atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems Antique Telephones Restoring pink handset cord

Hi,

A quick question about handset cords (again). I have an 'extra long' pink handset cord from an all 1962 phone that is extra long. It has been 'sprung', but I have been doing a lot of reading about how to restore the 'springy-ness' of a cord. What I am wondering about is how to restore the color of the cord. Part of it looks almost new as in a very 'pretty pink', but other parts look very salmon in color. I washed it in the dishwasher with dishwasher powder + real TSP and got all of the gunk-dirt-nicotine-coffee stains-God only knows what off of it, (don't get me going on that phosphate free eco-crap, it doesn't work and dishes look worse coming out than going in. I have discovered that half a tablespoon of real TSP in the main wash compartment and a quarter tablespoon TSP in the pre-wash compartment does wonders...)

Any way, I have my dowel rod ready to reform the cord once I get the color back if that is possible! Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Best,

Joe

If you "roll" the coils into the opposite direction, this will tighten up the spiral. Not sure what can be done about the fading color though.

click

This the Retr0brite project. Note the spelling of the word, which uses the ZERO instead of an OH, to denote the Computer Age influence.

In all plastics, there are flame-retardant chemicals, (generally bromine) which over time will leach out, causing discoloration of the plastic. The Retr0brite method uses hydrogen peroxide and UV light to reverse the process.

Their method has generally been used with hard plastics, but you might succeed trying it with a soft handset cord. If it doesn't work, don't fret, because pink hard-wired handset cords are rare, but not ultra-rare...yet.

Here are some pink items that might interest you. Part of my collection:

I experimented with the Retr0brite solution and only had success with off-white items. I think it bleaches the plastic.

Fortunately, new handset cords are usually easy to find. I only repair them out of convenience due to my lack of patience.

With handset cords, I have experimented wrapping them on a dowel after cleaning them and then hit them with a heat gun. If you aren't careful, the decision to toss them will be quickly made for you.

I've never had any luck with using a dowel and a heat source since it tends to loosen the vinyl jacket, causing the cord to become more of a coil and less of a spring.