Overhead bungee cord reel system, parts advice?

I'm putting together a premanent overhead wire system for my scoring
machines, and haven't been able to find a satisfatory cable to use for
the fencer's wire. The most suitable seems to be a three-wire, 20 ga.
"continuous flex" cable, but my local supplier wants $3.60/ft. (USD)
for it. I wonder what others have used, and what they think of the
choice?

Thanks for suggestions!

Ed Ploy
Williamsport, PA, USA

[fencerbill]

Originally Posted by Ed Ploy

I'm putting together a premanent overhead wire system for my scoring
machines, and haven't been able to find a satisfatory cable to use for
the fencer's wire. The most suitable seems to be a three-wire, 20 ga.
"continuous flex" cable, but my local supplier wants $3.60/ft. (USD)
for it. I wonder what others have used, and what they think of the
choice?

Thanks for suggestions!

Ed Ploy
Williamsport, PA, USA

A couple of hints from our system at Boston FC.

Use plastic laundry pulleys. You want bigger rather than smaller.

Drill out the axles and use clevis pins and clips. That way you can replace the cables without tools and don't have to repair them in place.

One eighth inch bungee cord works just fine. May not last as long but it is cheaper than larger sizes.

fencerbill

Good idea about the pulleys, I'll make sure to do that. If I find a
cable of the right price I may make up an extra or two as well. My
design is such that I have to take the cable part down every night and
leave the bungee in the ceiling, so I should be able to incorporate
spare cable.

I found my bungee from a tarp maker here in town, $.20/ft for 3/16"
bungee.

Now I'm looking for reasonably priced connectors...

-Ed Ploy
Williamsport, PA, USA


On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 03:33:32 +0000, fencerbill
<fencerbill.1r2f23@timelimit.fencing101.com> wrote:

>
>Ed Ploy Wrote:
>> I'm putting together a premanent overhead wire system for my scoring
>> machines, and haven't been able to find a satisfatory cable to use for
>> the fencer's wire. The most suitable seems to be a three-wire, 20 ga.
>> "continuous flex" cable, but my local supplier wants $3.60/ft. (USD)
>> for it. I wonder what others have used, and what they think of the
>> choice?
>>
>> Thanks for suggestions!
>>
>> Ed Ploy
>> Williamsport, PA, USA
>
>A couple of hints from our system at Boston FC.
>
>Use plastic laundry pulleys. You want bigger rather than smaller.
>
>Drill out the axles and use clevis pins and clips. That way you can
>replace the cables without tools and don't have to repair them in
>place.
>
>One eighth inch bungee cord works just fine. May not last as long but
>it is cheaper than larger sizes.
>
>fencerbill