<BR>Perhaps this is the wrong location for this subject, but does anyone have any experience using flat woven shoe laces as a sleeve to go over modern two conductor zip cords? I read about this once, but haven't actually tried it. I'm looking for a replacement power cord to use on the early, first generation ac receivers that use the single cloth covered power cord, not the two conductor twisted cord style. The one sold at AES just doesn't look quite right and is rather pricey.<P>------------------<BR>Larry Hare

Now there is an idea. I was just wondering how I was going to replicate that I will have to try that. <P>------------------<BR>

I've used the sleeve from nylon rope a couple of times. The fine woven stuff that I think is used for tying down camping tents. It usually comes in white and I stain it with wood stain. I've used it to cover 4 conductor phone cord to use as a replacement for speaker cable on sets of this era.<P>------------------<BR>Sean

I had heard of this; I needed to find something to cover a battery cable, it didn't need to look that old but the shoelace trick seemed handy. The laces I had in my junkpile seemed too narrow to work for this, let alone a line cord, but I found that by pushing it over top of a pencil (point first, of course) it stretched nicely. I just finished this 10 minutes ago; it looks great. Note that this was a very old package of shoelaces, not sure if modern colors/materials would look as good.<P>------------------<BR>

Interesting idea Larry. I save shoelaces as we find in our business,[NOS], but I never considered that use. Hummm...Might not be a good idea to board a plane with copper filled shoelaces nowadays. <P>------------------<BR>terry h

Actually, it isn't my idea. I read about it somewhere, perhaps even in this forum awhile ago, but I tend to tuck these little tidbits away for future use.<BR> I bought a pair of athletic, large style laces, 72 inches long, and I'm currently trying to stuff a small zip cord into the sleeve using a chop stick to open up the sleeve opening, similar to what bgadow did with his pencil. I appears that it'll fit, but unfortunately, the copper wire ends keep snagging the cloth fibers. I think I'll try to apply some glue to the cut end of the sleeve and add a dab to cord tip next. Once started, it looks like the rest will be a piece of cake, or so I hope.<BR> <BR> <P>------------------<BR>Larry Hare

Larry, try stripping the ends of the wire; then hold the bare wire with pliers or in a vyce and pull the insulation back slightly (so there's more wire showing). Then cut the wire off flush with the insulation. you should now be able to pull the insulation back over the end of the wire so the wire withdraws into the insulation and there's no chance of it catching. When you've finished just cut the end off back to the wire.<BR>Don Black.<P>------------------<BR>

I've fished a few wires through old sleeving. I just soldered the new wire to the old one and used the old wire to pull it through. Perhaps you could use an old peice of wire as the fish and solder it to both wires of the zip cord. <P>Paul<P>------------------<BR>

Actually Paul, I used Don's suggestion and got the wires back far enough so that I could get the zip cord started into the sleeve without snagging. After that, the first two feet, or so went smoothly, however things soon slowed down as friction took over. From there on it was a matter of bunching up the sleeve and then working the slack down to the wild end, a little bit at a time. It behaves like that Chinese finger toy I had as a kid.<BR> At any rate, I now have a 72 inch cloth sleeved power cord ready to install. It fits the zip cord like a glove and looks closer to authentic than the AES version. <BR> Next I'll have to try Seans' suggestion and make up some vintage speaker/headphone leads.<BR> To all a happy, safe and prosperous 2003. May the force be with y'all. <P>------------------<BR>Larry Hare

Larry please let us know if you figure out how to get the wires to exit through the side of the sheath a few inches from the end, leaving a 2in pigtail. I have seen many old headphones done this way originally, they would then tie a half-hitch in the pigtail to keep it from fraying. <BR> Also it must be magic, the way they form the "Y" split, to make the vintage headphone leads. I've been unable to find anyone that can make/supply these or even describe how these were made in the first place.<BR>Denny Graham<BR>Sandwich, IL<BR><P>------------------<BR>

