News:

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

Main Menu

Fixing a Distorted coiled Handset Cord.

Started by Dan/Panther, October 17, 2008, 12:20:15 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

old_phone_man

Larry,
Actually not a bad idea.  I'll run down to Lowes today and get me a dowel. 
I'll keep you posted.

old_phone_man

Here are the results of my cloth cord experiment.

I originally wrapped it around a 3/8th inch Poplar dowel rod for 2 days to see if just doing this would have an effect.  It did not (Rose Phone Cord 1).

I took it off the dowel rod and washed the cord with regular hand soap in warm water (my wife thought it might fade in too hot of water).

I rinsed thoroughly in cold water.

I wrapped it tightly around my 3/8th inch Poplar dowel rod and secured it at both ends with twist ties (Rose Phone Cord 2).

I allowed it to sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

The results were satisfactory.

As you can see in the picture, after I took it off the dowel rod, it was much improved (Rose Phone Cord 3), but I'm pretty sure if this were to be used more that a dozen times it would stretch back out pretty easy.  There was no stiffness to it like a new(er) cord would have had.

My wife and I talked about starch, but decided against it.

Here it is mounted back on the phone (Rose Phone Cord 4). and ready to put in the display case.

I know that "Old Phone Works" uses a company in California to coil their cords.  I think I will try to get the name of them and ask what procedure they go through and see if I can apply it.  But for now I'm pleased.

Larry, Thanks for the refrigerator idea.  I thought about putting it in a black bag and placing it in the car in the heat, but I went with your idea because it seemed less punishing on the cord.

JorgeAmely

I found that washing cloth covered wires with Woolite gives excellent results.
Jorge

LarryInMichigan

The cord looks much improved.  A trick for tightening the loops is to reverse them.  It's a bit tedious, but it can produce good results.

Larry

old_phone_man

Woolite and reverse wrapping.  I never thought of Woolite.  I want to see if I can find that California Company "Old Phone Works" uses to see what tricks they suggest (if any), but I will likely be coming back to that reverse wrapping idea.  Thanks for the ideas and comments.

Kenny C

I'm not sure they would tell you. I asked how they polished their bakelite and never got a response
In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

Dennis Markham

I've used Woolite on several cloth cords, both Brown and Ivory.  It really helps remove the dirt.  I just soak the cords in a bowl containing Woolite and then gently scrub them with a tooth brush.  Let them air dry.

I have not tried to improve the stretched coils of a cloth cord but have one that needs it.  I'm anxious to see your results.

Doug Rose

Quote from: Dennis Markham on July 25, 2011, 10:38:16 AM
I've used Woolite on several cloth cords, both Brown and Ivory.  It really helps remove the dirt.  I just soak the cords in a bowl containing Woolite and then gently scrub them with a tooth brush.  Let them air dry.

I have not tried to improve the stretched coils of a cloth cord but have one that needs it.  I'm anxious to see your results.
Dennis.....did you notice if your teeth were whiter after using the Woolite on your toothbrush? ;D.....Doug
Kidphone

JorgeAmely

Jorge

Dennis Markham

Quote from: Doug Rose on July 25, 2011, 10:52:13 AM
Dennis.....did you notice if your teeth were whiter after using the Woolite on your toothbrush? ;D.....Doug

Doug, I don't know about my teeth being whiter, but my moustache hairs are softer.

dsk

Recoiling the lazy way:
I just had to try this, so I took a cord, coiled it around an 8 mm bolt (from the hi-hat to the drum set) clamped it and ran it trough the dishwasher at 70 deg C. When it was dry, and cooled down it looks great, and it was clean too :D

dsk

Greg G.

#71
Quote from: Dan/Panther on October 17, 2008, 12:20:15 AM
If you have a distorted, or bent coiled handset cord, that is still in servicable condition, but frankly looks too bad to use. Try what I did.
Take a piece of wooden dowel, or steel rod, 3/8 of an inch in diameter. Find or cut a piece that is about an inch or two longer than the cord is when completely compressed together.
Secure one end of the cord to the dowel or rod, using duct tape. Then coil the cord tightly around the dowel, or rod. Secure the other end with duct tape.
Then secure the ends with tiewraps.
Now run hot water over the coiled cord, dry off with compressed air, or blow the water off, then let set until completely cooled. The coil will now be like new.
If the cord was dirty, you can also clean it before you wrap it around the dowel or rod.

