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WSDOT consultant group, WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff, brought out their driving simulator of the SR 520 corridor. Watch out, parents.
My flight simulator control rig - it has a CH Products yoke, a CH Products throttle quadrant, a trackball, and a small keyboard (all connected to the pc via a Radio Shack 4 port USB hub). I mount the whole thing on my desk using two carpentry clamps - you can set the whole thing up in about 5 minutes.
This is my old desk - with my new TFT monitor, there is no place to balance the monitor pets!
This Mosquito Simulator Cockpit has been built using authentic construction techniques from the original de Havilland Aircraft Company plans. The instrument panel and most of the internal fittings are genuine Mosquito parts sourced from aircraft flown by the Royal New Zealand Air Force in the 1940s and 1950s.The museum have made some small adaptations to allow its use as a simulator. As an authentic flying experience, it is just like the real thing.
My three-year old Regenyei Federschwert is in need of replacing the grip cord wrapping but it's good to check over the entire steel longsword trainer to check on its overall condition. Not counting the times I took breaks or used other simulators the total time used where there was impact is closer to a year and a half. That's anywhere from light contact to full force depending on what kind of exercise, drills, or sparring conditions.
It has been used mostly with Ensifers, Regenyeis, and a few Chlewbowskis. The most damage came from blunts such as Albion which have thinner edges and softer steel that knurl and create sharp edges that can produce notches. Potentially the most non-visual damage may probably be from old Angus Trim I-Beam with its shorter length and massively thicc edge.
Fortunately sparring against I-Beams is generally limited to people who have some very good control over power delivery. One-handed swords with bucklers, wooden shaft spears with rubber tips, and tires round out the remaining physical contacts.
Regenyei steel feders on average lasts two years. I've seen ones that break in about a year and others that are close to four years. Most reputable smiths will replace feders that break under a year when it's used reasonably.
Inspection
One of the insightful things pointed out by a Victorian practitioner in the club is that chips along the blade edges can over time act as points of stress such as the triangular cut outs of a potato chip bag. I use a green Scotch-Brite half-sponge to smooth these out while others use files.
The blade while clearly worn is smooth and one of the interesting things that happened to it was that I lent it to a Japanese sword practitioner early on. His tendency to parry was to use the flat of the sword instead of the edge which makes total sense for the system he was familiar with. Even now there is this interesting pattern of burning embers fanned by a breeze that slowly fades up along the lower blade flat.
The guards have a number of chips from attempts to control opposing blades that has been smoothed out. The pommel has a few dents and scratches mostly from bashing - lightly - against drill partners and opponent's faces in close distances but otherwise the peen at the bottom is still smooth. No monologues here when opponents are trying to push the blades into your face.
The grip on the other hand has dents. Our club's master at arms has experimented with 3D-printed handles and while I noted that these plastics cave in from grip strikes which is expected, the wood has that as well. It seems to be two to three times more resilient from cave-ins and there's no cracks or rot so and that's very good news.
I'm glad that I choose a cord wrapping instead of leather. Cords are easily treated and fixed using bees wax and can be done as field repairs. Eventually there was more wax than cord and the cords exploded out spectacularly during a Swordsquatch sparring session while twisting the grip into a Zwerchau. The cord on the grip needs to be entirely replaced.
General Maintenance
Always keep in mind that I'm just another random voice on the internet so while I make an effort to verify things it's best to ask those who are much more knowledgeable. It's best to considered what's said here as a starting point to ask questions rather than an infallible instructional. Anyway this is what works for me, other people will have different suggestions that will work too. I mentioned most of this previously in other places except now it's been informed by real-world use and time.
Safety - Personal Protective Equipment
During sanding I wear a 3M Ultimate FX FF-402 full-face respirator with olive-coded 3M multi gas vapor cartridges that are NIOSH P100 rated. I recommend cheaper full-face respirators if lightness and the ability to speak are not as important. This isn't a test to be used for proper equipment check but after putting on the respirator I cup the cartridge intakes with my hands and breathe in and out to check for leaks. I do this facing forward and once again looking down to see if the straps are loose.
I had conversations with a surprising number of people outside of the martial art community saying that a full face respirator is a waste of money because they know metal smiths don't use them. Fair enough they do what they want. I sometimes wear a Petzl headlamp and during cleaning see lots of Scothc-Brite strands and metal dust in the air and am used to wearing full-faced respirators. Your health is more important than convenience and that's all I have to say on that.
Wearing a full-face respirator is sweaty even when it's cold so for cleaning I put isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel and wipe down anything that came into contact with my face and fair. This includes the straps too because it's not good to have things growing while the respirator is sitting in a bag for a week or more. I have a sacrificial plastic face shield over the respirator face but unless there's paint or an accident then it probably doesn't need to be replaced for years. I still use the original removable shield.
Disposable gloves are also useful to avoid chemicals, rubbing metal particulates into eyes, or ingesting metal while eating.
Preparation and Sanding
If a file is being use make sure it's for steel and not wood and I've seen sandpaper used just fine too. Low grit number is rougher, higher grit number is smoother.
