anyone recommend using Loctite on barrels?

[fatfencer]

If so what brand, which kind, etc.

FF

[Pescados666]

We do at my school. Not sure on which type... Didn't get a look at it that well.

[Timberwolf_CY]

AAAHHHH!!!!

I KNEW there was something I was forgetting for my new toolbox...back to Wal-Mart, I suppose...

Anyway I use the blue stuff. Not sure how much it helps, but it certainly doesn't hurt.

I suggest doing a seach on this topic, this has been discussed before, IIRC.

[twisterfencing]

Locktite (42) blue

I would not assembe a weapon without it.

Gary Spruill

If so what brand, which kind, etc.

FF

[JEC]

Gary,
I remember that Tim Loomis used a minute amount of the red type, which creates a stronger bond. I have still have a tube from 7 yrs ago. If you need to rewire and use an new barrel, heating the base of the barrel (iron or torch) is enough to make it easy to remove without applying too much torque. Keep in mind that this is illegal for FIE competitions. I bought mine at Autozone (locktite brand).
Jose

[Nolano]

I often use a drop of super glue on the threads. On the weapon I didn't, my barrel came loose a few times.

It's locktite brand superglue, actually. It dries slower than most, and seems to be a bit more elastic. I've used it to rewire a few blades, and it's seemed to work well.

[bigdawg2121]

Gary,
I remember that Tim Loomis used a minute amount of the red type, which creates a stronger bond. I have still have a tube from 7 yrs ago. If you need to rewire and use an new barrel, heating the base of the barrel (iron or torch) is enough to make it easy to remove without applying too much torque. Keep in mind that this is illegal for FIE competitions. I bought mine at Autozone (locktite brand).
Jose

How is it illegal? More importantly how would anyone ever know?

[Nolano]

The red type is supposed to be permanent. As for heating the barrel, I wouldn't heat anything that close to the actual blade, especially not with a torch. I like my blade to remain tempered, thank you. Using red loctite and then needing to heat it to get it off seems like creating more problems than it might be fixing.

[twisterfencing]

JEC;685748

Note: If Tim uses Red, he knows what he is doing. I for one, will only use blue. Red is mainly used to secure down bolts to cars and motorcycles with tons of vibration,,its stays on and is a bear to get off. As stated below, it is permante. When I am working on a weapon, I never check to see if someone has used red threadlock or even super-glued it. When you go to twist off the barrel and figure out that some has used something else than blue, its too late. Most times you end up with a twisted blade. Now,,,,if you work on your own stuff and know what the heck you have done, diffrent story. A two to 4 second shot of a mini-torch will not un-temper a blade. It will just heat up the glue/red threadlock enough to make it easy to unlock it.

For safety reasons and blade condition, I use blue. One small bottle of this stuff will do about 200+ weapons.

Gary Spruill

Gary,
I remember that Tim Loomis used a minute amount of the red type, which creates a stronger bond. I have still have a tube from 7 yrs ago. If you need to rewire and use an new barrel, heating the base of the barrel (iron or torch) is enough to make it easy to remove without applying too much torque. Keep in mind that this is illegal for FIE competitions. I bought mine at Autozone (locktite brand).
Jose

[SJCFU#2]

How is it illegal? More importantly how would anyone ever know?

It would probably be more accurate to say that it is not approved by the SEMI committee as a method of affixing the point to the end of the blade (m.12/m.20).

That being said, I doubt that most people would ever notice unless something were seriously wrong, such as the barrel was insulated from the blade or so much had run down that blade that portions of it (the blade) were sufficiently insulated as to prevent touches on the blade from grounding out.

[Zilverzmurfen]

I've never used LocTite for the barrel, but I sometimes use the LocTite blue (?) liquid to help secure grub screws.


Edit: Loctite 243 "threadlocking" stuff.

[gatsby]

my barrels from vendor-wired blades always came loose.

so i now wire all my own blades. one drop of loctite blue on the tip threads...and i haven't had a loose barrel since (and its been a few years)

[fatfencer]

As always, when I don't know the answer I can just come here.

Loctite Bloo it is.



FF

[Mergs]

I've never used LocTite for the barrel, but I sometimes use the LocTite blue (?) liquid to help secure grub screws.


Edit: Loctite 243 "threadlocking" stuff.

Actually, LOCTITE purple is for small diameter screws, like grub screws.

[fencerbill]

The red type is supposed to be permanent. As for heating the barrel, I wouldn't heat anything that close to the actual blade, especially not with a torch. I like my blade to remain tempered, thank you. Using red loctite and then needing to heat it to get it off seems like creating more problems than it might be fixing.

When you work on University weapons you run into all types.

When I had trouble getting tips off, I was successful in heating the barrel with my soldering gun. Contact for about 10-20 seconds helps a lot.

Never was sure whether it was loctite or super glue.

Heating the barrel with a soldering gun is unlikely to affect the temper of a blade. Not sure whether it will satisfy the ultra purists among us. But they have the option of throwing the blade away.

[Nolano]

The torch is more what I was concerned about, than a soldering iron. It just kinda seems like going to really extreme methods to fix something that isn't really broken. Needing to do it to get a tip off a weapon that some unknown person wired is another story. Using red loctite just seemed like a bad idea to me.

[remise]

You CAN use the red Loctite, but if you do put a tiny bit on a q-tip and THEN apply to the threads. Otherwise, you'll never get it off.

[larkmaj]

I often use a drop of super glue on the threads. On the weapon I didn't, my barrel came loose a few times.

It's locktite brand superglue, actually. It dries slower than most, and seems to be a bit more elastic. I've used it to rewire a few blades, and it's seemed to work well.

You have to be careful with superglue as it is non-conductive. Which can cause problems, especially with foils.

[Frater_Frag]

I prefer to wrap some thread (the kind you stitch your clothes with), around the blade before I put the barrel on. The thread both looks down the wire and keeps it in place, and it also makes sure that the barrel stays in place.

[brtech]

I prefer to wrap some thread (the kind you stitch your clothes with), around the blade before I put the barrel on. The thread both looks down the wire and keeps it in place, and it also makes sure that the barrel stays in place.

Interesting idea. Do you have to clean out the thread bits on the inside of the barrel when you rewire? Seems like threading the barrel on would chop up the thread, which might stay on the side thread of the barrel.