Date:         Wed, 29 Jun 2005 11:53:01 -0700
Reply-To:     Otmar <otlists@EVCL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Otmar <otlists@EVCL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Are My Curtains on Correct? - black cord thingie
Comments: To: Trina Lindal <digidoll@COMCAST.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <02a801c57cd9$12d45560$9664a8c0@CenTrina>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

At 11:33 AM -0700 6/29/05, Trina Lindal wrote:
>Stan said:
>>  You should be able to buy SHOCK CORD.
>
>Otmar siad:
>>  2)  it looks exactly like the cable housing used on bicycles
>>  for gear and older brake cables.
>
>Well, having seen what the inside of those curtain cord thingies look like
>(after being stretched well beyond their intended stretchiness), it is a
>flat metal coil encased in plastic. I hadn't thought of shock cord (which is
>basically a small bungee, correct?) or gears/brake cables (which aren't all
>that stretchy), but I'm sure they could work...

The original ones are not that stretchy either. Having pulled apart
bicycle cables, as well as had the ones on my `82 camper come apart,
they seem to be exactly the same coiled flat wire inside. (except
some of the newer ones that are larger and have teflon inside)

>Any ideas how to replicate the "invisible" attachment for the loop that gets
>attached the body? It basically just a screw with a eye at one end (a
>miniature verion of what you'd hang a plant from on a deck post), and it
>screws perfectly into the metal coil (inside the black plastic sheathing).

These are usually available at hardware stores. They are just small
screw eye loops.

hth,
--
  -Otmar-
82/86 Stretch Vanagon Westfalia GTI. "Power of two" Soon to be TDI.
http://www.evcl.com/vw
1 914 EV, 1 Insight Hybrid