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Carbon fibre mace

All the better for hitting you with
 
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A mace with a carbon fibre handle. That's it really.
EnochLives, May 03 2018

Ball-and-chain Flail https://en.wikipedi...all-and-chain_flail
Requires a certain amount of skill to use effectively [8th of 7, May 04 2018]

[link]






       When I ask Sergei and Larry about "carbon fibre properties", they tell me "Good tensile strength but Brittle", inter alia.   

       So, your mace works well until first vigorously parried. Then you're suddenly brandishing a broken stick of carbon fibres, aren't you? At that point, my money's on [8th of 7]'s oiled leather conk- bludgeon.
pertinax, May 04 2018
  

       There is, it's called a pugil stick.
Skewed, May 04 2018
  

       Tie a boxing glove to a broom handle
FlyingToaster, May 04 2018
  

       Excellent for Scooter Jousting ...   

       // my money's on [8th of 7]'s oiled leather conk- bludgeon. //   

       It's not ours; it is the property of Hercules Grytpipe-Thynne, originator of the infamous "Punch Up The Conk" scheme intended to make money by encouraging the sale of Moriaty Nose-protectors.   

       We share the misgivings about the employment of carbon-fibre composites in such an application. A vigorous parry impacting on the shaft might well result in a catastrophic failure. Further, it is extremely difficult to detect critical overstress in such components by non-destructive testing. A component can be severely damaged and on the point of failure yet show no external symptoms.   

       We would suggest the best design is a hollow titanium shaft married to a steel head with tungsten-carbide points and weighted (if necessary) with depleted Uranium.
8th of 7, May 04 2018
  

       //We share the misgivings about the employment of carbon-fibre composites in such an application.//   

       I'll broadly agree here, although you could design around some of these deficiencies. A shaft with a pultruded carbon composite core under tension with a material chosen for impact strength around it could work.   

       //We would suggest the best design is a hollow titanium shaft married to a steel head with tungsten-carbide points and weighted (if necessary) with depleted Uranium.//   

       Hollow titanium has no place when people are waving steel about. As a thought experiment, imagine I were to wander down to the bike section of our hospital's parking facility. The nice indoor one with cameras, not the tree nearest the door I use. What would happen if I were to take the big wrench we use for the gas cylinders and give the various composite and alloy frames a healthy whack? I'd lose my job probably, but my point would stand: Hollow titanium and carbon are vulnerable to wrench attacks.   

       Your mace shaft has an interesting mix of load demands. The compression, bending & tension from using the weapon in an idealized environment aren't that great. Certainly nothing like those of a bike. You could get away with a bit of old bamboo or something. Thin walled titanium with a bit of butting near the head could be made very light and stiff, but do you want that? Golf clubs don't go that route, I think you want the shaft to act as a spring. You can get a bit more velocity, and it takes the worst out of the impact shock travelling back down the shaft. For this effect a relatively thin carbon fibre composite rod would work nicely, apart from the other thing...   

       People are waving steel about, they might be deeply unsporting and aim for your shaft. Rather than controlling gentle loads from swinging the head around, now a dirty great sword is supplying concentrated shock loads to the surface. Titanium and carbon are dreadful here. So, I'd go with something like 1/2" diameter S7 tool steel for the shaft. Should have a bit of whip about it. No problems with hidden over-stresses in S7. It's either fine or it isn't.
bs0u0155, May 04 2018
  

       So ...   

       The shaft has to be suitably resistant to side impacts from an edged weapon, without significant distortion; the mass needs to be kept low, so that kinetic energy can be concentrated in the head (while retaining acceptable balance); and it shouldn't be excessively stiff, to limit the shock transmitted back down the handle to the user (hence the chain link on the ball-and-chain flail <link>).   

       A polymer-wrapped kevlar outer jacket would be good for absorbing impacts (and could be replaced between combats) and a tube of S7 steel within it would have flexibility and resilience, while allowing different balancing masses to be installed and positioned along the length.
8th of 7, May 04 2018
  

       In stead of a shaft, go with a close-wound spring - carbon fibre or titanium.   

       Absorbs any heavy blows, traps sword-blades, may be prone to chipping.
FlyingToaster, May 04 2018
  

       I think that if you find yourself fighting with (or against) a mace, things have already gone quite the wrong way.
MaxwellBuchanan, May 04 2018
  

       // go with a close-wound spring - carbon fibre or titanium. //   

       ... both of which are valued for their stiffness. So, no. Definitely not.   

       // Absorbs any heavy blows, //   

       ... meaning that much less energy is transferred to the target ? No.   

       // traps sword-blades, //   

       Very, very bad idea - your weapon is now encumbered, and your opponent has a longer lever-arm to work with to attempt a disarm. You might break his blade, but then your weapon is still partially encumbered, and now unbalanced, and he still has the stub of his blade to slash and parry with.   

       The big risk would be being unhorsed. The "snatch" if the blade is "captured" would mean all of that momentum is transferred to your hand and arm ...   

       // may be prone to chipping //   

       Handy for a fish and chip supper after the joust, the.
8th of 7, May 04 2018
  

       the reason for titanium or carbon-fibre is lack of weight, not stiffness, but there'd be enough of that to ensure the mace isn't a wobbly thing. Possible point on the sword-catch.
FlyingToaster, May 04 2018
  
      
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