What can I buy at Walmart for dial string?

There are no electronic stores anywhere near me. I cant believe the prices they want on ebay for this string. (There is some Australia source selling 12 meters of it for around $7 and wanting $45 shipping.... that's insane).

Anyhow, it's just string, but I know it needs to be strong and last for years. Walmart has a lot of sewing and hobby stuff. Maybe there is a thick thread that will work.

Someone on another forum suggested using fishing line. I know that stuff is durable, but I know little more, since I dont fish. What guage and material should I look for? If some of you are fishermen, maybe you could just tell me what brand name and item number to buy. This cant be rocket science. It's just string..... But what will work and last?

  • I am currently needing to replace the dial string on a Zenith Trans Oceanic radio, as well as the radio in a late 1960s era console stereo.

Thanks

Reply to
oldschool
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I have an entire spool of the stuff. how much do you need?

Dan

Reply to
dansabrservices

Yes, BRAIDED fishing line! There is heavier braided line that is both more flexible and will grip shafts better.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

Dacron fishing line, available at Wally-World. Take a bit of the old with you and bracket that gauge as there are many gauges and many radios. Each spool you purchase will be a lifetime supply for that gauge.

Note that there is considerable flexibility in actual use anyway.

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

Reply to
pfjw

Dental floss.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Gill

Braided anywhere from 30 - 50 pound test is what I'd look for (though I'm not an expert.)

Avoid monofilament (slippery) and at all costs stay away from the power pro high tech stuff. It casts really well, I use it, but it frays like crazy.

Reply to
Tim R

You are CRUEL!!

Dental Floss is the last material that should be used for anything inside any electronics for any purpose other than cleaning. Sure, lots do use it. And if they use it in something that actually does get used, they will regret it.

This is similar to, but much worse than, using wax shoe-polish on stag.

Cruel, as OldSchool might actually take your advice!

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

Reply to
pfjw

Why? I just want to know.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Gill

snipped-for-privacy@tubes.com wrote on 8/22/2017 1:23 PM:

I don't know what you want. I see dial cord on ebay for reasonable prices.

DIAL CORD 0.8 mm synthetic cord 10 metres to suit radios. $4.36 Buy It Now

+$1.58 shipping

Other places have it as well. Did you try googling "dial cord"?

--
Rick C 

Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms 
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Reply to
rickman

Why?

Dental-floss is made of many small mono-filaments that are not twisted or w oven. Once upon a time, it was made from silk which has a high strength-to- weight (and thickness) ratio, and actually could bio-degrade. As it was a o nce-use/often-used material, the short shelf-life of silk was not an issue

- just the cost.

So, along came the bean-counters and decided to make it from either PTFE or Nylon. And flatten the fibers (still non-woven or twisted) so that they wo uld be more likely to catch onto plaque, after all, the intended purpose of the stuff. Neither of these two materials degrades. Nylon is mildly toxic when burnt. PTFE is not only toxic, but even if heated up will kill birds, cats and other sensitive species, as well as cause birth-defects in amphibi ans (the fumes). So, trash-to-steam operations will convert PTFE PoC (prod ucts of combustion) into environmental toxins that normal filtration (for C O2, NOX and similar, and even limestone beds will not catch.

That is the environmental issue.

Now, the stuff, because it is non-woven/non-twisted, because the fibers are flattened, and so forth, will abrade the sheaves and shaft(s) over time, a nd also shred over time. Fine if on a shelf-queen that is never used, not s o fine in a daily driver.

And, of course, waxed floss would start to slip in short order.

Those are the practical issues.

If one is in a McGyver-type situation, then desperate needs call for desper ate measures. But when indulging in a hobby, such expedients are neither ne cessary nor very efficacious.

Lastly, recent, peer-reviewed studies have shown that flossing is, effectiv ely, useless. Our dentist does not even give out the freebies anymore. And I have all my teeth, including all four wisdom teeth (straight) and I have not had a cavity since I was 14 - for the last 51 years.

Hope that helps.

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

Reply to
pfjw

Thanks. I appreciate the reply.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Gill

$1.00 a foot.

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Hurry up, there's a special promotion going on.

Reply to
Ron D.

Dental floss? I've salvaged the string (plus knobs, ICs and IF resonators and coils)from loads of basic tuners over the years, before dumping the rest

Reply to
N_Cook

I salvage a lot of parts too, but dial string is NOT one of them. That stuff just gets weak from age, and it's not (should not be) a high priced item. Considering the amount of tedious work involved in replacing them, I want NEW string, because that's one job I dont want to do twice.

Back when brick and mortar electronic parts stores still existed, I could buy a spool of this stuff (made exclusively for dial strings) for a couple bucks. But these days the stuff seems hard to find, and is over priced.

The dental floss was discussed and I wont be using it. Fishing line seems to be the most recommended. I was also wondering if the thick thread made for sewing canvas and furniture would work too? (Having done some sewing on canvas tents, I know this stuff is strong, easy to get, and cheap to buy).

Reply to
oldschool

I probably only need 6 or 7 feet for the two radios I presently need to restring, but I'd like to get at least 25 ft. because I know there will soon be another antique radio needing a new dial string. (And antique radios are mostly all I work on).

Reply to
oldschool

That sounds good..... I had to google "Dacron" to see what it is:

It's a synthetic polyester (polyethylene terephthalate) with tough, elastic properties, used as a textile fabric.

I wonder how critical the gauge is? I'm sure that thicker is better as far as having a longer life. So, if I buy a spool of something fairly thick wont it work for all radios?

Reply to
oldschool

Consider the string that is used to close feed sacks. It is very strong .

Reply to
malua mada!

The main point about dial stringing , is that it is prestretched. Anything else , other than monofilament, floss or thread ,you need to break some to find its UTS and then stretch a long length of it to a bit less force than the UTS

Reply to
N_Cook

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