A different way to glue an Epee wire

[ReverseLunge]

Use 100-150 grit sandpaper or a a really stiff metal brush to scratch up the groove of the Epee before gluing. This will make the glue hold better.

[remise]

10-4 that. Reverse-Lunge's method is particularly useful if you glue your blade with epoxy, which can take a while to dremel out.

[telkanuru]

Um, why the devil would you glue a blade with epoxy?

Zap CA all the way...

[remise]

Epoxy is great stuff. It is great for beginners, or for those fencers who hit like a freight train. I have nothing against CA or ZAP. I use it myself. But for fencers whom I've labeled "frequent flyers", epoxy is the way to go, because it is strong, flexible, and does not get brittle and pop out of the blade when in the hands of a beginner or an abuse owner.

Also, if you happen to get a wire with a bare spot on it, the epoxy will insulate the wire and still allow you to use it. With CA, you would more than likely have to paint the wire with polish (depending on the damage to it) or throw it away.

[jm_f]

This is interesting, a few questions though if you guys don't mind.

I take it your ordinary hardware store epoxy is used not something specific? also, if my blade is already wired, would applying epoxy on top be ok? I take it that would still prevent the wire from breaking. From what I've read, you don't need to bend the blade while applying the epoxy right? Do you apply epoxy to fill up the whole blade groove or just enough to glue the wire?

Thanks.

[yeoldearmourer]

Just enough to cover the wire not the whole groove because if you got hit along the groove and it was due to the glue touch against you. The major reason I dont used expoy glue it doesn't run thin enough down the groove.

[Purple Fencer]

It's a little bit of a problem with the superglue I use, but thanks to Dan DeChaine, I have a nifty little tool that I can run down the groove after wiring to see if there's any excess I have to scrape off.

Just to clarify what Tim was saying...if you fill up the entire groove, there's a chance that you may have a lump of glue that could catch the point. If an opponent attack and his point slides down the blade, his tip may catch on that lump, and since glue insulates, the blade cannot serve as a ground (like hitting the guard)...the scoring light will fire and it'll be a point for your opponent!

As far as scratching up the groove to get more surface area for the glue to grab on to...I use a dremel with a diamond wheel for that....much less effort...but the theory and intent is the same.

[Frank Pratt]

Just to clarify what Tim was saying...if you fill up the entire groove, there's a chance that you may have a lump of glue that could catch the point. If an opponent attack and his point slides down the blade, his tip may catch on that lump, and since glue insulates, the blade cannot serve as a ground (like hitting the guard)...the scoring light will fire and it'll be a point for your opponent!

True, though you can prevent this (to some extent, at least) by sanding down the dried glue once it has completely hardened. A direct hit on uninsulated glue would still register, but there would be less chance for the blade to catch (unless it actually dug into the glue.)

[Purple Fencer]

True, though you can prevent this (to some extent, at least) by sanding down the dried glue once it has completely hardened. A direct hit on uninsulated glue would still register, but there would be less chance for the blade to catch (unless it actually dug into the glue.)

True...I prefer a razor to do that, myself...with sandpaper I don't feel like I have a good enough "feel" for the glue removal...wioth a razor I have a little better control...

Whatever works, baby!

[Swordmaster]

Either way, sanding or shaving, you run the risk of niking the wires. Either be careful apllying the adhesive based glues such as Cementit or Bostik, or use a good CA such as Zap then you run less risk of glue buildup in the groove.

I ran across a great way of applying Cementit in Colorado this summer. Get a big hypo syrenge or something like a Cajun Injector with a big needle, thin the glue slightly with Acetone and load it into the syrenge. You will have much better control of the flow of the glue and the appearance it superior to the tube application method.

[Purple Fencer]

Either way, sanding or shaving, you run the risk of niking the wires. Either be careful apllying the adhesive based glues such as Cementit or Bostik, or use a good CA such as Zap then you run less risk of glue buildup in the groove.

I ran across a great way of applying Cementit in Colorado this summer. Get a big hypo syrenge or something like a Cajun Injector with a big needle, thin the glue slightly with Acetone and load it into the syrenge. You will have much better control of the flow of the glue and the appearance it superior to the tube application method.

Yah...Dan mentioned that....syringes in my car when pulled over by a cop....THAT I want to deal with.

"No, Officer, really.....it's glue!"

[KD5MDK]

You could offer to let him inject himself and see what happens...

I wonder if you could somehow bind active carbon to the channel of a blade. For those not in the know, the surface area of active carbon per gram is about the same as a (perfectly flat) tennis court. That's a lot of area to stick to. (Yes, it's a silly idea.)

[Purple Fencer]

You could offer to let him inject himself and see what happens...

I wonder if you could somehow bind active carbon to the channel of a blade. For those not in the know, the surface area of active carbon per gram is about the same as a (perfectly flat) tennis court. That's a lot of area to stick to. (Yes, it's a silly idea.)

Hmmm...I would think it'd be better to have a groove clean of gunk, but with a rough surface...not to increase the surface area (although that COULD be a result) but to provide more nooks & crannies for the glue to wrap itself around and stick to...

[KD5MDK]

Those are the same thing.

[Purple Fencer]

Those are the same thing.

Please explain....you originally said "the surface area of active carbon per gram is about the same as a (perfectly flat) tennis court. That's a lot of area to stick to. (Yes, it's a silly idea.)"

To me "perfectly flat" means smooth....NOT the same as roughed up...

Maybe my terminology and yours aren't lining up...

Going to bed now...looking forward to your resopnse...

[KD5MDK]

Sorry.

The prupose of roughing up a channel is the increase the surface area for the glue to stick to. I suppose some metal spurs might form which trap glue under them, but it's not significant I suspect.

According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Carbon

Activated carbon may have a surface area in excess of 500 m²/g, with 1000 m²/gram being readily achievable. A tennis court is about 260 m².

Of couse they're talking about a theoretical, perfectly flat tennis court, not one made up of grass or concrete I imagine, but the point remains. It is this insanely high surface area which is why active carbon is used to treat poisoning.

[Swordmaster]

What if the tennis court were made of "active carbon"?

[KD5MDK]

Then with enough CA you could probably prevent a foil or epee wire from popping out. It might not pass flex testing though.