News:

"The phone is a remarkably complex, simple device,
and very rarely ever needs repairs, once you fix them." - Dan/Panther

Main Menu

How would you remove paint from a cloth cord?

Started by Doug Rose, February 15, 2018, 09:37:35 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Doug Rose

I have a really nice E1, but there is paint on the cloth cord. Cord is in solid shape except for the paint. Any idea on how to remove the paint?....thanks....Doug
Kidphone

RB

If it is laytex, try a little goo gone, it should remove the paint, but the oil will stain the cloth.
that can be reduced with some windex.
If it is enamal...good luck. you will do more damage than good...imho.

Dan/Panther

#2
Only a couple ways I can think of. First try Hot water and dish soap, if it's water based it should be able to be picked off.
If it's oil based paint, I've used paint thinner, followed by a good wash in warm soapy water, then clean water, then compressed air to remove as much water as possible. Finally I stretch the cord on a 2X4, then sit it in the sun until it drys. This will also relax the cord and put it back into original shape.
I did that with a cord that had silver spray paint on it. It worked great. While I had the cord stretched out on the board, I worked the inner wires back into place so there were no lumps in the cord.

D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

AE_Collector

Doug might have different results than you do Dan if he sits the wet cord outside for awhile on a 2x4! His result will be a cord that can no longer be removed from the 2x4.

Terry

Fleetcmat

What I have done in the past is find a marker and color the paint. I collect and buy and sell old gas station uniforms and great many of them have paint on them. When you are dealing with 50 plus year old lead based paint it normally is there for the next millennium. Coloring dulls and blends it to a degree that it is less obvious and makes the item more appealing to the eye. In your case the color you are working with you might want to locate a furniture repair marker and match the color of the cord.

Doug Rose

Kidphone

WEBellSystemChristian

I have removed 50-year-old wall paint from a cloth cord with straight Acetone. Of course, it all depends on the type of paint involved.
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

K1WI

Doug ,
   One thing I have found that has always seemed to work for me is to run the cords through the dishwasher (top shelf) using Cascade Complete. Wrap coiled cords loosely around a dowel and this also seems to reshape them a bit. Used it on cloth and rubber cords and 50 year old paint and grime disappear usually with just one wash.  Had some cords that had some kind of plasticky paint that took a few washes.  I tried other brands of detergent  and even other types of cascade and the "complete" seems to do the job best.
   Andy F   
Andy F    K1WI

Doug Rose

Andy / Christian....thanks for the tips.....Doug
Kidphone

Dan/Panther

I did a quick search for links to the topic, and found this.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=18849.0

It appears rather detailed.

D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson