Strange Foil Problem

[fencerbill]

Foil to fix. Usual situation, just marked broken.

Plug into body cord/weapons tester. Showed BC continuity. But, no change when tip depressed.

This symptom quite often due to wire pinched between grip and socket bracket. Loosened grip but no change. Scratched head.

Second choice is wire is shorted to blade. Only way to tell is to take the tip off, but then you have to rewire. Try everything and anything else first.

Took off tip and, no surprise, continuity from contact in cup in tip to socket. Keep trying.

Disconnect wire from socket. Still have continuity from contact in cup in tip to the free end of the wire. No surprise, scratch head.

Wait, the test box is still connected to the socket and still shows BC continuity. This is really strange. Scratch head.

Completely take grip and socket off. Whoa, still shows BC continuity while socket is dangling in the air connected to nothing. Now this is really strange. Really scratch head.

What the heck, take the B jack off the socket and look carefully. There is a little curl of wire impressed into the plastic insulator. We'll get rid of that! Tug but there is resistance. What!

Separate the two part insulator. Shouldn't that come apart more easily? Force the two pieces apart.

Son-of-a-gun. The curl of wire continues between the two white pieces of the insulator and has a little leg that would be in contact with the metal of the bracket and thus also to the C jack.

This explains the symptom. Reassemble everything (leaving out the curl of wire of course) and, voila, it works. AND DIDN'T HAVE TO REWIRE!

Really glad I found it, my head was getting sore from all that scratching.

Lesson learned - Get rid of those little curls of wire!

If they ever have a practical test for certification as an armorer, they will want to know about this.

Have to send this to Dan DeChaine for his armorer's class at Coach's College.