Quality conductors and cordage

[cloyd]

Hello everyone,

I love to look at the pictures that everyone posts.  I have noticed that some people use quality wires (cloth-covered, color specs throughout) inside the phone.  I have purchased cords from online sources and I am wondering how to get away from the skinny, plastic-covered wires in favor of the cloth-covered wires.  Is the difference where they are used whether it is a line cord vs. a handset cord, for example?  I could use small quantity rolls of the stuff.  Perhaps people reuse the wire from the cordage when the woven cloth disintegrates?

Also, I was working on my WE D1 202 and the cloth covering on the cord was falling apart.  Can the original cord restraints and lugs be removed and opened up for reuse?  I tried and got the cord restraint opened, scratching it up in the process, but those lugs are so tiny and the teeth prevent me from drilling out the wire.  There must be a better way to reuse these items!

[Babybearjs]

once the terminals and restraints are crimped, its suppose to be permanent... that's just the way they are designed. single use only.

[cihensley@aol.com]

I have reused them successfully. Cut the cordage away from the restrain as close as possible. Put the restraint in a vise. Drill out the cordage using a small drill bit. Once some of the cordage is drilled out, the rest just slides out. Use a couple of long nose pliers to spread the restraint.

Chuck

[poplar1]

B.B.Wingo told me to use dikes (side cutters) to open the restraints with S-hooks, but I never had much success with that method.

[NorthernElectric]

I have purchased cords from online sources and I am wondering how to get away from the skinny, plastic-covered wires in favor of the cloth-covered wires.  Is the difference where they are used whether it is a line cord vs. a handset cord, for example?

OPW (oldphoneworks.com) sells cloth covered cords with your choice of cloth or vinyl covered conductors.  According to their web site,

The cloth leads do not have the durability of their vinyl counterparts nor the flexibility...

So, if the phone will be a 'daily dialer' maybe the vinyl covered conductors will be a better choice whereas the cloth covered conductors will give your phone a more authentic look on the inside.

See Cloth Covered Handset Cord and Cloth Covered Subset Cord.

[Jim Stettler]

I used to have a small jar of "removed" restraints  (10-12). It came in an auction box at a phone show. I gave them to someone at the show.
Jim S.

[HarrySmith]

I have also removed and reused cord restraints before. It take a little patience but not very difficult. I have never attempted to reuse the spade connectors, which I think is what you refer to as lugs. That does seem like way too much work especially when new ones are cheap & easy to get.

[cloyd]

B.B.Wingo told me to use dikes (side cutters) to open the restraints with S-hooks, but I never had much success with that method.

I am not familiar with side cutters or the procedure.  Could you give me a little more detail?

Tina

[HarrySmith]

Put the restraint down on something sturdy. Dig each side of the cutting pliers in on each side of the restraint by the opening and squeeze. Work your way one by one along the zig zag points of the restraint.