Equipment Maintenance Guide

Transcription

1 Weight Test (Foil & Épée) Your point needs to lift a certain weight to pass a weapons check. 500g for foil, 750g for épée. It s worth getting your own test weight if you plan to compete. Place the weight straight down over the point. Press down to depress the tip, then let go. The tip should be able to lift the weight. If you re attached to a scoring box this means the light will go off when the weight is lifted. If you re using an ohm- meter, you will see the resistance go from maximum back to less than 2 ohms for foil. For épée, the resistance will go from less that 2 ohms back to maximum resistance. Shims Test (Épée) At competitions your épée may also have to pass a shims test. This ensures that the distance between the tip and the barrel is wide enough (1.5mm), and that it will not score a hit unless the tip is depressed at least 1mm. To correctly perform a shim test, slot the larger shim straight into the space under the tip. If it fits, you pass, no need to wiggle it around. Then slot the thinner shim into the slot. Press the tip down once so that it presses against the shim. If no light goes on, you pass. Again, don t twist or angle the shim while testing. Blade Set Putting a set in your blade means bending it to create an angle between the tang and the rest of the blade. A set can be vertical, horizontal, or both. Typically, a right- handed fencer will set down and to the left. Once you bend your blade, you cannot bend it back without substantially weakening it, so if you don t know exactly what you want in your set, it s best to start small then come back and increase it if required. Slide a grip onto the tang before you start bending, if you bend the tang you won t be able to reassemble your weapon. Use a vise to hold the blade steady. Once you have purchased your own fencing equipment, it is important to look after it to ensure you get good value for money. Being able to test, diagnose problems and perform basic repairs is an important skill for all fencers. In the middle of a competition you can t rely on anyone else being available to fix your equipment. This guide aims to provide a basic understanding of how your equipment works and how to look after it. Remember you can also talk to experienced fencers and coaches at the club for help and advice. Fencing Toolkit Whitehorse Chevaliers Fencing Club Equipment Maintenance Guide Toolbox: You probably don t need a big one, but if you ever want to see your tiny foil screws again then you ll want to keep your bits organised. Something with lots of compartments works well Tools to consider: Hex key for pistol grips, and some pommels use them. Magnet for magnetising screwdrivers and keeping tip bits from rolling away. Multi- grips or lock- on wrenches. Ohm- meter for testing, and any required weights and gauges. Screwdrivers, a tiny one for grubscrews and small one for plugs and sockets. Sandpaper, to remove corrosion Soldering Iron, for attaching clips to wires. A vice is also often useful. Spare Parts: Depending on how much you re prepared to do yourself, most of the small and easily lost parts of weapons are worth keeping at hand. Tip tape for foils. Glue: If you re going to rewire blades, you ll need a good superglue, ideally one that is easy to remove when the time comes for the next rewire.

