Wire problem

[jspierre]

Need a little help; the wires in the groove of my epee, in the foible, have come loose. That is, they are still encased in the original glue from the manufacturer's wiring job, but if you bend the tip of the weapon up, they arch out of the groove. The weapon is otherwise just fine.

Basically, my question is, can I glue them back in, and what preparation, and type of glue would you recommend for this fix? Also, once I apply the glue, how do I make sure the wires stay snug in the groove, and don't just pop up?

[npkeith]

Sounds like a job for superglue - make a blade bender out of 2 film canisters (or PVC pipe caps) and some string. Make it long enough that it will fit over both ends of the epee and bend it so it looks like a longbow.

Hold it with the tip up and drip superglue into the groove.
Use a toothpick or something to wiggle the wire a bit while the glue is wet so that it gets down into the groove, surrounding the wire.

I would avoid trying to prep the groove under the wires, you might damage the insulation on the wires themselves.

I'm not sure how well it will hold, but that is what I would try first.

Or you could just rewire the thing. It only takes a few minutes.
-Keith

[Purple Fencer]

That's a real toughy. Here's what I do....please note this is a quick fix only.

bend the blade backwards so the wire pops up...as you describe this, the original glue will go with the wire.

put some glue on the now kinda empty groove.

Put the blade in a wire jig woth the correct bend and put more glue on top...then set it so the new gloe won't run into the tip OR use an accelerant to set it quickly.

It may require an excessive amount of glue (which actually makes a weaker bond), but in a pinch it'll get you through a tourney...just be prepared for a rewire, because it's VERY difficult to clean the groove without damaging the wire.

[jspierre]

Thanks to both of you. These things are always harder than they seem, and without adequate resources, they're easy to mess up. I work with what you've suggested.

Thanks again!

[The Armourer]

... taking up Purple Fencers method - its the same one I advocate (Evostick is a sort of Bostick type glue):

‘Unstuck’ wire - along the blade can be refixed. I have had limited success using superglue for this purpose. I suspect it is because superglue works best when the surfaces to be glued are clean - which is rarely the case in a repair situation. Evostick is a contact adhesive and is far more forgiving even if it takes a little longer. Take the black applicator cap off the Evostick to expose the bare nozzle, squeeze an even line of glue on the metal of the blade under the wire (using the nozzle to gently ‘lift’ the wire clear of the blade). Press the wire into the glue, find a quiet location in the sports hall where you can wedge the blade so that it maintains an even curve (so putting the wire into tension). Leave for 15 minutes (until the glue is dry to the touch) and then go back and (leaving the blade bent) use your thumb to push the wire firmly onto the blade for the length of the repair. If possible leave the repair undisturbed for a little longer after this last step. This repair is not a pretty sight and should only be considered a short term measure - you should consider rewiring the blade when convenient. If doing this repair at home you can accelerate the setting of the glue by using a hair dryer to blow over the affected area – the blade should not get so hot that you cannot touch the metal with your bare fingers!

Not too certain if I agree that rewiring a blade is easy if your not used to it - I did seven this weekend!

[mrbiggs]

That's a real toughy. Here's what I do....please note this is a quick fix only.

bend the blade backwards so the wire pops up...as you describe this, the original glue will go with the wire.

put some glue on the now kinda empty groove.

Put the blade in a wire jig woth the correct bend and put more glue on top...then set it so the new gloe won't run into the tip OR use an accelerant to set it quickly.

It may require an excessive amount of glue (which actually makes a weaker bond), but in a pinch it'll get you through a tourney...just be prepared for a rewire, because it's VERY difficult to clean the groove without damaging the wire.

Thank you very much for that.

That could have saved me a few spare blades in tournaments, had I known earlier. I think that'll come in handy.