Patching Lames

[pokey]

So my lame has a hole in it. LP was kind enough to provide some scrap material to patch it with. (Yay LP!)

It looks like from searching that the way to do it is to fold over the edges of the patch then sew in a way to avoid any flaps or loose edges that can be caught.

What I couldn't find was whether it matters what kind of thread I use. Thoughts? Other tips or gems of wisdom you know now that you wish you knew before you patched your lame?

[randomsabreur]

Any thread is fine, providing it is strong enough not to get shredded by the rough lame material (assuming it's not a lightweight).

Make the stitches close enough that there's not obvious gaps, but not so close that they make a dead patch.

Don't sew through onto the lining, particularly not the lining on the other side of the jacket...

[pokey]

Originally Posted by randomsabreur

Don't sew through onto the lining, particularly not the lining on the other side of the jacket...

On the assumption I'm doing this sewing my hand, how would I avoid sewing through the lining on the same side of the jacket? I'm not sure I'll be able to get enough space to turn that needle around between the lame and the waterproof layer.

[sir alasdair]

Originally Posted by pokey

What I couldn't find was whether it matters what kind of thread I use. Thoughts?

Not an answer, but another related question - does anyone have access to any spools of the thread used to make the soft/washable - type lames???

Is this the ultimate redundancy? - a "thread" thread?

[Robert Smith]

If you mean lames like the Infinity, I don't think they come as thread. They're made as a mesh which is then treated (a dipping process?) to apply the conductive stuff.

I sell conductive thread - see my sig - and I've occasionally contemplated the idea of sewing it all over a non-FIE jacket to make the world's first ever (maybe?) jackalame. But then I think of the hours of work it would take, figure I can do without another Nobel and go back to playing Bioshock.

But if you want to try it, I'll happily sell you the thread...

[Cookeit]

Originally Posted by Robert Smith

I've occasionally contemplated the idea of sewing it all over a non-FIE jacket to make the world's first ever (maybe?) jackalame. But then I think of the hours of work it would take, figure I can do without another Nobel and go back to playing Bioshock.

I believe I saw one of these on the zivkovic site awhile ago, but I can't find it now.

[oiuyt]

Originally Posted by Robert Smith

I sell conductive thread - see my sig -

This is a REALLY good thing to pick up and toss in your repair kit. I bought a couple of spools of this thread (1 for myself, 1 for my team at the time). I still have a ton left on my spool and it's come in handy a number of times for quick repairs. My kit, my team's kit, other people's kit, etc.

Great stuff. Well worth the (not very much) money.

-B

[Tomas N]

Ok, related question. Is it possible to repair a tear in a sabre bib?

Tomas

[fencerbill]

Originally Posted by pokey

So my lame has a hole in it. LP was kind enough to provide some scrap material to patch it with. (Yay LP!)

It looks like from searching that the way to do it is to fold over the edges of the patch then sew in a way to avoid any flaps or loose edges that can be caught.

What I couldn't find was whether it matters what kind of thread I use. Thoughts? Other tips or gems of wisdom you know now that you wish you knew before you patched your lame?

My advice is a little contrary, except to add to the recommendations for Robert Smith's conductive thread.

Any kind of thread can be used.

I don't care for patches on top of the surface of the Lame. They catch points. I slide the patch through the hole and unfold it between the Lame fabric and the liner, making sure there is patch behind all of the hole. Put in a couple of pins to hold the patch and to make sure the liner is properly lined up with the Lame. Then just sew zig-zags with a sewing machine back and forth across the patch. You wind up with a flat surface, nothing to catch a point. As a bonus, you use less patching fabric. Don't worry about sewing through the lining, except to make sure it lines up.

I use a similar technique for Sabre bibs. Slide a patch of Lame fabric through the hole and unfold it. I frequently use a hot melt glue gun on bib patches. But it is tricky, you need to get glue around the circumference of the hole but you can't get any on the front surface, either of the original bib fabric or the front surface of the patch. Because, of course, the hot melt glue is not conductive.

Sometimes if it is a fresh tear, you don't need a patch, but you must sew it to the backing (bib or Lame) before the edges fray.

The basic problem with using conductive thread to turn a jacket into a Lame is that your lines of thread must be closer than the size of the tip of a weapon or the size of the Lame tester. That is a lot of thread and a lot of sewing.