2 Clothing Jackets, Plastrons, Breeches, Gloves. Testing: Inspect the material closely for any visible wear and tear, and repair where required. Maintenance: Your fencing clothing may have come with it's own care instructions, if so, follow those. Otherwise, your clothing can generally be washed normally in cold or warm water (max 40C) in the washing machine. Avoid bleach or other harsh chemicals, a little discolouration over time is normal and no one will notice. Dry in the shade, avoid tumble drying. Your sweat will damage the fabric over time, so the common practice of only washing kit when it walks to the washing machine itself is not recommended. However for most people it is also not necessary to wash after every session. Take the kit out of your bag to air dry between uses, and remember to wash it at least semi- regularly. Gloves may be advertised as washable, but the process is somewhat damaging to the leather of the palm and fingers. For a long life, wash your glove only occasionally, and consider hand- washing. Repair: The life of your clothing and gloves can be extended by patching any holes or worn patches, and sewing up rips. When doing this you must be careful not to leave anything a blade can catch on, fold the edges of patches underneath, and sew over the edge. If your clothing is FIE standard, after repairs it may not pass a competition weapons check, but will still be suitable for training in. Masks Testing: Test the mesh by pressing firmly with your fingers. It should not give under pressure. Formal checks use a "mask punch" tool, but most fencers do not have access to this. Check regularly for any signs of rust. Check the fabric for any rips or holes, and that it is firmly attached to the mesh. Use an ohm- meter to check conductivity of the bib (foil and sabre). Fix one electrode in place on the bib, then run the other over the conductive area. All points should register less than 5 ohms resistance. Maintenance: Your mask may have removable, washable lining. If so you can throw it in the washing machine (inside a laundry bag if you have one). It's best not to do this too often as it will reduce the life of the padding. If you don't have removable padding, simply use a cloth to wipe the mask with soapy water, pat dry then allow to air until completely dry. You can also do this to removable padding if you don't want to take it out. Between washes, you can keep your mask fresh and in good condition by giving it a light wipe inside with a damp cloth or wet- wipe. This will reduce the frequency with which you need to wash it. Remember to let it dry completely after fencing sessions. Repair: Dents in the mesh can usually be pushed or hammered out. Take care not to damage the insulation on the mesh wire (foil & épée). Touch up any breaks in the insulation with a polymer paint to prevent rust. Fabric tears can be sewn shut, although may not pass a competition weapons check after being damaged. Lamé material can develop "dead spots". On masks it is often easiest to re- cover the whole area, separate pockets are available for foil masks that can be glued in place. 2 Taping Foil Tips The top 15cm of your foil needs to be insulated with tape. Use a good quality cloth tape that won t leave a sticky residue. Place a piece of tape vertically along the blade, starting at the base of the point, then wrap it around. Use a separate piece to cover the point barrel right up to the gap between barrel and tip. Replace regularly as it wears out.

3 Sabre Testing: Is the sabre in one piece? If it is, it's probably working. If it's not working, and you're sure it's not the bodywire, then it is the socket. Resistance should be measured at less than 1 ohm between any 2 points. You are allowed up to 4cm of bend in the blade. In the sabre circuit, B & C are now permanently short- circuited together. If using a foil socket in a sabre guard, you will need to create the short circuit by connecting the C terminal to the guard with a short wire and some solder. Sockets sold as sabre sockets already connect the two wires. So in the rest state, there is a circuit running through B and back through C, when contact is made with the opponents lamé a new circuit is formed returning to the box through A. Maintenance: Store your weapon separate to your clothing to avoid rust (and rust stains on the clothing). Make sure you know how to use your socket correctly to avoid unnecessary wear and tear. Repair: If the blade is broken, unscrew the pommel and slide the blade out. Slide in a new one, don't forget the socket, screw the pommel back on. You're done! If the socket is broken, unscrew the pommel, pull the blade out, the socket will fall out. Reassemble the weapon with a new socket. If you have high resistance, run some sandpaper over the blade. If the guard is a funny shape, you can hammer it back. Lamés Testing: Use an ohm- meter to check the resistance of the lamé material. Fix one probe to the edge of the lamé, then run the other over the material. (Technically 50g of pressure, but just a normal finger pressure will do). All points should be less than 5 ohms resistance. Check regularly. Maintenance: Avoid folding or scrunching up your lamé as much as possible - this will damage the metal threads. Your lamé shouldn't need very much cleaning, once or twice a year is fine. Depending on how much you perspire, you may need to wipe the lining dry after use, and it is always a good idea to hang your lamé to air when not in use. Keep it in a dry place, not wrapped in your sweaty kit. If the exterior of the lamé does get significant perspiration on it, rinse it off in plain water and hang to dry. Never rub or scrub the metal threads. Areas most likely to need rinsing are at the armpits and neck, and cuffs of sabre lamés. Some lamés advertise that they can be machine washed. It s still advisable to do this infrequently. If your lamé contains a high percentage of copper, you may get corrosion if you wash it - washing of copper lamés is not recommended. Repair: Usually a high resistance reading can be reduced by washing the affected area with ammonia or an ammonium- based mild detergent like Woolite. If you can't wash it, a light sanding with a scotchbrite pad may do the trick. For completely dead areas where the metal threads have broken, you can sew a lamé patch over them, touch up the area with conductive paint, or declare the lamé suitable only for practice. Any rips can be sewn up, make sure you don't leave anything on the exterior that might cause a blade to catch. (See the diagram on the clothing page). 10

