Belegarth

Has anyone tried to use wire to counter-weight a blue while keeping the handle round? I was thinking this would be a good way to balance a bat without making the handle oblong.

Use solder. Needs less of it to add weight.

Sodder = lead = heavy.

Tie-Wire (Baling wire) also works out well. Just try and keep it tight while you wrap it or it's a bit uncomfortable even through rope or whatnot.

I use solder or the counterweight for extendable sink handles. The sink weights work out nicely just above the pommel on 1/2" fiberglass.

Solder works great from what I hear.

But personally I used 3 galvanized steel nuts at 5/8th. One layer of duct tape on a 3/8 inch fiberglass and it literally screws on. I use to steel washers to cap off the nuts and normal amounts of padding to secure. Since I make thicker handles (less strain on the grip for me) I use paracord which adds a little weight.

I'd had these pommels weapon checked against me my multiple realms including dagorhir. Felt no different from normal pommels.

Regarding solder. Are you wrapping it, or melting it, or both?

Wire is neat and all, but the cool kids are using leaded drapery cord. Its a thin rope with beads of lead in it which makes it super easy to wrap though and you can find it at fabric stores. Most of my handles are a layer of this, maybe a little more or less depending on what I am doing, followed up with a layer of regular 1/4" cord and then cloth tape. I use carpet tape to stick the cord onto the core and the next layer of rope. I find that when I had used wire for counter weighting the coil would gradually slide down and into the pommel but that could have been the stuff I used.

I put a coat of dap around the handle, wrap the solder just before the dap gets tacky, then melt the ends to their nearest piece once the dap's had 24 hours or so to dry. I'm not sure just what the flammability chance would be soldering it immediately, then again I'd rather not find out unexpectedly.