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Old 15th Oct 2018, 11:53 am   #1
'LIVEWIRE?'
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Question How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

The sleeve in question is a threaded tube on which are assembled the parts of a Chandelier Light fitting, through which the aforesaid 3-core flex passes, which connects the fitting to the mains supply. As is to be expected, the insulation has perished, but, having dismantled the fitting, I find that the old flex is solidly jammed in the tube, and nothing I've tried (WD40, light oil, etc., etc.), will loosen the flex so that it can be removed, Said flex must be almost 50 years old as the wires are red, green, & black, although, oddly enough the internal wires linking the various lamp-holders, standard B.C. types, b.t.w., are wired with modern brown & blue flex.
Having tried all the above, including soaking the tube in light oil for several hours, without success, my only other thought is to heat the assembly in an oven, in the hope that the metal tube will expand more than the flex inside, thus allowing it's removal. Is this a good idea, or does anyone have any other suggestions? As the chandelier is quite old I'm unlike ly to be able to get replacement parts for it.
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Old 15th Oct 2018, 11:56 am   #2
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

You might want to try submerging the whole tube in hot water for a bit, Mike.

Presumably, the entire flex (including the copper stranded cores) is still in situ?

How long is the tube? Is it straight?

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Old 15th Oct 2018, 12:27 pm   #3
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

Depending on the length of the tube - and assuming it is straight - using a drill bit of suitable length and diameter to simply drill out the old cable should work, especially if you can insert the drill bit into each end of the tube.

Al.
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Old 15th Oct 2018, 12:34 pm   #4
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

Hi Livewire, you have not specified what type of Insulation the Cable you are trying to remove has.

If Rubber, suggest googling:- how dissolve rubber.

One hit suggests Acetone, which can be found in Hairspray or Nail Polish Remover. etc

Maybe will release Plastic Insulation.

Regards - Mike
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Old 15th Oct 2018, 1:01 pm   #5
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

Can you pull out the individual wires from the flex? That should make it small enough to release from the fitting.
I once had to re-thread a wall-mounted light fitting which was so tight I only managed by pushing a guitar string through the s-shaped arms, soldering the very thin flex to that and pulling through. It took a while.
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Old 15th Oct 2018, 1:02 pm   #6
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

Burn it out? Or drill it out?
Presumably the old cable was stuck when someone rewired the lower part with new colour cable and they chose to ignore it.
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Old 15th Oct 2018, 1:47 pm   #7
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

It's a steel tube about 8.5" long x 3/8" diameter. As I noted the flex is the old-fashioned cotton-covered rubber type, similar to that once fitted to Electric Irons, and I haven't been able to pull out one of the wires, so, Sam, you may well be right. I can but try either soaking the whole assembly in hot, or even boiling water, try acetone. Thanks, all, for the suggestions. I'll report back when I've succeeded in withdrawing the flex!
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Old 15th Oct 2018, 2:14 pm   #8
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

If the tube is steel, my first path-of-attack would be to reach for a blowlamp and heat the tube until the rubber goes gooey and starts bubbling/oozing out the ends - then use a suitably-sized rod to give it a poke!

Deeply stinky and messy, but much more likely to yield a quick result than trying anything to 'dissolve' the rubber.
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Old 15th Oct 2018, 2:21 pm   #9
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

Another solution would be to find a hefty mains transformer and wind three or four turns of heavy wire over the bobbin and use the output to heat the conductors until they can be pulled out. You should then be able to dig the remainder of the hardened rubber out with a bit of stiff wire.
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Old 15th Oct 2018, 5:59 pm   #10
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

G6T, I don't possess a blowlamp, or know anyone who does, but I could do as you suggest, Refugee.
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Old 15th Oct 2018, 6:18 pm   #11
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

Would caustic soda dissolve the cotton without damaging the metal?

Don't use it if the metal is an aluminium alloy.
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Old 15th Oct 2018, 6:44 pm   #12
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

Try Tar remover.
Cheers
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Old 15th Oct 2018, 7:58 pm   #13
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

Replace the whole sleeve?
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Old 15th Oct 2018, 8:27 pm   #14
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Boater Sam View Post
Replace the whole sleeve?
Certainly an option, lighting specialists do stock that kind of thing https://www.lampsandlights.co.uk/mor...eel17%3A10x100
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Old 18th Oct 2018, 1:49 pm   #15
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

In the end, I bought a new length of threaded sleeve from a local electrical shop, plus a new length of 3-core mains lead, and will re-assemble the chandelier using the new items.
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Old 18th Oct 2018, 2:56 pm   #16
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Old 18th Oct 2018, 3:49 pm   #17
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

It sounds very much like the bin is beckoning for the old steel tube now.
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Old 18th Oct 2018, 6:42 pm   #18
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

You're correct, Refugee. The Chandelier has been temporarily put to one side whilst I catch up on other things, but, having obtained a new length of tubing and flex, I see no point in keeping the original tube.
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Old 18th Oct 2018, 9:18 pm   #19
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

Sorted. (Just check the thread is the same... it usually is.)

A campingaz, or similar, blowlamp is pivotal to my toolkit. It might only come out twice a year but when it does it's invaluable.

Dave
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Old 18th Oct 2018, 10:49 pm   #20
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Default Re: How to remove old, cotton-covered flex from a metal sleeve?

My standby blowlamp is an old Sievert petrol job with cane wrapped handle. Probably a genuine antique by now. The instructions stamped on its tank tell you to "use only Benzoline" but 4-star used to work fine as does unleaded now!
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