4 Wires 3-prong plugs and sockets All bodywires and scoring cables are based around 3- wire cables, and 3- pin plugs. In this guide we use the labeling convention shown here to refer to each of the 3 wires A, B and C. 2-prong and bayonet plugs and sockets Foil and Sabre bodywires use either a 2- prong or a bayonet plug to connect to the weapon. The A wire gets diverted to connect to the lamé via an alligator clip. The 2- prong arrangement is fairly straight- forward, the larger pin is your C or ground wire. If you take the cover off a bayonet socket you ll see the wires loop around, with one being connected to the screw at the tip of the plug, and the other to the rest of the plug. The tip is your B contact, the rest of the plug is grounded. The tip of the plug contacts the base plate of the socket, which connects to the screw on the side of the socket (foil). This is where your foil blade wire will connect to. The rest of the plug touches the frame of the socket, which in turn connects to the guard and blade, causing the weapon to be grounded. Wired Blade: Attach one wire of the ohm- meter to the uninsulated end of the foil wire, the other to the blade tang. Resistance should be less than 1 ohm. Press down the tip. Resistance should change to maximum. Complete Weapon: Attach one wire to the B- terminal (2- pin socket) or base plate (bayonet socket), and the other to the C- terminal or outer casing. Resistance should be under 1 ohm. Press the tip down. Resistance should be maximum. Maintenance: Treat your weapon with care and respect. This means don't use it as a crutch or a clothes hanger, don't drop it if you can avoid it, and don't step on it. Keep it in a dry place to avoid rust (ie. not wrapped in your sweaty fencing gear). Most blades will not require oiling, however if rust is a problem use something light, like WD-40. Do NOT oil or grease your point with anything it will mess up your electrical circuit. Repair: Most electrical faults are found in the tip, or the socket. Cleaning the tip fixes the majority of high- resistance problems. Remove your grub- screws from the point and put them on a magnet so you don t lose them. Remove the tip and spring from the barrel. You can use an electrical contact cleaner, or carefully rub some fine sand or emery paper around the interior of the barrel. While you re there, sand and gently stretch your spring if required to make sure it will pass weight check. Reassemble your point and test. Another key area to check is the connection between the blade- wire and the socket. Make sure it is attached, and that bare wire is not in contact with the guard (creating a short- circuit). If you can t find the fault at either end, you may have a break in the blade wire. Broken blade- wires can be stripped out and replaced ( rewiring ). That job is beyond the scope of this booklet. Light rust can be removed with sandpaper. hammered out. Dents in the guard can be 4

5 Foils Testing: You can have up to a 1cm bend in the blade. Check it regularly by visual inspection. You point needs to lift 500g to pass a weapons check. See back page for details. Circuit Test: The foil circuit consists of 2 fencers each with a foil, a metallic vest, a 2- prong or bayonet bodywire, each connected to the scoring box by 3- wire cables. The A wire connects to the vest with an alligator clip. The B- wire connects to the foil wire that runs along the length of the blade to the point. The C- wire connects to the foil guard, this is the ground or earth wire. In the rest state, there is an electrical circuit running from the box via the B wire, through the foil wire, into the blade and guard, then back to the box via the C (ground) wire. When the foil tip is depressed, this circuit is broken. If it is in contact with the opponents vest (ie. a valid hit), then a new circuit is formed, travelling from the box through the B wire, through the foil wire to the point, through the opponents lamé vest and then back to the box via their A wire (A ). If it is an invalid hit to the opponents guard or piste, the new circuit will form with the current returning to the box via the C or C wires and be ignored by the box. For any other hit, the rest circuit is broken but no new circuit is formed, giving a white light. Testing: To test the wire you will need an ohm- meter. Check that the current runs with no more than 1 ohm between the matching points (A to A', B to B', C to C'), and that the current does not flow with other combinations. If the current does flow between non- matching points, (eg: B to A') then either the body wire is incorrectly connected at the plug (in which case the current will not flow between B and B'), or there is a break in the insulation (the current flows between B and B', but also between B and A'). Excessive resistance is usually caused by corrosion or poor connections. No current at all most likely indicates a broken wire or connection, or possibly very bad corrosion. Some bodywires have clear insulation, which allows you see corrosion as a visible discolouration, and allows visual inspection for breaks. Maintenance: To prevent corrosion, store the wires in a dry place (not with your sweaty gear). To prevent broken wires, do not fold or clip the wire when storing it, and when in use make sure the weight of the spool wire is carried by a clip on the socket and the D- ring on your jacket or lamé, not by the wires themselves. Repairs: High resistance is usually found at one end or the other, where the wire is exposed to the air and your sweat, and repeated bending. First clean the pins with sandpaper, and reseat the screws that connect the wires, this solves many problems. If you still have a break or very high resistance, start trimming the ends. Odds are your damage will be within a couple of inches of the plug at one end or the other (usually the weapon end). If the wire is getting too short to trim further, put in a new wire between the plugs. This can be purchased by the metre, and it s best to buy wire from the supplier that matches your bodywire for an easy fit. Be aware that new bodywires can have high resistance due to wire insulation interfering with the screw connection. Reseating the screws will fix this. 8

