Making Epee Wires

[Mr Epee]

Maybe I'm just cheap, but I hate buying wires.

For the life of me I can't understand why we get charged 4-5 dollars for an epee wires. I know there is an issue of manufacturing scale, but I I can go to Wal-Mart, and buy a nice AM/FM radio for 5 bucks.

Foil Wires are a piece of cake. A little practice and one man armed with a soldering tool and a spool of wire from radio shack can replace broken wires for around 10cents apiece. With only about 2 minutes in labor.

Epee harder, because there are two wires involved and the caps are trickier. I've tried disposing of the little brass caps and tying the contacts like fishing lures, but there is some problems keeping the contacts seperated.

Ideally I would be able to buy the brass caps in bulk somewhere and just, Strip, insert the wire, pinch, and thread back into the cap.

Does anyone know where I might be able to find the caps? They look like a resourceful person might be able to find them in a computer shop that makes cables. (the pins are about the same size)

Thoughts?

[DHCJr]

Leon Paul sells the individual pieces to make your own wires. To cut down on cost you can reuse the plastic from your broken weapons. The pins can be reused also. There is a caveat to that, unless the wires came from Uhlmann, AllStar or Prieur and a few others that crimp rather then solder the connections. PBT solders, so if you have them the pins can be reused a few times.

[telkanuru]

If you're really in a pinch, you can re-use the cups, chuck the pins, and tin the ends of the wires so they won't go back through the holes, making two contact points. These work surprisingly well if done right, although they have more shim problems (for epee) than otherwise would result.

[The Armourer]

I make my own epee rewires using either salvaged bits or LP insulators and brass pins (as suggested above). For the wire I follow Fencing Net member TheArmourer's suggestion and buy winding wire.

Check - http://www.thearmourer.pwp.blueyonde...m#Making_wires

[elberto]

Originally Posted by Mr Epee

Maybe I'm just cheap, but I hate buying wires.

For the life of me I can't understand why we get charged 4-5 dollars for an epee wires. I know there is an issue of manufacturing scale, but I I can go to Wal-Mart, and buy a nice AM/FM radio for 5 bucks.

Thoughts?

making wires is fun to see them actually last and true why pay so much money for something that looks so simple..

When you have a few (dozens sometimes...) of foils and epees to rewire the cost of using a "bought" wire is just too much when you can buy some new blades from the club's budget with any money you can save.

True foil wires are downright easy but epee wires are a right pain in the butt...

Foil wires at least you can almost depend on making your own - the epee ones are touchy (so to speak..) - if you don't have the pins firm enough or set the same height you will have to strip the thing and do it all again - if you don't check it thoroughly enough before gluing with a tip.. - then again sometimes it all seems fine and you finish gluing and it just don't work... I hate that ....

But anyway making your own wires is a great skill to learn and it gives that nice warm feeling i the left foot (also saves club money to invest in the good things.. like beer... even if your desperate new equipment like a good lame'... lol)

[elberto]

that is the cups from foil and epee wires?

Is there a central place that collects them so they can make wires? or buys them cheap?

THis I can see could be an industry - mind you not really that profitable but something fun and at least a good way to salvage those things that we all need..

maybe I should set this up locally but I am not sure how this woudl go - and what could you pay for these things?

springs or grub srews?

10c for a bag of 10 cups...... foil or epee.....

so does anyone do this? or have tried?