Epee rewiring cost/time?

[thekoby]

It is better to use automotive shims and be able to set your tips in a range. Not only can you make sure you will pass any legal shim, you can also make sure that one hard hit causes the weapon to fail because it compress very slightly.

nice advice!! I might have to do that...make sure my epee passes shims, but just enough that they are still very touchy ;-) I know, that's cheap :-p

[migopod]

I have two feeler gauges that I've notched out so they work like test shims. I don't remember exactly what thicknesses they are off hand, but one's labeled P and one F. When I'm setting the contact spring, it's supposed to pass P and fail F. They're really close in thickness, and P is a wee bit thinner than official shim tolerance.

The result is not only knowing to within a few thousandths of an inch what your lighting stroke is, but also knowing that you're not going to fail on the strip even if they're using a worn out shim. Since I started doing this, I've never failed a shim test.

The best thing is that they were "free" in the sense that they were included in some feeler gauges that I bought for motorcycle valve tappet clearance adjustments, and not a useful thickness for that.

[SJCFU#2]

Originally Posted by thekoby

nice advice!! I might have to do that...make sure my epee passes shims, but just enough that they are still very touchy ;-) I know, that's cheap :-p

Don't forget to bear in mind that the "official shim" (i.e. the one that you will be tested with out on the strip) has its own tolerances (+/- 0.05 mm).

You definately want to make sure that your tip is set to pass with a 0.45 mm shim. Somewhere between 0.35 and 0.40 mm would probably be better unless you are prepared to take the tip apart and reset the travel after every bout.

[thekoby]

I was talking to my club's official armorer about this earlier today and looked it up in the USFA rules. It states that there is a +/-0.05mm, but states the general width should be 0.50 compressed. But I believe someone mentioned this already, if I were to set my epees to pass at 0.45mm, one strong hit and my spring will compress and I won't pass the next time.

[D'Artagnan1673]

In addition to FF's suggestion of using bottle caps bound to together with string or wire, what are some other suggestions for keeping the blade in a bend while gluin?

I wire by placing the tang on the ground and bending the blade to fit into hole made for a door handle. It's always worked okay, but I don't think I could rewire a weapon in 30 minutes, let alone 15, by gluing like that.

[jkdjeff]

You guys are talking about things that I have no idea about at this point, but:

An armorer at my club is going to teach me how to rewire my own epee this weekend, and only charge me for the wire.

So it's a win-win all around.

[SJCFU#2]

Originally Posted by D'Artagnan1673

In addition to FF's suggestion of using bottle caps bound to together with string or wire, what are some other suggestions for keeping the blade in a bend while gluin?

Beside the classic two metal pipe caps connected by a length of chain (which has already been mentioned):

• Take a length of board and drill a hole near each (or one at one end and several at the other end to allow room for adjustment). Fit the end of the tang into the hole at one end and the barrel into the appropriate hole at the other end.

• Find a table top that happens to be about the proper height (maybe stack some books on the floor to adjust the effective height).

I'm sure there are others - people can be very creative when it comes to blade jigs.

[thekoby]

Originally Posted by D'Artagnan1673

In addition to FF's suggestion of using bottle caps bound to together with string or wire, what are some other suggestions for keeping the blade in a bend while gluin?

I use a standard size window frame. I'll take a sock or cloth for each end of the weapon so I don't scratch the wood around the window and bend it inside the frame. Not only does this work but it puts the weapon someplace out of my way so i can let it dry, gives me extra light to work with, and I have several windows around my house so I can do several weapons at once.

[D'Artagnan1673]

Thanks for the suggestions. I especially like the window frame idea, since my doorframe solution is hardly out of the way. It was bad enough when it was just the Mrs. and I, but now we have three kids...

[remise]

Since we're on a creative binge here, I'll say that there is a fellow at the club who uses his sliding glass patio door. His reasoning is - unlike a window or doorway, the sliding door can be adjusted.

[thekoby]

That's a nifty idea, especially if you are wiring a #2 blade for a junior fencer.

