Reel repair

[gojujay]

I'm new to armoring fencing equipment but I do have a lot of repair work experience (electronics in the military, glazing, etc.). The salle where I'm armoring has the Blue Gauntlet reels ( the inexpensive(?) ones). The problem is that a wire broke. Fortunately it was very close to the connector, so I only need to cut it down about six inches. I would like any opinions on how to strengthen and support the wires. I was planning on using some sort of stiff flexible tubing or heat-shrink tubing for about 12 to 18 inches down from the connector. I was also thinking about using a potting compund like we used in the service for connector repair. Again, any opinions would be extremely helpful. I know it won't fit in the reel but such is life. Thanks to the group.

[neevel]

You've got the right idea-- flexible PVC or heat-shrink to serve as
strain relief where the cable emerges from the coupling.

The unsheathed cable used in the BG reels is going to be intrinsically vulnerable to having wires cut by an errant blade. I'd brought up the matter of sheathed vs. unsheathed cable to Mr. Chen when he let me, Joe Byrnes, and the rest of the armory staff take a close look at one of the reels at Overland Park. Mr. Chen's take on this was that the reels are built to a price-point. The high-flexiblity sheathed cable which would be needed to run smoothly through the pulleys and the more robust spring that would be required would put the price above the $200 per reel target that Mr. Chen had.

Using a longer length of tubing would protect the portion of the wire most likely to be damaged. The right size of heat-shrink, once shrunk down, would probably still make it through the capstan pulley so that the cable would still retract completely when not in use.

-Dave

[gojujay]

Thanks for the advice. Price was the controlling factor of that purchase as well. What do you think of MAYBE trying to braid-in some stronger nylon line? I've got a little bit of time before the reel is needed.

Again, thanks.