Do any plans exist for a homemade reel? I seem to recall some being posted, but I can't find anything in searches.
Do any plans exist for a homemade reel? I seem to recall some being posted, but I can't find anything in searches.
Not in the past year or two. Bungee systems, yes, but not reels.
Here is one of the many threads discussing how to build a bungee system. If that is what you are interested in then you may want to do a more thorough search since there are a number of additional threads and there are many pearls of wisdom (and hard learned lessons) scattered through out them.
Look at this thread for discussion regarding gravity-driven systems (arguable more robust than a bungee system, and better contained in the event that someone lets go of the fencer end socket when the cable is under tension).
Mr Epee also once experimented with building a reel using a retractable extension cord. He documented the experience in this thread. I'm not sure how it turned out in the end however given that I have heard nothing more since then I suspect it may not have worked out all that well.
I've often given some thought to running cables, pulleys, bungee cords, etc. under the floor. If the facility requires a built up floor (most typical spaces I've looked at have a concrete floor), then installing equipment under the strip makes a lot of sense. With the cable exiting at floor level, there's no flying connectors zipping around the room. Also a speed brake could easily included in the assembly.
The only problem with putting everything underneath the floor is that the first step for many repairs then becomes "pull up floor panels" (although you may be able to minimize this by identifying likely failure points and making sure those areas readily accessible).Originally Posted by jfarmer
Not really a problem. Having a background dealing with industrial control systems, I usually start with designing in easily accessible panels, wiring chases, etc. Run the strips parallel to the support beams (joists) and frame a "systems" bay between every other strip. The flooring panels over these are held down by quick-disconnect fasteners. At the end of the strips, the wire exits via a small panel with roller guides, much like the guides on a reel. The cabling, springs, cords, pulleys, etc. can also be mounted in the runoff area at the end of each strip.
And the entire mechanism is complete with a pit crew of three smurfs and an electrician gnome. You hardly even know they're there.
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I have considerable experience with bungee systems, both in portable and fixed overhead installations. I've never seen such a system done with a retractable reel in place of the bungee. 40 Ft and 60Ft retractable clothesline reels are commonly available. Has anyone had some experience with them to share? I think it might make a neater system for portable use than the bungee.
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I have seen one but can't immediately recall where, somewhere here in New England I think.
The use of a 40 ft retractible clothesline reel is practical because the pulley system makes the end of the clothes line move only half as far as the fencer moves.
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Our club used the retractible clothes line system for a number of years until the University was able to come up with some extra cash that we could spend on new scoring systems. I found them to be quite reliable most of the time. The biggest problem that I found was that the reels were not designed to handle this kind of over use, and we needed to replace them about once a semester due to the reel just not being designed for that kind of extended service. Also, the reels needed to have a pretty strong spring in them or the cords wouldn't retract quite properly. Still, even if you replace the reels every few months, it is hard to beat the price.
The setup tat we ended up with was using a piece of wooden dowel stuck into an old plastic duumbell weight for a support stand that the reel was attached to.
The biggest problem that I have with this system, and with the bungie systems is that the "reel" cords and the floor cords are one and the same, which means that if the fencers pass each other, there is a potential tripping hazard from the fencers floor cord that is being passed to the fencer that is performing the passing action.
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I believe there is one club in Baltimore that uses such a system, except that they use old floor reels rather than clothesline reels. Since the reels are no longer part of the electrical circuit the original three-conductor cable may have been replaced with a simple wire rope cable.
IIRC they also have strung a cable overhead running from one end of the room to the other (it may also be suspended in the middle). The cable is tensioned to remain taught, and supports the pulley where the electric cable turns around. The reels sit on shelves mounted up high on the wall (and are secured to the wall to keep them from being pulled off the shelves). This arrangement keeps everything above the heads of the fencers while fitting in a space with a relatively low ceiling (probably not much more than 10 feet).
Which is why it is preferable to keep everything overhead (although not always practical, especially when working in temporary facilities such as a school gymnasium).
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