Hi Denny:<P> The old speaker cords were called "push back" cords. I've read about how it was done, but my few attempts on old scraps of orginal vintage speaker cord have been unsucessful to date.<BR> As I understand it, one would "push back the sleeving, exposing several inches of lead. The speaker leads consisted of litz wire that is very flexible so that it could be doubled back on itself without breaking. Fish the leads back past the bunched up (pushed back) sleeving and out through a hole in the sleeving that had previously been made with an awl. Finish up by tying off the now empty section of sleeving and solder on the tips.<BR> It sounded easy, but I've had difficulty fishing the leads out through the hole in the sleeving. Perhaps using a short length of small diameter tubing, beveled on one end as an awl to create the hole in the sleeving, and then pushing it under and out of the sleeving might work. This way you'd have a clear passage to fish the leads past the bunched up sleeving and out through the hole. Just a thought.<BR> I'd love to hear from one of the "old timers" on their techniques. There has to be an easy way to do this, especially since they originally did it on a production basis.<P>PS: The repro speaker cord sold by AES will not work for this treatment since the sleeving incorporates one of the leads in its' weave.<P>------------------<BR>Larry Hare

Denny,<P> I think the technique Larry describes is shown on page 140, Elements of Radio Servicing (2nd Ed.) by Marcus & Levy. In this case the method is used for preparing shielded lead (coax), but results should be the same for other purposes. Sorry no scanner.... <P>Greg <P> <P>------------------<BR>

Another possibility:<BR>There is a sewing tool used for running drawstrings through narrow "channels". It is a thin metal rod with a clever pivoting hook on one end for grabbing and holding a thread. (I inherited my mother's.) Maybe your wife has one.<BR>Mike<P>------------------<BR>

HI,<BR> This shoe string idea doesn't look good, repro line cord is better and less time consuming. No messy dyeing, glueing ends, what a pain..<BR> Ken<P>------------------<BR>

Ken: I have to differ with you. I have been using the AES stuff for awhile now, but the power cord I just made up using heavy duty zip cord and a 72 inch section of black athletic shoe laces looks a whole lot better, especially with respect to the outside diameter. The AES stuff always looked a little stiff and whimpy compared to the orginal cord. Coloring white laces brown, or tan shouldn't be all that challenging. A short soaking the laces in some old black coffee is one way to turn them tan and I'm sure that there are a lot of other dying options as well. Any power cord, appropriately sized, will work, since the exposed ends of the cord are hidden inside of the plug and chassis.<BR> I made up a test section of speaker cord using regular, modern speaker cord, and it turned out OK. Using cloth covered litz speaker wire would have resulted in a much better result. Fishing the wire out through one end of the lace turned out to be much easier than I had originally thought. Just work a small awl through the lace about three or four inches back from the end, fold the lace back on itself at this point, and then work the wires out through the hole. You can finish off one end of the cord this way and the other end is usually out of sight inside of the driver.<BR> Ken, I do agree with you that the AES reproduction speaker cord is probably a better choice. It looks close enough to the original to pass for it, and it doesn't require any significant effort to produce it although the AES speaker cords are not cheap.<P>------------------<BR>Larry Hare

Sometimes "use what you have" is better. Bob's radios never quite got back to me with a total price for the zip cords I wanted to buy. Guess a small order of fifty was not worth his trouble, or he sold em all by the case. Now I stalk, with my trusty side cutters, looking for a victim....er...donor. Meanwhile, my dineing room is starting to look like a metal forest with all the floor lamps I need to repair. Nothing against Bob or Ken here, just the way It goes sometimes.<P>------------------<BR>terry h

Hi all<P>I've done this several times. I used laces that are used for army shoes (length 120 cm). No glueing or the like. These laces can cover a round (even white without notiable "shine trough" of the colour later) modern power cord. To make the end pieces look good, you just take black twine, leave come cm loose on the start and tie it later with the end <P>For finer wire (as headphone..) you can use normal show laces that are of a tubular outside, but you there have often to pry out reinforcing strings from the inside.<P>Kind regards, Walter Haring, Switzerland<P>P.S. I also use NEW cloth covered wire - actually produced in Germany in different styles and colours.<P>------------------<BR>

Terry h,<BR> I buy a bundle of 50 zip cords from Bobs Radio about twice a year. The price was about $35.00 per 50, can't get any cheaper then that. Eight footers, brown.<BR> Ken<P>------------------<BR>

Hi Ken, Bob was going to get back to me with shipping and product total. I requested to pay with personal business check to keep the books easier. He seemed ok with it. He has not been paid as I never recieved a total. Been a Loooong time. I wasn't in a rush, but I won't live forever either. <IMG SRC="http://antiqueradios.com/forums/frown.gif"><P>------------------<BR>terry h

<P>For those of you not familiar with metrics, 120 cm = 4 feet.<BR>Don Black.<BR><P>------------------<BR>