For corrosion and notches I use a green Scotch-Brite half-sponge while others use files. The 3M Scotch-Brite pads have grit ratings classified by color. Green pads are about 600 grit and the blue pad I sometimes use for light anti-corrosion work that is equivalent to a 3M white pad is a finer 1000 grit. It's important to keep in mind that unless the federschwert's purpose is to be hung on a wall or non-contact solo drills then the blade is going to get marred so I wouldn't bother with immaculate polishing with Metal Glo. This is a workhorse, each mark tells a story.
All metal surfaces are wiped down with isopropyl alcohol with a towel to remove oil before Scotch-Brite is used. It seems strange to say this but it's best not to ever get a Scotch-Brite sponge wet because they get less pliable and can crack after drying.
The feder has a blunt edge so it's fine to go back and forth over the entire blade with a Scotch-Brite linearly along the blade length. The only time I spot clean is if I know I'll be going over the entire blade anyway. I admit avoiding noticeable scuff spots is partly for aesthetic reasons although a blade that has a predictable pattern will make looking for problems so much easier.
I place the tip down on cardboard and clean the guards, pommel, and the flared schilt at the base of the blade easily this way. The blade can be cleaned like this although I find it easier to just run it horizontally like a fiddle. I occasionally let it cool down which gives me an excuse to take a break.
Red is active rust while black marks tend to be inactive. Dents and what not along the edges should be sanded smooth. A good rule of thumb is if you still don't want the blade edge or other surfaces to drag across your skin or clothing then it needs more smoothing. This applies to the guards as I and many others have had forearms shredded during grappling.
A very noticeable sign for the need for sanding the blade is during sparring or heavy contact drills that have blades sparking. While extremely cool looking those are pieces of metal burned off form impact and friction leaving a jagged edge behind.
Cleaning and Corrosion Prevention
All surfaces are then wiped with isopropyl alcohol towel to remove as much of the steel dust. Dust increases surface area, attracts more dust and moisture, and breaks the protective barrier of the thin film of oil that prevents corrosion. Usually I find that a followup with a separate oily rag will fully wipe off metal particulates.
I use food grade mineral oil that's also good for knives and wooden butcher blocks. This is absolutely not corn oil or olive oil as they will eventually go rancid. Regular mineral oil will work fine as well as gun oil. Choji sword oil as far as I can tell is basically expensive scented mineral oil.
WD-40 is primarily for water displacement so that oils intended for corrosion prevention can be used. For short durations of a few days WD-40 is better than nothing but it evaporates too quickly for long term corrosion prevention.
Once applied the oil should add a glossy effect on metal surfaces but it shouldn't be thick to reduce attracting dust. An hour or two after applying oil if there's a sweating effect on the surfaces then there's too much oil and a simple wipe should fix it.
Optionally I use a cotton swap with a little bit of oil to wipe the inside of the feder's back-folded tip, the top and bottom gaps between the blade schilt and the guard, the depressed ring at the base of the pommel, and the flattened peen.
I often wipe down the feder with oil after class. If there is skin contact such as during blade grabs then I will wipe down surfaces with isopropyl alcohol before applying oil. This is because there's a chance that salt and moisture can get trapped between the surface the fresh application of oil causing corrosion and ultimately pitting. I've seen this out at sea with tools where the environment has a high salt content in the moisture but it has happened with my feder.
Once oiled there's no issues with storing the feder out in the open for a month. Once there's dust then it needs to be wiped down with oil again as one time I've actually seen the beginnings of pitting from where the oil film barrier was compromised by the dust. That took an hour to slowly sand without leaving a noticeable sanding spot mark. Corrosion prevention done consistently will save tons of time down the road.
I knew someone who used floor wax to good effect giving the blade a slightly duller matte look. Unfortunately edges and strikes along the flat easily removes the protection. The best bet is to wipe down everything after practice. It's probably a good idea to avoid storing the feder in scabbard for long periods. If placed on a sword hangar or display make sure to research if galvanic corrosion will occur with any metal in contact with the steel.
Corded Wrap Grip Maintenance
I really liked the look and feel of leather wraps but even before finding out that one of things we drill for is hand strikes from other's experiences that leather gets damaged easily and is a pain to repair compared to cord. I wear leather gloves anyway. After a month of using the corded grip I noticed that there were very small fibers starting to appear almost like a fuzz. The cord was very slowly coming apart from use so a few people suggested I use bees wax and work it into the cord with heat to prevent fraying.
For melting bees wax I use a Xikar Tech 525BK Lighter refillable with butane. It's a cigar lighter with an adjustable flame dial at the bottom. I also have a Zippo lighter using traditional lighter fluid and one with a Thunderbird butane insert and neither has a flame as predictable as a jet flame. I've use double jets and it was annoying trying to figure out where the sweet spot is for melting things without under or overcooking especially with shock cords so single flame is the way to go.
The wax will darken the color of the cord so mine went from an almost cherry brown to a chocolate brown. The cord will be a little grippier too which is a nice bonus. Some people use epoxy or other kinds of shellac-like covering for the grip and they work quite well up until they crack from a hand strike. The wax does very well with keeping cut cords onto the grip and using a finger nail it can be shaped with thread lines that will hide the repair at first glance.
Epilogue
Everything seems to have held up well and the cord is the only thing that is in need of replacement. Thanks for reading this far and I hope this is a useful starting point to ask others about basic maintenance for your federschwert.