.blueyonde...k/Rewiring.htm
Even if it's not bayonet, this should help.
It's for foil, but as far as I know, sabre and foil bodywires are interchangable.
And you shouldn't need any more than a screwdriver and wire cutters. (A pair of wire strippers or a craft knife may be easier if you need to strip the wire, but you may not need to do that.)

[Inquartata]

If it's for competition, be sure not to cross the wires. It'll still work for sabre, but the armourers will fail it anyway.

[CvilleFencer]

I tend to mark the line that goes to the short pin with a sharpie a bit down the wire before I take it apart and start cutting. I use a bare razor blade to trim off the plastic and expose the wire. I have found the just a bit under an inch of bare wire is optimal.

I twist the wire strands into a very tight spiral and then fold the bare wire over on itself and twist some more, maybe using a pair of pliers to get the wires meshed together nice and tight. Once I do this I put the wire into the prong so that the screw will tighten in between the twisted strands thereby pushing wire out to both sides of the prong and forming a loop around the plug screw.

Once I have done that I replace the useless bit of rubber where the cord exits the socket with either some aluminum snipped from a soda can or some stiff plastic and tape it in place (be careful not to tape so high up that you cover the screw holes for the plug). This provides much better strain relief than the factory job and means you will have to do this less frequently! Hope all that helped.

[Katman]

Mine broke the same way. I just opened the socket up and replaced the wires as Cville just described above, except without the added plastic protection. It works just fine and has passed inspection before.

[neevel]

Three-prong plug:

A-B---C

Two-prong plug:

Thin (3 mm) = B, Thick (4 mm) = C.

Crocodile clip = A.

Cut the wire a few cm back of the break, peel the two conductors apart so the make a Y for just the length of the two channels in the plug body, plus the stripped end to insert into the pins. You can prep the ends like C-ville describes, or you can apply a bit of solder to the ends to create a solid body which the screws will be able to seat on more firmly. A bit of blue (hand-undoable) Loctite can help prevent the screws working loose.

C-ville hit on an important item: make sure you've got good strain relief right where the cord emerges from the plug body. If you don't want to go to quite the extremes that he does, you can use heat-shrink tubing (and even put a couple of concentric layers of it).

BTW, while you're working on it it'd be a good idea to check all the lines with an ohmmeter. Anything below 1 ohm per line (i.e., A-A, B-B C-C) is in spec. Much above 1 ohm means that something is starting to develop, even if the cord still works just fine. Flex and pull on the cord while checking resistance, to turn up any intermittent breaks.

-Dave

[DHCJr]

Originally Posted by CvilleFencer

I tend to mark the line that goes to the short pin with a sharpie a bit down the wire before I take it apart and start cutting.

This is a good suggestion, but most Armorers would mark the C-line, large prong or outside of most bayonet. The reason for this is that line is on the outside of both ends so you can be consistent in your markings.

As been said very well above, be careful about switching the wire. It will still work for Sabre, but since this is the same cord for both Foil and Sabre, it must be legal for Foil also.

[Inquartata]

Which I still don't really get, if one ONLY fences sabre. The rationale is, what? "You might lend it to a foilist"? ( I'm sure the foilist would thank you later! )

Anyway, I've taken to using indoor extension-cord wire to fix mine. The insulation is thicker and tougher than that used on the wire the manufacturers use, and you can make it long enough---unlike some body cords, which come so short that you have to tug a few inches out of your sleeve after every phrase. I do have to carve or file out a bigger channel in the plugs to accommodate the larger gauge of the insulation.

I run it through some plastic tubing as strain relief as well, then apply Shoe Goo after it's all assembled. This all but eliminates the problem of breaking at the plug.

Now if I could only figure out a way to stop that stupid little spring-loaded retaining clip from working loose and "exploding" on the strip! Lost more of those tiny screws that way...

[CvilleFencer]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

Which I still don't really get, if one ONLY fences sabre. The rationale is, what?

That you may yet come to your senses!

This week I am going to be trying your trick with the extension cord on some cheapy bodycords for the club. They are the see through red socket ones and they break about every week. I was wondering if you have found a source for the 3-strand wire like would be used in epee? Easy enough to glue or bind the wires together, but if I can make it look more factory some of my local judges and armourers will be more appeased...

[SJCFU#2]

Originally Posted by CvilleFencer

I was wondering if you have found a source for the 3-strand wire like would be used in epee?

Try using hi-flex 18-gauge, 3-conductor wire (with a white PVC jacket it looks like vacuum cleaner power cord). You should be able to buy a 250-ft spool at Home Depot for under $60.

You may also want to look at the 18-gauge, 2-conductor lamp cord for foil/saber body cords - depending on the construction it may have more individual wire strands, making it more flexile.

[CvilleFencer]

Thanks SJCFU#2!

[sabreur]

Thanks guys...

MR

[MyraTrue]

Once I have done that I replace the useless bit of rubber where the cord exits the socket with either some aluminum snipped from a soda can or some stiff plastic and tape it in place

ah, excellent! I've been fixing body wires for the club recently, and we've all been looking at them and wondering what to do now that the strain relief piece of rubber is gone. They die very quickly.

Also... any quick and easy place to get heat shring tubing?

[CvilleFencer]

Lowes or home depot. Even a largish Walmart should have it. I do think that aluminum from soda cans or plastic from soday bottles works very well though.

[DHCJr]

I hate to say this and I only say it because they are everywhere, Radio Shack. You can get heat shrink tubing at either a hobby shop or electronic store.

[MyraTrue]

gratefully, I've got all those options readily available (I guess there's something to a university town). Thanks much...

I've been wondering if the frightful rate that we've been having to repair the body wires might be due to the fact they NONE OF THEM have the little piece of strain relief rubber on them anymore (they're certainly old enough!). If a mild investment takes some time off my armoring hours this semester...

[DHCJr]

Your statement reminded me of something I should have said before. What you stated was very true and I want to repeat. Even though Sabre and Foil body cords are the same, they are not subjected to the same forces.

For those who have broken off a pop-top know, all you have to do is bend back and forth. Sabres have more lateral movement back and forth. There are several forms of Chinese as well as others the have a tube that is so loose, it is not held by the connector. These are worse then useless. Find something to act as a strain relief, either one of the excellent suggestions above or even tape. I have 1" tape to wrap around at tournaments, when I repair a body cord on the strip.

[MyraTrue]

*cough* *cough* blue gauntlet *cough* *cough*

*holds onto her Uhlmann for dear life*

[CvilleFencer]

BG = cheap, crappy cords? Yes, but I do like their old pattern Uhlmann style plug ends and am using them for all the cords I make for the club. They are quit good for that. Once they break, just put in some decent wire with good strain relief and you will have a decent body cord. Of course the Uhlmann don't cost much more and last a LOT longer! Also, gotta love their fit and finish! If only they would make decent strain relief in their cords.

[Saber-Psycho]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

Now if I could only figure out a way to stop that stupid little spring-loaded retaining clip from working loose and "exploding" on the strip! Lost more of those tiny screws that way...

Inq: have you tried disassembling the keeper clip, and putting a drop of Loctite on the tiny screw, then putting it back together and really tightening it down?

It's a real pain, but seems to stay together much, much better.