Don't put a Trimline cord in the oven...

[McHeath]

Well I bought myself a nice moss green Trimline dated 4-66.  The cord was pretty pulled out and had lost it's curl, so I tried the oven method after giving it a good cleaning.  A picture of the cord before the treatment is below, it's dated 2/66 and has the early modularish type of connectors which are pretty nifty. 

Oven at 220 degrees, cord on my 3/8 dowel hanging from the heater elements on the ceiling of the oven.

All should have been well.

Except for one thing, the clear plastic of the modular connectors melted.   

I seem to be good at melting phone parts in my oven, you'd think I'd learn by now. 

[Phonesrfun]

Don't you just hate it when that happens!

[Dan/Panther]

Personally, I avoid the oven treatment, and prefer the sun treatment.
For those in not so sunny areas try a heat lamp. Try heating the oven lower, think 150 should work, and I don't think it will hurt the plastic ends, try the ruined one, and lower more if it still melts.
D/P

[McHeath]

Hmm, that's a good idea D/P, try lower temps until I find one that won't melt it.  Seeing as how I now have a ruined cord to practice on....

[Dan/Panther]

I refinished a wooden wall phone, and the crank was corroded, so I cleaned it up, and put a clear coat on it, and put it in my toaster oven to bake the clear coat on. Turns out the knob at the end of the crank was not Bakelite like I thought, and it melted.
D/P

[McHeath]

Ouch!!

I'm going to start a little shrine of all the melted phone parts I've created, it's getting silly how many items I have in the closet that are twisted and melty looking. 

[Dan/Panther]

McHeath;
Telephone version of the ball of foil...
D/P

[Dennis Markham]

Heath, you could melt them all together and sell them on eBay as a modern sculpture.

[Dan/Panther]

I can see it now.
Heath sells his creation for $1000.00 then all of a sudden no more vintage phones for sale. Everyone is melting them into a big heap.
D/P

[jsowers]

I have to know... are you making a cardboard replacement for those ends like you did the black 554? I bet that would be a challenge!

Seriously, a dowel and a hot car dashboard are your friend. In California, you have plenty of heat for it. The Shrine of Melted Phone Parts should be located somewhere near the Island of Misfit Toys. You shouldn't have too much trouble locating another cord, but a 1966 one will be hard to find. Good luck!

[Dennis Markham]

Heath, before you look too far, I have been meaning to check a box of cords that I have.  Let me look there and see if I happen to have one.    It would be a stroke of luck, but stranger things have happened.

[JorgeAmely]

Heath:

I bought a pink cord, just like the one you cooked, for $10 from this place:

http://www.phonecoinc.com/

Is your oven properly calibrated?

[McHeath]

Hey I like the idea of melting phones, I could throw in a few cell phones for laughs as well, into modern art and selling it for Big Bucks.     You'll all be insane with jealousy when my Blob-O-Phones sells for enough to buy a blue 302! 

Maybe I could put some flower stickers on it as well, and some velvet.  Classy.

I hadn't thought about making cardboard ends for the cord like with my 554, maybe if I carved them from soap bars.

I'm beginning the think the oven is hotter than the dial says.

Gee Dennis that would be cool if you found a green Trimline cord.  I've found a couple of places, including phonecoinc, that sell them for 10 bucks each, just betting they are not from 66'.

[Phonesrfun]

Heath:

You might check with Chuck Irwin in Portland.  He refurbishes phones and calls his business The phone Company.

His information is:

The Phone Company
14021 NE Fremont St
Portland, OR 97230-2913
503-253-1124

-Bill

[Dennis Markham]

Heath, I'm sorry but I do NOT have a coiled Trimline cord.  I have a HUGE box of NOS Trimline mounting cords.  I don't have a lot of colors but they all have the 5 conductor plug on the end.  I know I have a yellow, lots of light beige, a bunch of gray and a brown one or two.  If anyone needs Trimline mounting cords (these have the 5 conductor plug on one end and spade tips on the other) let me know.