Wear on Leon Paul GT point screws

[erooMynohtnA]

I was doing some maintanence on my foils, and in the process I decided to take out the screws in my LP GT points. If you're familiar with this tip, you know that you can completely disassemble it by just backing out the screws a little.

In my oldest tip, both screws looked like they were dented on one side. Is that normal? I've heard that the LP screws wore down over time, and I've had these screws in that weapon for about 7-8 months without being changed.

Is it the impact of the point against the screw, the spinning of the tip, or both that contributes to this wear?

While the screws looked gross, my weapon functioned perfectly. There was no detrimental effect to it. I only knew the screw was worn once I took it out.

Here are pictures: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...e/Tipscrew.jpg

The bottom right hand screw is a newer one that I've only used a couple months.

[Barry Paul]

Originally Posted by erooMynohtnA

Is it the impact of the point against the screw, the spinning of the tip, or both that contributes to this wear?


Here are pictures: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...e/Tipscrew.jpg

The bottom right hand screw is a newer one that I've only used a couple months.

Nice pictures, In answer to your question yes both impact and rotation causes wear on the screw.

This can be a cause of higher resistance in the foil and if dirt gets caught white lights in use. You can check this by backing of the screws half a turn and checking. If in doubt remove top clean the touching surface and replace the screws.

[Belegur]

This might actually be why one of my foils with the GT tip is intermittently registering off targets (usually only when there is a clash of blades, but curiously not when I give it a slight whack on my shoe afterwards).

Having searched the forums, cleaning it with a Q-tip seems to be the solution, but should I use anything else with it, like methylated spirits, so as to get a better result?

[Purple Fencer]

Originally Posted by Belegur

This might actually be why one of my foils with the GT tip is intermittently registering off targets (usually only when there is a clash of blades, but curiously not when I give it a slight whack on my shoe afterwards).

Having searched the forums, cleaning it with a Q-tip seems to be the solution, but should I use anything else with it, like methylated spirits, so as to get a better result?

I use rubbing alcohol, myself. But an off-target happening on a meeting of blades usually indicates something is a little loose. Check everything that screws together. Even if the barrel feels tight by hand, throw a wrench on it and give it a crank...it may STILL be loose enough for a beat to register an off-target. Also check the pommel and the wire connection at the socket.

[Barry Paul]

If it is an original Leon paul wired blade it is very unlikely to be a loose barrel and trying to tighten it is more likely to break the bond between barrel and blade. It will then become loose.

First change the screws, if the problem persist try changing the tip. Only then should you look for other causes.

[fencerbill]

I confess I have never worked with Leon Paul GT points, but I have worked with both German type tips and French type tips. To overcome intermittents in both types I use a fine sandpaper between the base and hoop. You have to rotate the tip base and/or hoop while you holding the sandpaper between them. This would overcome fine grit that had stuck on either of them. Do one side and then turn the sandpaper over and do the other side. Or use folded sandpaper to do both sides at the same time.

[DHCJr]

Originally Posted by fencerbill

I confess I have never worked with Leon Paul GT points, but I have worked with both German type tips and French type tips. To overcome intermittents in both types I use a fine sandpaper between the base and hoop. You have to rotate the tip base and/or hoop while you holding the sandpaper between them. This would overcome fine grit that had stuck on either of them. Do one side and then turn the sandpaper over and do the other side. Or use folded sandpaper to do both sides at the same time.

By hoop I think you are describing what I would call the collar. To give an example the collar on the French type tip has screw holes. The Leon Paul tips are different as they do not have a collar. The base which normally holds the collar on is where the connection between the screw and the tip occurs.

[Joe biebel]

I have had these same problems with intermittent off-targets using the Paul GT foil point. If you compare the Paul to other designs with collars, it would appear that the Paul design has less surface area making continuous contact with the screws than the types that use a collar. The Paul design has an annulus ring making contact with a cylinder (the screws) and probably can only make contact on a few molecules at any one time. If this assessment is correct, it would stand to reason, that any dirt, or deformation of the screws or annulus ring would have a more pronounced effect than on designs with more surface area.

