FAQ: Toolkit for Equipment Repair

[NJP3]

what is a tip-setter/mandrel?

Thanks
NJ

[DHCJr]

The tip setter has a small indention to hold th plastic cup of the wire to push it in without the wires twisting.

There are two items that people sometimes give the name mandrel to. The first should actually be called a reamer. It looks very similar to a drill except the grooves go straight down and there is no point.

The mandrel I was talking about is a solid hardend device to round out deformed barrels. It is pushed or pounded in (making sure not to go to deep and ruin the plastic cup). Then the barrel is placed on a hard service, usually a vise and then using a hammer pound the barrel as it is being turned. This will HELP to reform the barrel, but it will not be as good as a new one. You may need to do this more than once.

Each mandrel is made for a specific brand and type of barrel, because is a different size.

[MikeHarm]

Here's another item, for people with white masks the ole bottle of white out for quick touch ups to the paint job.

[R. Exnicios]

Mergs - Nice work on the care & Feeding of weapons. I think I'll add that to the required reading list for my students.

Another item that is helpful is a couple of little velcro straps (home depot) they are good for those reels that don't snap well on the body cord or to replace the retainer on a prieur two prong.

Oh and of couse no tool box would be complete without a cork screw

Cheers

[Mergs]

Thanks Rich. I like the idea about the velcro straps.

And since when did you start drinking wine that needs a cork screw?

[Barry]

If you use a decent strong foil base you don't need a mandrel. Barry

[MyrddinsPrecint]

quite frankly, as a sabrist, the only things i actually carry around are scissors and duct tape...

i find duct tape to be more durable than electrical tape- or am i just buying the wrong electical tape??

[WoodsideDr]

Can I just carry lots of cash and pay someone to do it for me?

[Mergs]

Not if you are going to Nationals this year!

[picojeff]

The most essential item in a toolkit is a sharpie. Write your name on everything! I haven't yet gotten to writing my name on my socks and undershorts, but everything else in my fencing bag has my name on it.

Also, sometimes the cloth insulation gets stripped off just a bit of the wire near the tip of my weapon, but I'm happy using glue to solve the problem. There's the plastic layer underneath the cloth, right? A bit of appropriately colored sharpie disguises my sketchy repair enough so the refs don't give me a hard time.

[Peach]

sabre:

(rooting through equipment bag)
scissors
electrical tape
sanding block to remove rust from sabre
multi-tool (pliers, screwdriver, knife, etc.)
thread and needle for fixing Infinity Lame
sharpie
nail polish for fixing bare metal spots inside guard
random parts to fix spring-clip on two-prong

[theperfect01]

A tool box for sabre? No no no. The only good sabre is a broken sabre!

[Inquartata]

...if it's broken off in a foilist!

[theperfect01]

*Laughs* Okay, okay, I think that was deserving

[pammie003]

My still-developing tool kit:
- Sharpie
- extra spaghetti
- allan key
- assorted tip parts
- tiny screw driver
- swiss army knife (has the added bonus of a corkscrew - also important!)

That's about it, anything more complex than basic repairs and I seek loaner equipment, which ususally has the advantage of coming with someone who knows what they're doing!

[Dragonfly]

I also like to 'travel light', so when I go to fencing, even competitions I take with me screwdrivers and replacement screws, or anything that will tighen loose parts. Tape for foils. But anything that means stripping, sanding, or gluing I take care of before I go anywhere. So, my repair kit all fits into a fanny pack. But, I will carry an extra wire if one breaks and someone can quickly assist me. We have a few veteran men who carry toolboxes with everything in them and they like to help tweek stuff for people.

[MyraTrue]

Maybe the domestic side of me is showing, but one thing I've had a lot of use for is a sewing kit for repairing my lame or jacket, or... more often, someone else's. I tend to lose D-rings.

Saftey pins, scissors, thread and needle, a couple of pieces or lame material... steel wool...

I'm also of the mind that most of my club carries too, and thank God for the club armorer!

Myra

[npkeith]

For the full armourer's kit, no one has mentioned a 6mm threading die and die holder. You may only need it once when first putting the grip on, but I can also see it coming in usefull for repairing stripped or damaged threads.

I'm thinking that if you need one at a meet, you're probably hosed anyway, but you never know.

I also forgot to mention the 2 things that should be in every tool kit no matter what:

WD40 and Duct Tape:

If they're supposed to move and don't: WD40
if they're not supposed to move and do: Duct Tape

WD40 also works as a cutting oil for when you need to thread the tang, and a wipe with a rag soaked in the stuff will keep bare metal rust free.

I bet duct tape would insulate the inside of a guard.

[Windsor]

A 5mm socket will fit over my barrel for a foil? Or are you talking about a crescent wrench?

[Mergs]

I left off the 6mm die from my list because at a tournament I wouldn't really want to be trying to cut threads, but it is an intregral part of my overall tool kit. As is a 4mm die and 3.5mm die (epee and foil ends respectively) and a 6mm tap and handle for rethreading pommel nuts. I also left off things like a dremel tool with cutoff wheels, bolt cutters, heavy machining vise, magnifying/light for close work, drill press, soldering iron and the partridge in the pear tree!

Windsor,

The 5mm is an open-end wrench that fits over the flats of the of foil barrels.