Buying Reels For Individual Use

[goldbaker]

I'm probably going to by a machine and reels for personal use (so my wife and I can fence on our own schedule). I'm looking at getting the eigertek machine, since it's portable and can run on batteries.

For the reels, though, I see that Blue Gauntlet has a cheap set (around $90 a reel). I vaguely remember that somebody asked about them, but I don't remember any replies. Any thoughts?

Thanks for your help.

[damianip]

I'm about to do the same thing as the wife has now approved the garage for fencing use.

We use the Triplette bungee system at one of our clubs. It's durable, fairly portable and at 200 USD per strip fairly reasonable in cost. It's probably what I'll end up buying.

One can buy Allstar reels from Langencamp but they are still more expensive than the bungee systems and harder to fix when they finally break. On the other hand, you gain convenience and portability.

The BG reel price is per side, I believe, so they are in the same price range as the Triplette.

Avoid the Russian Prieur copies as I've had nothing but bad luck with them lately.

There are another couple of sources for bungee based systems. I'll try to hunt them down.

Paolo

[neevel]

You can build pretty much exactly what the BG system is by going out and getting the following items:

- 2 retractable clotheline reels (available at hardware stores for $15-17 apiece).

- 2 1"-2" pulleys (larger diameter is better).

- 2 approx. 9-meter lengths of 3-conductor cable (Triplette sells a copy of the Prieur-style braided cable for about $40). Flat 4-conductor phone cable can also work-- it's much less durable, but also much cheaper and available just about everywhere.

- 2 3-pin plugs.

- 2 3-pin sockets (you can get whatever brand of reel socket you think best, or make your own by modifying epee sockets and attaching dog-clips to them).

You attach the pulleys to the end of the clotheslines, run the cable through the pulleys, attach the plugs and sockets, and then anchor the reels.

Depending on what kind of cable and sockets you get, the cost can be anywhere from $80-120 for both sides.

-Dave

[damianip]

Another source which I stumbled upon, but have no first hand knowledge of is:

http://armorerx.com/shocksys.html

at

http://www.armorerx.com/


It looks promising, seems to have addressed the little shortcomings of Triplette's system and added some better cord handling. The price is competitive also.

Anybody know anything about Bogdan or his products?

Paolo

[Purple Fencer]

Hmmm...wish I'd seen this before the weekend. I could've asked Dan DeChaine for you.

Personally, I'd suspect anyone who advertises himself as an "Armorer Extraordinaire" That's a touch presumptous for my taste.

On the flip side is Dan, who gets up every morning and wonders "if this will be the day I'm excposed as a complete fraud."

The truly great ones don't have to pump themselves up...their work speaks for them.

Dan was SOOO cool to work with!

[sallearmourer]

You know Sam that I work alot of National Tour. It's would stand to reason that I would know all the good armourers. Plus I get alot of work out of PA. I have never heard of this guy. I check with Joe or Ted see if they heard of him.

By the way Sam I have one of Dan Boxes, but it doesn't measure resitences per say. A bodycord that pass Dan Box some of the time won't pass a meter.


Tim

[Purple Fencer]

Originally posted by sallearmourer

By the way Sam I have one of Dan Boxes, but it doesn't measure resitences per say. A bodycord that pass Dan Box some of the time won't pass a meter.

The box I used had three meters connected to it, one for each line. I think I know the box you're referring to...and if I'm right, one of those was also in use.

[goldbaker]

Neevel -- thanks for the suggestions, but now I have another question.

I found the clothesline reels at Home Depot, but I'm having a hard time getting a picture of exactly how to set this up with the pulleys and cable. Can you provide a little more detail?

Thanks.

[damianip]

Goldbaker,

Go here, I threw a crude diagram together.

http://www.cinghiale.org/reels/reels.pdf

Paolo

[Pho]

One of the problems with the clothline reels is that if you are using just a single clothline it doesn't retract fast enough (especially if you fleche a lot). It works alot better if you connect two clothline reels to the pulley and then mount them in a way that they are flipped over (less contact with the plastic). I tend to screw both of them side by side onto a wooden board, tape them together and flip them over and tape the board to the floor. so far, we've been getting pretty good mileage out of them with the majority of the problems having to deal with the wires. Oh yeah, if it is possible, try putting a knot in the socket assembly just before the conection. Puts the stress off the wires connecting to the sockets.

Eric