Making cable in 1944?

[Top Cap]

Not sure if the year is correct as we were still at war then, but a fascinating insight into how we once were. There is a little 'Guess the radio' teaser at 14.37. It's not a long video but really worth a watch, just for the fascinating machines alone. Oh yes, I do like the shot of the scientists with their advanced equipment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OlD...k#t=906.986883

[McMurdo]

Nice film!
I have to say though, I did alot of work for Rists Cables locally up to about the year 2000 and they were still using the same machines as in the film; with the exception of the paper and rubber tape lapping stuff; the insulation was all extruded on. The copper was delivered marked 'Delta Enfield' and was drawn, annealed, bunched, braided, etc all by those same huge machines..and mostly british-made machines too! Those big spindle things that bunched the wires into multiple cables with filler cores used to shake the concrete factory floor.
The only modern twists were that the PVC insulation was checked for thickness by laser and the finished product was hi-pot tested either by water bath or running under a curtain of chains. And of course most of the machines had safety gates and barriers so you couldn't get too close.
In the braiding sheds (sort of maypole machines) the air used to sparkle from floor to ceiling when the sun shone through the eastlight roof due to the copper particles floating throughout.

[unitaudio]

Absolutely superb. Loved the "Chomondley-Warner" narration! The machinery is a real feast for the eyes. I could watch that all day. I might do tomorrow...

Regards,
Paul

[Diabolical Artificer]

Interesting film. Also liked the Chomondley Warner narrater but his his cheerful simple minded sidekicks' asides were a bit annoying, "Oho, it's just like making stockings!"

Didn't know they had plastic in 1944, as used on the co-axial cable; always wondered how they get the holes in it, and that HV cable with a lead sheath must have been been fun to work with.

Andy.

[emeritus]

A very interesting film, thanks for flagging it up. I always wondered why the new cables they installed in our road in the 1950's when we were converted from 200V to 240V were coated with some white stuff. I see from the credits that one of the narrators was Alvar Lidell.

Re the holes, the attached almost contemporaneous advert from the Oct 1945 Wireless World indicates that it may have been done by two discrete extrusions, a star followed by a tube.

[Diabolical Artificer]

Ah, interesting. The star shaped piece looks separate to the outer circular tube in those pics. Its ingenious how they make cables, I guess in the early days they borrowed the design's from rope winding machines. I see in the video they used immpregnated paper and jute as insulators, which is also a link with rope making. Plastics obviously revolutionised cable making and did away with the need to leave a cable soaking for a week.

Andy.

[peter_scott]

Originally Posted by Top Cap

Not sure if the year is correct as we were still at war then,

It certainly does look more like pre-war rather than post war but there is part of the commentary "The use of this wire is still a war secret." so I suspect the date is about right.

Peter

[McMurdo]

It also mentions being well equipped to provide cable for the country's expected post-war rebuilding needs

[G4YVM David]

Fab video. Worth watching for that wonderful spark alone!!

D

[Dave Moll]

What a shame I seem to be unable to get the youtube clip to run. After skipping the annoying advert, I just get a never-ending circle of rotating dots on my antedeluvian computer.

[emeritus]

I had trouble getting it to play at first. In full screen mode, it ran for about 10 secs, then skipped to the next video. I had to start it and let it run for about 15 secs before switching to full screen mode, when it played to the end with no problems.

[yesnaby]

I cannot get it to play at all after the first few seconds. It keeps switching to other things/adverts. Tried the '15 seconds' trick but it does not work here.

[Top Cap]

Try doing a YouTube search instead of the link, maybe that will work, I have found direct YouTube links to be funny sometimes-

Power Lines - 1944 Electricity Cable Educational Documentary - WDTVLIVE42

[Lucien Nunes]

The link above includes a time parameter (#t=) that takes you to near the end of the clip. Try:
Power Lines Documentary

[Dave Moll]

Thanks for the pointers. I'll have another try. It least I'm not the only one having difficulties.

That is a handy thing to know (the time stamp) perhaps it will make posting of a bit of a youtube clip easier for the linkee. I was a bit confused at first, but simply sliding the time thingy to zero worked.

That's how stuff was made and a lot is still in use, even feeding my house.

[yesnaby]

Many thanks, I've seen it now, quite fascinating.

[ms660]

What's the radio then?

Lawrence.