Maintenance

Regular cleaning maintanance and testing of your weapon is the best way to ensure its optimum performance and lifespan. Trapped dirt can cause damage to the inside surfaces of the point and may result in off target lights coming up and a worn spring can cause it to fail weapons check at a competition. In general it is recomended that you check your foil points before each competition or around every 1000 hits (10-15 training sessions). To properly look after your foil point you will need: a point (watchmakers) screwdriver, a magnet, tip tape or electrical insuation tape, point cleaning fluid or alcohol, a 500g test weight, a foil bodywire and a test box. If you just want to clean the point without testing it you will only need the first three items in the list above.

Testing the spring
Before you dis-assemble the point it is a good idea to check that the spring conforms to regulations (ie that it takes more than 500g to depress the point). Plug the foil into your test box using the bayonet plug, leaving the crocodile clip off any metallic objects. The green light of the tester should now be lit. When the tip is depressed, the light should go “off”. If this is not the case then please visit our foil troubleshooter to try to find out what the problem is.
To test the spring place the 500 gram test weight on the tip of the foil. The light should still remain “on”. Next, placing your finger gently on the test weight and increasing the pressure applied should make the light turn “off”. Releasing the finger pressure should have the light return to being “on”. If the light turns off as soon as you place the weight on the tip or fails to come back on when you remove your finger from the weight then the spring is worn and should be replaced.

Point disassembley
To clean the inside of your point you will have to completely dis-assemble it. First remove the pvc tape on the tip by carefully peeling it off or carefully cutting it away using a creft knife. You should now have exposed the grub screws on either side of the point. If you have access to a vice then it is a good idea to place the foil blade in it so that the point is held firmly at a height which is comfortable to work at. You can star to unscrew the tip starting by completely removing one screw, when you come to the second screw you should keep one finger on the top of the point to endure it does not spring out as you remove the screw. The screws should come out relatively easily and you should be careful to ensure thet you don't damage the head.

Point re-assembley and adjustment Before you reassemble the point, clean out the inside of the barrel using electrical contact cleaner and a cortton bud. Do not use an oil based lubricant such as WD40 or similar, as this may trap minute particles of metal and dirt causing excessive wear, resistance and low connectivity. Rub both ends of the foil point with an abrasive block before replacing. If the weapon has failed the weight test the spring should be lightly stretched or discarded and replaced. The official tests require that the spring will raise a 500g weight and that the travel is less than 1.0mm also that the blade is insulated with tape for the top 15cm. Clean off the tip and gently abrade both ends using sandpaper or an abrasive block to improve connectivity. Ensure that the plastic sleeve is in good condition and fits the barrel. Plastic sleeves are made to different sizes by different manufacturers so check for fit before assembly. Worn grub screws can cause many problems and again are not the same for different manufacturers points. Do not re-use them if they show signs of excessive wear at either end. Ensure that your point screwdriver is in good condition and of the correct size. Magnetise your screwdriver to allow you to pick up the screws more easily and ensure that you do not crossthread the grug screws when inserting them.