6 6 Épées Testing: Your can have up to 1cm bend in the blade, keep it close to this by regular visual inspection. The point needs to be able to lift a 750g weight and pass a shims test see back page for details. Circuit Testing: The épée circuit consists of 2 fencers each with an épée and a 3- prong bodywire, connected to the scoring box by three wires. The A and B- wires connect to the épée wires that run along the length of the blade to the point. The C- wire connects to the épée guard, this is the ground or earth wire. In the rest state, there is no circuit formed. The A and B wires are not connected and they are insulated from the blade, guard and C wire. When the épée tip is depressed, the contact spring connects the A and B wires in the point and the circuit is formed. The electrical current travels from the box via the B- wire, then back via the A wire. Wired Blade: Attach one wire of the ohm- meter to the end of each of the épée wires. Resistance should be maximum. Press down the tip. Resistance should change to zero (or at least less than 2 ohms). Now move one of the ohm- meter wires to the tang of the blade. The resistance between the tang and either of the wires should be maximum. Complete Weapon: Attach one wire of the ohm- meter to the A- terminal and the other to the B- terminal. Resistance should be maximum. Press the tip down. Resistance should be zero. Move one of the ohm- meter wires to the C- terminal. The resistance between A and C, or B and C, should be maximum at all times. On the piste: No lights registering means you épée is unable to form a circuit. This may be because of a short- circuit if one of the wires has come into contact with the guard or blade. It may also mean a broken wire. If a light goes on when hitting the guard, either there is a patch of rust that needs cleaning off, or a short- circuit has formed in the épée whose guard is registering. Maintenance: Treat your weapon with care and respect. Keep it in a dry place to avoid rust (ie. not wrapped in your sweaty fencing gear). Check and tighten your grub- screws regularly, otherwise they will fall out and be lost. If you lose both on the piste, your tip will fly out and possibly also get lost. Most blades will not require oiling, however if rust is a problem use something light, like WD- 40. Do NOT oil or grease your point with anything it will mess up your electrical circuit. If your blade needs straightening, warm it up first with a towel or by running it under your foot. Then gently press it back into place. Repair: Cleaning the tip fixes the majority of high- resistance problems. Remove your grub- screws from the point and put them on a magnet so you don t lose them. Remove the tip and spring from the barrel. You can use an electrical contact cleaner, or carefully rub some fine sand or emery paper around the interior of the barrel. While you re there, sand and gently stretch your pressure spring to make sure it will pass weight check. Reassemble your point and test. Another key area to check is the connection between the blade- wire and the socket. Make sure it is attached, and that bare wire is not in contact with the guard. Broken blade- wires can be stripped out and replaced ( rewiring ). Light rust can be removed with sandpaper. Dents in the guard can be hammered out.