Wire coming out.

[mrbiggs]

This problem is gettinr ridiculous for me. I KNOW I'm doing something wrong, because I've never heard of anyone experiencing anything as drastic as this.

Every time, without exception, when I wire a blade, foil or epee, the wire comes loose and ends up dangling around until it is finally broken. Why is this?

When I wire, I use normal superglue, and I make sure that it is all glued down. I bend my blades slightly when I wire them, because I've been taught that elsewise the wire might break when the blade is bent.

Also, when the wire comes out, for some reason, it streatches or something, so I can't reglue it because the wire part that came out of the blade is longer than the portion of the blade along which it was unglued, even when the blade is curved. Is it just stretching? Or is something else going on?

Thanks.

[dberke]

A few things to consider:

- Be sure you clean your blades thoroughly before wiring them, especially new ones. Often they are coated with a bit of oil, and if that oil remains on the blade, the glue won't take. Soak the blade in an acetone bath for an hour to clean off the oil and any old glue.

- I'm not sure how well superglue works for blades. I use a watery cyanoacrylate glue which has always worked well for me. The watery consistency of the glue ensures that it works its way down into groove and around the wire.
I've rarely had problems with this glue.

Hope that helps,
Dan

[glowstix]

This problem is gettinr ridiculous for me. I KNOW I'm doing something wrong, because I've never heard of anyone experiencing anything as drastic as this.

Every time, without exception, when I wire a blade, foil or epee, the wire comes loose and ends up dangling around until it is finally broken. Why is this?

When I wire, I use normal superglue, and I make sure that it is all glued down. I bend my blades slightly when I wire them, because I've been taught that elsewise the wire might break when the blade is bent.

Also, when the wire comes out, for some reason, it streatches or something, so I can't reglue it because the wire part that came out of the blade is longer than the portion of the blade along which it was unglued, even when the blade is curved. Is it just stretching? Or is something else going on?

Thanks.

whatever you do, DON'T USE SUPER GLUE. once it dries, its very brittle and the wire will continue to pop out.
make sure the grooves are clean before applying any glue as previous poster said.
i'd suggest getting fencing specific glue from an online vendor; its a pain but it will pay off in the end. my wires haven't popped since i got it.
also, i thinks its better to put a generous amount of glue. not a huge amount, just enough so that you can actually see some glue in the grooves. too little and a hard hit causes the popping.

[Dee EffEll]

I bend my blades slightly when I wire them, because I've been taught that elsewise the wire might break when the blade is bent.

Not to be overly pedantic, but the proper procedure is to put the wire in place, pull the wire very tight and tape securely in place on the tang, and THEN bend the blade. The bend lays the wire in the goove properly, then you apply the glue.

Wasn't clear from your post, my $.02 worth.

[Purple Fencer]

Actually....since I started using a specific superglue, my wire popouts have been cur dramatically.

It's DevCon HV1200. A little more rubbery than standard superglue (which DOES get brittle). Go to DevCon.com and find the nearest dealer.

It's expensive stuff ($25 or so for a full ounce), but good.

[ebonylevin]

Before wiring your blade you have to stretch the wire slightly so it doesnt stretch when you've already wired in place, also like everyone else has said you have to clean all the gunk out of the groove in the blade so the glue can stick. I use normal super glue as well and it works fine but my stuff is probably different from yours. If you want a quick patch up jobbie for spots of wire popping up you can use nail polish, makes the blade nice and colourful.

[pgepps]

I've used superglue, superglue gel, and duco cement successfully in wiring blades, with no significant wire-popping problems. The advice you've been given has been great, just be aware that which glue is best is hotly debated--and probably has a lot to do with what other habits that particular armorer has.

My bet is that you aren't bending the blade enough, or aren't getting the groove clean enough, when you rewire. Do what someone above said: lay the wire in the groove flat and tight, tape it down, make sure it's flat and tight, bend it to about 45 degrees in a bending jig, make sure it's still flat and tight in the groove, then glue. If you're using normal superglue when you follow this procedure, watch out--the glue will tend to run down the groove into the barrel or into the tang, both of which cause really irksome problems. That's why many prefer gel-type glues.

Cheers,
PGE

[neevel]

PGE's advice is what I'd look to first. As long as the blade is thoroughly clean, just about any reasonable choice of glue should work fine. You want to see nothing but bare metal in the groove before you glue the wire in. Securely tape the wire down taut after running it down the groove, and then bend the blade in your jig about as much as you'd expect it to bend when delivering a good, solid hit. I personally use Zap CA for foils, and don't have issues with poppage. For epees, something like Zap-A-Gap that's thicker and will fill in around the wire works better from my experience.

-Dave