Making a bellguard

[beeyeelelwhy]

I am wondering, just out of curiosity, if I would be allowed to make my own bellguard. This is pretty much hypothetical but in an art class at my school I have the tools and skill to do it so i was just wondering. i thought it might be cool for a practice saber or something. Also could you make one out of another metal, such as copper copper? I know it's softer and it wouldn't work as well but again, just for the sake of something cool to look at. Don't judge me by this question i was just thinking about it as i was looking for bellguards on the LP site.

[CvilleFencer]

Several "old timers" still do or have made their own guards. If it is a practice weapon you could make it out of cheese whiz. If it is an electric weapon that will be used in tourneys it needs to conform to the manufacturing and measurement requirements in the rules such as not being "oversized" nothing extending past the guard, no spikes etc and would need to be able to be grounded via the scoring machine.

So the short answer is yes, sure make you own and if you are creative you can even use a spiffy scrollwork copper bellguard in local and state tourneys and such, but don't show up at a NAC or very large tourney with it as it will most likely cause you some problems.

If you surch the board this has been mentioned several times with a bit more info such as what guage of steel and the diameter to make the bell and so forth. It is a cool idea and if you are into that kind of thing it would most likely be fun. Best of luck with it if you decide to do it and if it looks cool post a pic of it.

[Inquartata]

I know an epee fencer who made himself a carbon-fibre guard. I don't know if it's legal or durable enough for use, but it looked very cool.

[The Armourer]

I know an epee fencer who made himself a carbon-fibre guard. I don't know if it's legal or durable enough for use, but it looked very cool.

Did the carbon-fibre guard register hits though - or can it be earthed out like a normal metal guard?

[Inquartata]

I don't know. He had it at a tournament, but unmounted as yet. I haven't seen him since to ask how it worked out in use.

[Alex_Paul]

I have a bunch of Carbon guards and have not found a way to give them conductivity yet. If anyone knows of anything clever.....

[telkanuru]

Dope the carbon?

[Inquartata]

No, not the Cadets of Carbon de Castel-Jaloux, the Guards...

They have to be bribed.

[telkanuru]

Nah, making that kind of guard conduct is simply a matter of voltage

[CvilleFencer]

Cover them with a very thin layer of copper or nickle making a kind of composite bellguard? It would still scratch off eventually leaving dead spots...

[Artisan]

I have a bunch of Carbon guards and have not found a way to give them conductivity yet. If anyone knows of anything clever.....

I have considered this...and its an appealing idea - and have made some stuff out of carbon fiber. There are a couple things to consider in addition to the conductivity thing: there would need to be a metal ferrule in the graphite at the tang hole for the guard to hold up to the uneveness that a blade's shoulder and a grip's end have when tightened together. Also to be strong enough, it would be at least 5 layers of 12 oz. twill fabric, which would make it close to the same weight of aluminum.
If you molded an outside layer of conductive mesh into the layup, and then exposed that mesh it could ground a hit to the guard - but you'd also be adding weight.

Durability to impacts could also be a problem. Composites would be great for making blades too, except for the impact they would be subjected to, which would tend to mash the fibers and chip / break the epoxy. Ever see a Corvette in a crash? Carbon Fiber / Kevlar laminates behave like fiberglass, only they are stonger and lighter.