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String for raising/lowering blinds

January 19, 2018, 10:57:24 pm

The closed loop string that raises & lowers our blinds over the table is frayed at one point so bad that we are reluctant to pull on the string. As far as we can see it is an endless loop that runs over a pulley at the top of the blind and over a small pulley almost at the bottom of the window.
Is there a source I can purchase a replacement?
I don't see how I could splice a cord together to make a new loop without having a large "lump" splice.

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Re: String for raising/lowering blinds

Reply #1 – January 19, 2018, 11:09:38 pm

Hawk. Is it a mini blind or the day / nite shades. We have both.  I did restring one of the day / nite shades, but the string that I bought is a shade bigger diameter which makes them just a little tougher to use. So  do be carefull of that.

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Re: String for raising/lowering blinds

Reply #2 – January 19, 2018, 11:42:29 pm

Hi, Nitehawk -

I'm not sure if you have the same day/night shades that we do in our 1997, but we have purchased and have been quite happy with:

Rv Shade Repair Kit - The Dirty Blind Man Llc

He has all sorts of kits and instructional material on how to repair the day/night shades.  Hope this helps. 

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Re: String for raising/lowering blinds

Reply #3 – January 20, 2018, 08:59:31 am

Nitehawk, I  found braided dacron fishing line at a tackle store.  The stuff is obsolete for fishing these days so the owner was happy to sell me a spool of several hundred yards for a few bucks.  Its worked very well for several years.  It's slightly smaller diameter than original which seems to make it work better.  Note that when restringing you can heat and fuse together ends of old and new lines, then use old line to pull in new.  Slick and easy.

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Re: String for raising/lowering blinds

Reply #4 – January 20, 2018, 09:35:04 am

If yours are day/night shades, I have a repair kit I got before the cats decided we would be getting pull down shades.  Curiosity must be satisfied one way or the other - shades be damned.

I would be quite happy to send it your way for the cost of postage if you're at all interested.  Just send a private message.  I also have a can of shade cleaner from the Dirty Blind Man.

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Re: String for raising/lowering blinds

Reply #5 – January 20, 2018, 10:27:22 am

Thanks Rich. Our shades are NOT day/night shades unfortunately. They are a pleated honeycomb design. The cord I am looking for is a "closed loop" design. It is under spring tension and if I pull the cord on the front of the coach side it lowers the blind. Pull on the engine side and the blind raises.
The spring loaded end on the bottom is about 1/2" wide. The top is a pulley about 1-7/8" in diameter and contained behind an end cap. The cord is 1/8" diameter and fits in the 1/8" wide groove on the top pulley.
All our shades are the same design, but only the one over our kitchen table is down to just a few strands. There is no visible splice point, and if there was, it would probably bind in the top pulley groove.
I would guess--if I hold a tape measure up alongside the cord, that the cord length is about 42" (circumference)

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Re: String for raising/lowering blinds

Reply #6 – January 20, 2018, 12:08:08 pm

Hi Rich,

I would be interested in the day-night repair kit if it isn't taken already.
Jimi

2002 U320
308-440-5154

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