Rewiring blades in general

[135711]

Men: I've tried a zillion times to do simple repair work to epees and foils to no avail. I follow the directions. I carefully remove everything, strip off the old wire, clean the blade, replace with a new wire, glue it down and wait for it to dry.
Here's where I get into trouble: after it dries, I carefully thread the wire through the guard and loop around the nuts which are too small for a human hand and then I put the grip on, tighten everything up nicely. shake the thing in my hand and determine that it's okay. Arrive on strip only to have each and everyone of them dissqualified due to pinched wires. Can you explain?

[sallearmourer]

Did you run the wire though the socket hole as well because when you tighten down on the handle and the wire is in between the bell guard and the socket it will get pinch every time.


Tim

[Purple Fencer]

I was going to echo Tim...it's REAL easy to pich the wire if you;re not careful.

In the near future (meaning, once I figure out how to shoot it and put it on the web) I will have a demo Mpg of how to go about the rewiring process (lame washing, too)

I'll let everyone know....

[mifencer]

What I do, I force the bell pad through my grip enough so the handle is touching the bell guard (obvisously, not all the way through my grip). That way, there's no question if there's a pinch wire or not.

I'm also assuming that you're not putting the wire between the bell guard and socket. If you're doing that, stop it.

[attila]

Check to make sure the socket has a groove cut out to allow for the wires, Alsu make sure there is a ut out in your grip.......

I recently looked at a problem weapon where the prieur epee socket had no cut out-- it was perfectly square so no matter how careful you were, you would pinch the wire.

[MikeHarm]

I've tried using some tape to make the wire stay in place so it didn't wander under the wrong spots of the grip/socket when I was tightening the weapon up. Worked pretty good.

[135711]

okay, i've taken all of your suggestions under consideration, and after considerable thought, all my weapons are being checked by an expert to whom i now owe a million dollars, but men, I don't care, I simply don't care anymore, damn the torpedos and full steam ahead....it's still less expensive than replacing all the weapons....and I am totally a weapon repair fool, i cannot get the thing together again. But, because of your input, I was able to see the folly of my trying to do my own repairs. Thank you again, men!

[sallearmourer]

If you at a NAC or Summer NAT come by my booth and I showed you how it's done. But after 30 years of doing this they are some people that just can't put a weapon together


Tim

[Drew42]

Don't give up! Weapon repair! It is one of the trully rewarding aspects of fencing. Of course its frustrating too. When I did my first epee rewire it took 3 days of frustration, cursing, and dents in the wall before I realized that german wires ahve a layer of wax UNDERNEATH the insulation.

[Catal]

Once I get the wire through, and the barrell attached to the blade, I use a propane torch to melt the barrell and permanantly seal it to the blade- it works great! Make sure you heat just the barrell, 'cause you might melt the wire.

[veeco]

Originally posted by Catal
Once I get the wire through, and the barrell attached to the blade, I use a propane torch to melt the barrell and permanantly seal it to the blade- it works great! Make sure you heat just the barrell, 'cause you might melt the wire.

I am not sure this is a good idea:

first heating the blade at it's thinnest spot might weaken it, because the heat might be enough to have it lose its temper.

And also melting the barrel means that it's not possible after the wire has broken or popped out to remove the barrel for another rewire.

I just use locktite in the threading of the barrel and it works great, and I don't have to heat the blade.

[Catal]

I knew I'd get someone...! Ha! You are soooo gullable! Like anyone would use a propane torch... LOL!