30 gauge wire

[remise]

Can 30 gauge magnetic wire be used to make wires? I normally use the wire wrap kind.

[telkanuru]

yeah, but you have to be pretty careful about not scraping off the enamel.

[keith]

Originally Posted by telkanuru

yeah, but you have to be pretty careful about not scraping off the enamel.

...and then very careful about scaping of the enamel at the tip and terminal ends.


One trick for really cheap and dodgy foil wires is to save the plastic cups when you rewire foils. To rewire with the magnet wire scrape the enamel of one end and tie it in a crumpled not and thread it into the plastic cup - the wire knot/scrunch should be large enough for contact with the spring but not so large that it leaves the protection of the cup. Complete your rewire - you have to carefull when tensioning the blade to glue the wire in since there is nothing holding the wire in the cup. Then carefully remove the enamel from the other end to wire the socket.

With practice(*) you can get close to a 100% success rate and they will last a fair while.

Ah the things we have done to save a few pounds.

* I would strongly suggest that you do not attempt to get good at this. Only recommended for cheap Scots

[fencerbill]

Originally Posted by keith

One trick for really cheap and dodgy foil wires is to save the plastic cups when you rewire foils. To rewire with the magnet wire scrape the enamel of one end and tie it in a crumpled not and thread it into the plastic cup - the wire knot/scrunch should be large enough for contact with the spring but not so large that it leaves the protection of the cup. Complete your rewire - you have to carefull when tensioning the blade to glue the wire in since there is nothing holding the wire in the cup. Then carefully remove the enamel from the other end to wire the socket.

Actually may be easier to do this with the wire wrap wire that Remise mentioned. There are small mechanical strippers for the wire wrap wire where you can precisely and reliably remove a certain amount of insulation.

I thought there had been mention of a Eastern European country where they never used a button in the cup, just coiled up the stripped wire.

[keith]

Originally Posted by fencerbill

Actually may be easier to do this with the wire wrap wire that Remise mentioned. There are small mechanical strippers for the wire wrap wire where you can precisely and reliably remove a certain amount of insulation.

The wire leon paul sells by the roll works well - as I am sure do others - and is easier/better than magnet wire. One thing I forgot to mention is that the best way to get the coils right for sitting in the cup is to wrap the end of the wire two or three times aroung the base of a match stick. The coils are the right width to sit nicely in the cup, also with the leon paul wrap wire it is heavy enough to hold the cup well when you glue the wire into the groove. The other thing to do is to apply a bit of clear nail polish to the base of the cup/wire this holds the thread in place and provides a little extra protection against shorts.

The savings only really make sense when you are working as 'club armourer' and trying to get the maximum number of weapons ready for a competition. Given that these often end up broken in any number of imaginative ways the savings are worth while.

Getting horrid flash backs of a dozen electric foils handed back after a beginners comp and half of them being broken because the handle was either so loose that the wire had snapped or the handle had been re-tightened to snip the wire.... *shudders*.

[remise]

I thought there had been mention of a Eastern European country where they never used a button in the cup, just coiled up the stripped wire.

Funny you should mention that, as I was taught to wire my own stuff by a coach from an Eastern European country.

[twisterfencing]

Originally Posted by remise

I thought there had been mention of a Eastern European country where they never used a button in the cup, just coiled up the stripped wire.

Funny you should mention that, as I was taught to wire my own stuff by a coach from an Eastern European country.

Remise:
Let me know if you want some foil/epee wire.
I have several pounds made up for my own use. I make foil wires for vendors with this wire and its all there. No problems.

Gary Spruill

[KD5MDK]

Wires are measured by the pound?

[Purple Fencer]

Originally Posted by KD5MDK

Wires are measured by the pound?

The raw wire that Gary gets is.

[u r the spoon]

Originally Posted by keith

Ah the things we have done to save a few pounds.

* I would strongly suggest that you do not attempt to get good at this. Only recommended for cheap Scots

i think he was referring to pounds as in cash.

for cheap scots and poor students... i was in the habit of making my own wires in college when i couldn't afford to buy them. i got good enough at it to become team armorer. now, i don't bother with it, i just buy wires and charge whoever i fix stuff for.

[Morion]

Considering the amount of time it takes is it really cost effective to make your own wires?

[DHCJr]

The Epee wire takes more time, but to make a Foil wire is less than a minute. I have seen prices as high as $5 for a Foil wire. Considering as the price as gone up, the quality control has gone in the opposite direction.

For Foil wires, definitely yes. If I am wiring for my personal weapons, on Epee yes.

[KD5MDK]

Originally Posted by u r the spoon

i think he was referring to pounds as in cash.

Keith was talking about pounds as cash. Gary (twisterfencing) was talking about pounds as weight.

[twisterfencing]

Originally Posted by KD5MDK

Wires are measured by the pound?

Well,
They are not measured by the pound, but when purchase bulk wire, you buy it by the pound, most times, its like 7 or 8 pounds for a min order. Makes a whole lot of wires.

Gary Spruill

[CrazyLittle]

Radio shack sells Kynar-insulated wire for wrapping. I find that it works perfectly for making my own epee and foil wires, is easy to work with ( no enamel) and you can strip it by pinching the insulation with your fingernails.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2062640