New Epee blades - drop in acetone?

[Chafunkta]

I know that from previous blades I've ordered (namely Vnitis from BG), it's been suggested that I drop them in acetone to remove any excess oil or grease on the blades to guarantee a good re-wire. I was wondering if this is also true for some LP Standard epee blades I just got in.

Also, when wiring epee blades, does it matter which wire goes to which nut on the socket?

Thanks

[keith]

Originally Posted by Chafunkta

Also, when wiring epee blades, does it matter which wire goes to which nut on the socket?

Thanks

the wire from the left tip contact has to be attached to the connector on the left of the socket.

.....always a good idea to give the blade a good clean before wiring even if there is not an obvious buildup of oil/grease. If they are not really coated in crease then you can rub down with acetone rather than soaking (which is why, despite the strange looks, I've always appreciated a job that gives me access to a fume hood).

[larkmaj]

keith's advice is pretty sound. It doesn't hurt to acetone it and it could save a rewire. He was obviously joking about the wiring. Just make sure they're attached to the two holes that are closer together. Doesn't matter which goes where beyond that.

[yeoldearmourer]

All blades coming over is coated with oil to prevent condensed from the change in temp even in a cargo plaane. i always clean any new blade first before wireing.

[bousquet]

Acetone is great for taking off nail polish and other lacquers but for removing grease and oil, get you some 1-1-1 Trichoroethane or Tricloroethylene. That's the good stuff.

[epeeisky]

I use a cotton swab with some of that Duct tape adhesive remover. The stuff removes everything, not only adhesive, and gives your blade a slightly orangey smell for about a week.

The way in which you attach the A and B line wires does not matter as long as you do not attach them to the C line post.

[EpeeBunney]

Originally Posted by bousquet

Acetone is great for taking off nail polish and other lacquers but for removing grease and oil, get you some 1-1-1 Trichoroethane or Tricloroethylene. That's the good stuff.

Proberly better off with chlorofrom or dichloromethane, less harmful for the enviroment and less controls on sales and use.

[mrbiggs]

Or you can just use acetone, which most people who wire blades already have, and which seems to work fine for me.

[Purple Fencer]

Originally Posted by yeoldearmourer

All blades coming over is coated with oil to prevent condensed from the change in temp even in a cargo plaane. i always clean any new blade first before wireing.

Unless you get a colored blade...the color coating serves the same purpose as the grease..,rust protection during storage in a controlled warehouse environment between manufacturing and initial sale.

EVEN SO....I routinely process new blades this way:

1) Colored or greased (non-colored blades) get the acetone treatement (non-colored blades for longer, since the acetone needs to cut the grease...where on a colored blade,. a quick dip is sufficient foloowed by a wipedown to get any residual crud off.

For sabre blades, this is enough. Foil and epee blades get more processing.

2) Out comes the dremel...first to chamfer out the tip (especially on foil blades) to cut down on wires getting caught in the edge of the tip) using the same reinforced fibreglass cutting wheel I use to cut tangs...if you try it, don't hang too lon on the blade...a light touch at an angle is all you need.

3) Then I switch to the diamind wheel and grind out the groove. If it's a greage blade, you HAVE to carve ot the congealed greage in the groove...otherwise the wire will lay on top of the blade. If it's a colored blade, you STILL have to grind out the colored coating to ensure a good bond with the glue.

4) After grinding the stuff out, I run a q-tip withy rubbing alcohol down the blade to wip up any last little bit of crud, and then run a knife down the groove to not only remove any bits of the q-tip, but also to feel if I missed anything in the blade.

Only AFTER I do all that (and when I get an order of 100 or more blades in, it;s a lot o' work), are the blades put in the storage tube I use for inventory.

[ReverseLunge]

pour some acetone down the grove of the blade and set it on fire. That way you make sure that all the oil and grease burn off too.

[hpfencing]

Originally Posted by ReverseLunge

pour some acetone down the grove of the blade and set it on fire. That way you make sure that all the oil and grease burn off too.

My armoury staff are a bit of pyros, I'm afriad we'd have a burt down fencing building.