The conductive thread can be a God send for getting a little extra life from a Lame that has a pinhole dead spot. Just sew a conductive thread star over the dead spot. It can work for a tournament but not much longer. The dead spot is just the tip of the iceberg of Lame fabric going bad.

[Inquartata]

And if you're anal enough to hate sewing through the lining anyway, there are a couple of ways to do it:

1) Cut a slit in the lining behind the area to be patched, so you can reach the inside of the lamé material. After you're done, sew the slit in the lining closed again. If you can handle a needle well, the slit can be really small.

2) Just pull the lining away from the inside of the lamé fabric, You needn't push the needle all the way through the fabric and then start it again to push it back through; you can bend the fabric enough so that the in and out stitches are made at the same time. If this is too difficult, they make curved needles. ( Think about it, how do doctors suture skin? They use tiny curved needles. )

[oiuyt]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

1) Cut a slit in the lining behind the area to be patched, so you can reach the inside of the lamé material. After you're done, sew the slit in the lining closed again. If you can handle a needle well, the slit can be really small.

Just make sure that, when repairing the lining, you don't sew through the lamé material.

To make this easier, cut a slit in the fronting fabric so you can reach the lining. After you're done, sew the slit in the lamé material closed again. If you can handle a needle well you're probably not relying on Inq and myself for advice.

-B

[Bran]

Originally Posted by Cookeit

I believe I saw one of these on the zivkovic site awhile ago, but I can't find it now.

We did have them on our website for some time.

They were made by Allstar and had the Messemer name on the label.

I had about 10 or so available but no one purchased them.... until about three weeks ago when someone from Canada purchased the whole lot for about $200.00.

Man, did they get a deal.

Bran

[sir alasdair]

I don't care about sewing through the lining, actually as long as I can patch over the dead spots that eventually happen I'd be happy. I previously patched a small dead spot by pulling the copper strands from some speaker cable and manually zig-zag stitching 1/8" stitches over the area. The lame worked again (no dead spots) and lasted for about another year until the underarm area on my weapon arm finally gave out. Actual conductive thread would be cool, as long as the tensile strength is enough that I could us a sewing machine with zig-zag to patch large areas and have it look decent and be even.

Robert, I would like to get a spool of that thread if it's still available...
PM me when you get this. Let me know how much $$$

[fencerbill]

Originally Posted by sir alasdair

I don't care about sewing through the lining, actually as long as I can patch over the dead spots that eventually happen I'd be happy. I previously patched a small dead spot by pulling the copper strands from some speaker cable and manually zig-zag stitching 1/8" stitches over the area. The lame worked again (no dead spots) and lasted for about another year until the underarm area on my weapon arm finally gave out. Actual conductive thread would be cool, as long as the tensile strength is enough that I could us a sewing machine with zig-zag to patch large areas and have it look decent and be even.

Robert, I would like to get a spool of that thread if it's still available...
PM me when you get this. Let me know how much $$$

The conductive thread is much easier to work with than metallic strands.

Whether hand sewing or using a sewing machine, the tricky part is threading the needle with the conductive thread. Robert suggests putting the conductive thread on the bobbin and sewing the Lame upside down. I have had good luck using the little wire needle threaders available at Joanne's and other sewing stores.

It is hard to get the tension right to sew zig-zag with Robert's thread. Better to sew straight lines close together.

Just checked, you can find Robert's web site by Googling "conductive thread".

[Robert Smith]

Originally Posted by sir alasdair

Robert, I would like to get a spool of that thread if it's still available...
PM me when you get this. Let me know how much $$$

I used to use ICQ once upon a time, but not in a long, long while, so I don't have an IM client handy any longer, sorry. But my website is right there in my sig - http://members.shaw.ca/ubik/thread/ - and I do still have thread. Almost all of it goes to experimenters in wearable electronics, but the odd spool to a fencer every now and then won't discommode them too much.

As to how to use, whether you can top sew or not depends very much on the machine. It's a heavy thread, so you need a suitable needle - a needle for upholstery thread works well. Experiment on a scrap of something else to get the tension right, and you should be okay. If it's not working from above, it will work from below, it's just easier from above, when you can see where you're sewing.

Threading the needle, if you don't have one of those little metal loop things, a more accessible alternative is the plastic equivalent sold in drug stores for threading dental floss.