[brtech]

Slight variation on the copper pipe cap idea. Instead of chain, use a piece of nylon cord (small diameter). Tie one end to to a hole in one cup. Loop the other end through a small rectangle of plastic with two holes a bit bigger than the diameter of the cord, through the hole in the other pipe cap and tie to the other hole in the plastic.

1" copper pipe caps are fine and will fit the tang of epee or foil. It will even fit in the end of most handles (not French) so you can bend a blade that needs some re-glueing without disassembling it. Drill the hole up near the open end.

This is easier to adjust than the chain, and is physically smaller, so it takes less room and weight in your armory toolkit.

[twisterfencing]

1. reasonable cost: $25 to $30 plus parts
2. Time it takes: If there are none in front of you,,,about 15 minutes,,,if there is a line of weapons stacked up to do the same, a day or so.

Gary Spruill

Originally Posted by jkdjeff

I got my first electric epee (been using club gear while I switched for from foil) this weekend...and of course, it needs to be rewired already due to not being put together properly.

I'm going to go back to the vendor that sold it to me and try to get resolution from them (BG via a local salle), but it may very well be easier and cheaper to get it fixed locally.

So, two questions regarding rewiring:

1) What's a reasonable amount to pay?

2) How much time does it usually take?

I'm sure there's variability among people who do it (I'm in the Seattle area) but if it's only going to run me like $20 and I can find someone to do it quickly, that might be the easiest resolution.

Thanks in advance!

[rdg]

I have some pictures of wiring an epee blade on my website. It is kind'a slow, but it is reasonably inclusive

http://www.gilcrist.com/SamWork/epee/epee.htm

Hope it helps.

Sam

[jkdjeff]

Epee is all rewired, had someone help me with it on Sunday.

I don't think I'll order another blade from BG, though.

[piste off]

Originally Posted by jkdjeff

Epee is all rewired, had someone help me with it on Sunday.

I don't think I'll order another blade from BG, though.

I have not found a vendor that could wire a blade to save their a$$. BG, Absolute, Blade, Zivkovic...

Moreover, most have not found out about blue Loctite-ing the barrels, so that often becomes and issue even before the wire starts popping out.

For wires, use Pliobond. You won't have issues with wire pops. Go with FWF points (use blue Loctite) and Absolute wires (the Chinese ones) and the blade will break before you have any issues with the wiring.

R-

[twisterfencing]

piste off:

You must have never ordered a wired blade from Swordmasters.

I wire most of his blades for him. Yes, I use locktight #42 blue on every foil and epee barrel when assembling. The only CA (superglue) I use is Zap (pink). The only wires I use are: FWF for epee and Twister wires (the ones I make) for foil.

Scott stocks every type of blade everyone else carries.


Gary Spruill

Originally Posted by piste off

I have not found a vendor that could wire a blade to save their a$$. BG, Absolute, Blade, Zivkovic...

Moreover, most have not found out about blue Loctite-ing the barrels, so that often becomes and issue even before the wire starts popping out.

For wires, use Pliobond. You won't have issues with wire pops. Go with FWF points (use blue Loctite) and Absolute wires (the Chinese ones) and the blade will break before you have any issues with the wiring.

R-

[jkdjeff]

Well, I'll want a second epee for competition in the not so distant future, so maybe I'll look that way.

While it wasn't the end of the world, rewiring a brand new epee was a hassle I'd rather not repeat.

[thekoby]

Originally Posted by jkdjeff

I don't think I'll order another blade from BG, though.

I've had some issues with BG blades before as well. My club ordered 5 new blades and within two weeks three of them had snapped during practice. The only problem is that I don't have a lot of money so I can't get those nice blades from LP, so I've just been getting the colored SG blades from BG. So far I haven't had any issues with them.

[Mergs]

Originally Posted by D'Artagnan1673

(snip)........ but now we have three kids...

WHAT? 3 KIDS?

Damn, you've been a busy boy since I last saw you! Oh, wait, that was about 4 years ago. Or was it longer? Oops. Congrats, and I'm glad to hear that you are back fencing!