[GreenKeys] Looking for multi-colored wire

[Keith Mc]

On Jan 22, 2012, Steve Garrison <steve.n4tty at ...> wrote: 
> Hi folks,
> I'm restoring a Kleinschmidt TT-272A Reperf [...]
> but I'm in need of the following multi-colored wire to make an "authentic" restoration.  [...]
> All wire is 20 gauge and here is a list of the 7 different colors and lengths needed:
> WHT-BRN  --  3 ft.   [...]   BRN-WHT  --  2 ft.   
> WHT-ORN  --  1 ft.   [...]   RED-VIO  --  1 ft.
> RED-YEL  --  1 ft.   [...]    GRN-RED  --  1 ft.   [...]   BLU-BRN  --  1 ft.
> Thanks in advance for any assistance!

One trick is to simply buy one round of the smallest EIA color reels available.
You then do like the local wire houses do, when asked for custom wire 
combos - namely add a spiral paint stripe of a contrasting color, 
to the base wire color.   This is what my local wire distributor did
for Michigan businesses that needed specific custom color combos.

The EIA set of colors: Blk, Brn, Red, Org, Yel, Grn, Vio, Gry, Wht.
In your case, you only need to buy five small base color reels: 
... Brn, Red, Grn, Blu, Wht,
but you will need six paint pens: 
... Brn, Red, Org, Yel, Vio, Wht.

Whenever I refresh my experimenter's wire supply at home, I normally buy
100' reels. I store them on three foot, 3/4" wooden dowels, terminated 
on each end with automotive hose clamps. Several of these roll-sticks 
dangle from my basement rafters, strung through a pair of 2x4 slices 
with matching 3/4" holes in them.
(I maintain a stock of a few wire gauges, in both solid and stranded.)

At the local distributors, they have a wire painting jig to add the contrast 
color to an EIA base wire.  It slowly pulls the wire through the rig. 
Orbiting rollers (or simply spinning the wire) adds a spiral stripe to it.
Going slowly, and applying a hair dryer to it as it comes out of the 
rig drys the stripe enough to allow it to roll up again immediately.
(The rig is deceptively simple, yet it's a high profit service. :-)

For DIY, the contrasting color can probably be done with paint pens, 
and a either a cheap pizza roller wheel or an office supply "pouncing wheel"
to generate a fine pinstripe for you.  (After all, you only need a few feet 
of each wire, so it's probably not worth making the full painting rig.)

Tape a paint pen against the handle so its tip is dragging 
on the pizza roller's edge. This loads it up with paint as you go.
Slowly progress along the wire in a diagonal spiral to make your stripe.
(You can also fab or use a "dash line roller", if you wish to make 
a roadway style middle dash line wire, or skip it all and make 
contrast color rings freehand....)

Do all of one color stripe at a time.  Clean the roller off between 
color stripes, attach a different color paint pen to your roller,
and go on to making the next color stripe on the next wire..

Does this make sense?

- Keith Mc.