This is not a problem with a clean point, with relatively new screws. It is still far and away, the best point available, it does require a little more periodic cleaning than most tips to avoid the subject problem. The nice thing, of course, is that maintenance, even for an optically challenged (veteran) fencer is so darned easy when you don't have to remove the nice (relatively) large screws.

[erooMynohtnA]

Originally Posted by Barry Paul

Nice pictures, In answer to your question yes both impact and rotation causes wear on the screw.

This can be a cause of higher resistance in the foil and if dirt gets caught white lights in use. You can check this by backing of the screws half a turn and checking. If in doubt remove top clean the touching surface and replace the screws.

For some reason, this never occurred to me before, and it's really obvious, so I don't know why it didn't. The screws being deformed (at least as deformed as they were) is my fault. I have occasionally had gunk build up (if I didn't clean the tip for three or four months) and trigger white lights, and since I'm lazy and I didn't want to switch foils, I would just yank the tip and twist really hard. That would scrape some of the stuff away, and it would work. I believe that was the major contributer to the screws' wear. Oops.

I'd still like to point out, they worked perfectly even with the seriously worn screws. Good work, Paul brothers!

To Belegur: I use WD-40 when I clean mine. Seems to work better than just a bare Q-tip.

[larkmaj]

If your screws on the LP foil points wear are worn and you replace one, I would recommend placing the other as well. Having one worn screw and one non-worn screw is not a good idea, the tip would only be making contact with new one. I know not completely relevant, but something that should be considered.

[fencerbill]

Originally Posted by fencerbill

I confess I have never worked with Leon Paul GT points, but I have worked with both German type tips and French type tips. To overcome intermittents in both types I use a fine sandpaper between the base and hoop. You have to rotate the tip base and/or hoop while you holding the sandpaper between them. This would overcome fine grit that had stuck on either of them. Do one side and then turn the sandpaper over and do the other side. Or use folded sandpaper to do both sides at the same time.

I was asked to better identify where to use the sandpaper.

[Belegur]

As an update for my instance, there seems to be a slight amount of movement in the barrel - enough to feel if I try and rotate it, but not enough to actually see (and it only moves if I hold the foil tightly by the grip). If this is actually what is causing the off-target lights, can it be fixed without having to rewire the blade? A small amount of superglue, perhaps?

[erooMynohtnA]

Originally Posted by Belegur

As an update for my instance, there seems to be a slight amount of movement in the barrel - enough to feel if I try and rotate it, but not enough to actually see (and it only moves if I hold the foil tightly by the grip). If this is actually what is causing the off-target lights, can it be fixed without having to rewire the blade? A small amount of superglue, perhaps?

Just retighten the barrel with a pair of pliers. There are two indents at the base to make this easier. Just make sure you're turning in the right direction and don't twist it too tight, or you may crack the barrel.

[Joe biebel]

Originally Posted by erooMynohtnA

Just retighten the barrel with a pair of pliers. There are two indents at the base to make this easier. Just make sure you're turning in the right direction and don't twist it too tight, or you may crack the barrel.

This is also how I make that repair on other people's weapons. In addition to erooMynohtnA's, advice, turn the blade tip/point down and before tightening, wick a drop or two of "threadlock" into the threaded end of the barrel. Wiggle the barrel a little bit to get the fluid into the threads, then tighten. Dab off the excess fluid, allow it to dry, and it should stay. Super glue may work, but it is so thin that it can get inside the plastic cup and insulate the contact. I don't reccomend it.

[brtech]

I'd recommend you get the right size wrench, and maybe use a C-wrench to hold the blade just under the barrel. Using two wrenches gives you much more control over how tight you get it.

This is an LP barrel, so it probably isn't deformed. I've practiced my technique on a deformed german barrel, tightening it until it cracked. Now I know how much force it can take.