Dan

Dan, I tried this method for the first time since it seemed to be a "quick and dirty" method that was easy to do with stuff I had on hand.  I coiled the cord on a 3/8" wooden dowel and secured it per your instructions, poured boiling water over it, let is sit in the hot water for a spell (not real long) then ran it under cold water and dryed it off with a hair dryer.  It worked fairly well.  Only question now is will the cord stay that way?  This was the latest phone I acquired, a 52 black 500.  The cord was actually worse than in the before picture because I've been using it as my main work phone.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

southernphoneman

Quote from: Dan/Panther on October 19, 2008, 06:15:53 PM
Here are the results, of the cord two days on the rod, in the sun, one day in the freezer.
The sun did work better than hot water. If the cord had been in the hot water longer it may have worked as well, but the sun method seems safer.
D/P
that cord really came out nicely, I will remember that trick.nice work dan/panther.

TelePlay

#73
Quote from: Brinybay on September 21, 2012, 08:01:57 PM
Dan, I tried this method for the first time since it seemed to be a "quick and dirty" method that was easy to do with stuff I had on hand.  I coiled the cord on a 3/8" wooden dowel and secured it per your instructions, poured boiling water over it, let is sit in the hot water for a spell (not real long) then ran it under cold water and dryed it off with a hair dryer.  It worked fairly well.  Only question now is will the cord stay that way?  This was the latest phone I acquired, a 52 black 500.  The cord was actually worse than in the before picture because I've been using it as my main work phone.

Here's a slight variation that work well for me today without using water.

Have a 1970'ish black Trimline that came with a distended coiled cord. Not real bad but had been stretched out in the past.

Wrapped it around a wood dowel the exact diameter of the inside diameter. Taped one end down with Painters tape and tightened the coils on the cord to the other end which was also taped down. To protect the old style connectors, I took a piece of soft foam and cut a slot in the center down the access so the foam could be slipped over the connector, both ends. Taped the foam to the dowel to keep it stationary and give the foam a bit of protection.

Placed the part of the dowel with the cord inside of a 3" diameter 4" ID by 24" long cardboard tube (1/8" wall) making sure the cord was centered length wise and also propped up or centered in the middle of the tube so the cord did not touch the cardboard tube. I blocked off about 75% of one end and stuck a hair dryer in the other making sure the air blew down the inner side of the tube allowing it to hit the blockage at the other end and some of the hot air return on the other side of the tube.

Put the 1875 watt hair dryer on low and checked the temperatures of the air on both ends and the exterior of the tube on both ends every few minutes until the temperature stabilized. I use a digital infra-red thermometer. I kept the hair dryer on for 30 minutes. The hair dryer end stabilized at 180 F and the far end, 175 F. The exterior of the tube hit 135 F on the dryer side and 125 F on the far end.

After 30 minutes, I took the dowel out and placed it in the coolest corner of my basement dungeon where it sat for several hours. Removed the tape and the cord from the dial and was impressed at the improvement in the coiled cord. If I have a before picture on my other computer, I'll add it later. For now, the first image below shows the set up and the second, the results.

Before using it, I did heat the yellow on high heat and it did not melt and stayed cool in the center - the effect of trapped air in a material like fire brick or shuttle tiles. The tape kept the foam from being hit by hot air directly.

Next time I do this, I'm going to make a smaller inner diameter tube filled with holes so the hot air is evenly distributed inside the larger tube, getting the temperatures at both ends the same. I may also let it go to 45 minutes to insure thorough heating of the cord.

If this can be duplicated, it, in my opinion, would be much more simple that borrowing the kitchen oven or dealing with the mess of hot water. I'm not sure what the effect of cooling quickly has on this rejuvenation.

Pourme

John,

Now that's very clever!

Another entree into my list of tricks!

Thanks for posting!

Benny
Benny

Panasonic 308/616 Magicjack service