Epee Rewiring Supplies/Advice

[chinbeard]

CA is short for "Cyanoacrylate" -- superglue.

I get mine (Pink labelled bottle from Bob Smith Industries...a but more rubbery than store bought CA) at hobby stores...go to one that deals with RC model toys and you'll probably find the stuff.

The problem with the store bought CA glues is they get brittle over time...and when the glue fractures, the wire pops....failure to clean the bloade out properly before even starting the wiring process will only accelerate a wire pop.

I saw some (Locktite I think) "Rubber strengthened" superglue in stores. Might this be the same thing?

[Purple Fencer]

I saw some (Locktite I think) "Rubber strengthened" superglue in stores. Might this be the same thing?

Locktite's a different type of glue, I think....you have to be careful that you don't get the really strong stuff...most people use the lower level Locktite for barrels, tho....not for the wire.

[chinbeard]

Locktite's a different type of glue, I think....you have to be careful that you don't get the really strong stuff...most people use the lower level Locktite for barrels, tho....not for the wire.

No, it's a superglue. I think it might be new, so maybe nobody's used it before?

http://www.loctiteproducts.com/produ...id=34&plid=859

[Purple Fencer]

No, it's a superglue. I think it might be new, so maybe nobody's used it before?

http://www.loctiteproducts.com/produ...id=34&plid=859

Loctice dates back to the late 50s, so it's hardly new, and they have a lot of different products, and not all of the adhesives are CA glues.

The Loctite armoroers typically use MAY be a CA....I don't know, as I don't use it myself. However, I have not seenanyone using Loctite for the WIRE...the barrel, yes, but not the wire.

[SJCFU#2]

Loctice dates back to the late 50s, so it's hardly new, and they have a lot of different products, and not all of the adhesives are CA glues.

The Loctite armoroers typically use MAY be a CA....I don't know, as I don't use it myself. However, I have not seenanyone using Loctite for the WIRE...the barrel, yes, but not the wire.

In addition to thread lock, Locktite also makes a CA glue (which probably isn't much of a stretch for them since IIRC the formula for their thread lock is not that dissimilar from that of a CA glue).

How well Locktite CA will work will probably depend in part on what properties Locktite was looking for when they developed their CA. Some CA's are extremely thin and will run into place you don't want it (such as inside the barrel) if you aren't careful. Others are thicker, take longer to cure (up to a whole minute!!) and will fill any gaps. Some armorers prefer the thin stuff because if you use it properly it only takes a few drops and the glue will wick into the cloth wrapping around the wire. Others prefer the thicker stuff because it tends to be more flexible once it has finished curing. My experience has been that different glues require slightly different application techniques. Of course proper preparation of the blade is often more important than the selection of glue - I don't think there's a glue out there that will hold on a poorly prepped blade.

[brtech]

I've used a bottle of Loctite brand CA. You can often find it in a place like Home Depot. It's a fairly reasonable thin, fast glue. One advantage of it is that the bottle is much better than most at not clogging the tip.

Armorer's tip: keep a small safety pin fastened around the bottle cap "keeper" strap. It's the right size to poke open a clogged tip

ZAP is a brand of CA. Many armorer's prefer it. The pink bottle is thin, fast CA, useful for all blades. Zap-a-gap is another formulation: it's thicker and more flexible. It's good for epee only. Zap is a well known brand. Swordmaster's sells it for one, and it's very available over the Internet. It's better to have the smaller bottles, both because it does eventually spoil, and if you do spill it, there is less to spill.

I don't have much problem with wire pop's, but I am careful get the whole groove shiny clean. I also don't use a lot of it, but enough to get a good bond.

[Robert Smith]

I just tried another new glue - "Elmer's Ultimate High-Performance Glue" - with interesting results. It seems to do a good job; it flexes well, and it foams to some extent too, so the wire is thoroughly buried under it.

It takes four hours to dry, so it's not something you'd want to use at a tournament, and it's quite runny to start with; first time out I left the blade hanging from the tip so as not to get glue in the barrel, and finished up with the wires glued to the tang. But I suspect that next time I'll get it right and apply just enough to have it run to the tang and no further. Some sort of dam would be nice, just in case. Maybe modelling clay / plasticine?

[Rick Shellhouse]

Yeah, I think since I'll have to wait for a new wire, I might as well order some of that Fletch-Tite stuff.

Right choice!


Rick

[agyee95616]

Where do you order Fletch-Tite from?

[SJCFU#2]

Where do you order Fletch-Tite from?

Try outdoor stores that carry archery supplies (it was developed for attaching feathers or vanes to an arrow).

Fletch-tite also appears to be available through Amazon.com.

[Nolano]

I just wired a blade with some super thing CA glue I got from a hobby shop. It was nice to wire with, I'll see how well it holds up.
It was also cheap, cost about $2 and there's probably enough to wire dozens of blades.

[Mergs]

It is probably the same stuff I use, but as was pointed out earlier, this stuff will eventually become more and more viscous, to the point where it is not usable. Use it up quick!

[brtech]

This is why big bottles, although cheaper from a $/oz point a view, are not economical. Buy the small bottles.

Totally unopened CA lasts a pretty long time.