Earlier tonight, I almost strangled my cat!! I walked in the bedroom behind her and set down in front of my lighthouse display (well, one of them) and she ran under the bed. I looked at the bottom shelf and noticed the cables on my Bug Light (AKA Long Beach Bar) was not looking right. I picked it up and noticed the cables running up the boom were gone!! She chewed the string in two and the only part of that set-up that's left (the part hooked to the roof of the light is fine) is where it is tied to what would be the winch at the cab by about a half inch on each side and about an inch and a half at the tip of the boom. It can't be fixed as is and the scupture is fine, but I need to find out how do you find a string roughly the same and HOW do you tie it at the cab after threading it through that TIIIIIINY little eye on the boom??

Anyone got a needle that small?? Any suggestions (about the piece and not the cat)??

Steve

Contact Harbour Lights Customer Service 800-365-1219 and ask them to send you some of the string that they used. I had a Thomas Point Shoals with broken string on the boat hoist and they sent me about 2 feet of string. If you can't get the string through the tiny hole then my suggestion would be a tiny dab of super glue to attach the string to the hole. Only your hairdresser will know when it's all done.

You might also try some "cat hair" instead of the string. I'm sure that will get the cat's attention and it'll think twice before it chews on your lighthouse again.

Thanks Rich, will try that...and hope that the toothpick doesn't stick to the piece along with the string!!

Steve

Steve,

You could also try using a needle-threader to pull the string in. Go to WalMart to the area where they sell cloth and sewing materials. The needle-threader is a triangle shaped wire that you put the string through, the push the wire and string through the eye of the needle. Might work.

Weeellll, HL suggested that I either buy another piece, or send it to a restoration place in Peakskill, NY called Ceramic Restoration of Westchester. I e-mailed them as it should be a little easier to give me a guesstimate from looking at the picture (sent the link from HL site) and figuring how tedious it will be vs. having to restore/paint, etc, so we'll see what they say. Normally they want you to send it insured for a free estimate with no obligation. I don't have the extra money to send for naught nor buying another of the same piece at retail again. Hopefully I won't get backed into a corner and have to do something... :rolleyes:
that I'll regret later.

Steve

Oh yeah, they had no string.

I wonder if Bill will take it back with him this Sunday and have it fixed or send me another one and repair and resell this one... :p

YEAH RIGHT!!!

My collection isn't THAT impressive!!

Steve

Steve,

You might just figure that you learned by experience and get rid of the cat.

bobo

Steve,

Melody has the best solution. I'm an avid needlepointer and used a needle threader to fix the "rope" holding up the lifeboat on one of my sculptures.

Sandy

P.S. I'm still waiting for Ceramic Restorations to fix one of the pieces to the Pharo Collection I own--I sent it to them in January and was told the repair could take up to 10 months!!

Steve, would Rich's extra string work? Then if there's any leftover you could use it on the cat?
:rolleyes:

It would seem that to have placed that particular piece in cat range wasn't the best move to begin with? Cats after all, will be cats!

Hey Steve, what color string do you need? I don't have that piece and it's kind of hard to tell from the photos of it. I.O.'s got a lot of string left from his model ship building kits. There's black, brown and sort of a beige color. It you think any of those would work I'd be happy to send you some.

Steve,
I looked at my piece and it looks to be about a 10 minute job to restring if none of the paint is messed up. The string looks like a run of the mill thread and the super glue is no big deal. Do what you have to do but if all else fails and you want to send to me for repair I'll be glad to do it for free if you pay the shipping both ways. Just an offer if you don't think you can handle the repair yourself.

Bob,

I have to keep the cat around for extra string (if you know what I mean) :p !!

Coney,

No $@#*!! I had it displayed with the NJ and NY pieces with my New England and Canada pieces and found it to be way too congested, so I found my biggest shelf had room for my 3 NY and my 3 NJ and thinned out the rest of the other display; just so happened that it was on the lower shelf. :rolleyes: BUUUUT, with some cats (not necessarily this one) any open shelf is where they have access. As for the string, it looks beige. And oh yeah, I asked you why you picked that name before and never got an answer

Rich,

You may have more patience than I do (and reeeeealy tiny thunbs) as the "eye" is real small, but tying around the wench would be a real "B"!! I'm not sure that a needle threader will go through that hole and glue would most likely be the best routs unless you are ambidextrous with tweezers!!

I guess, let me see what I can do with the string if someone has/wants to send me some (MUCHO APPRECIATO) and if I can get it through the hole... . If not, then I may take you up on the free repair.

Steve

Steve,
Just go to a sewing/material store and get the thread you want in a spool. Probably a couple of bucks for the thread. They have all sizes and a wide variety of colors. They will aso have a needle threader there. The needle treader will go through the hole(at least on my piece) and just a tiny dab of super glue on the other ends should do the trick.

Okay Rich, will try!!

Okay, not going to beat an ailing horse (not quite dead yet), but I tried the needle threader and it's not working. The hole in the back of the boom is considerably smaller than the one on the front (the one leading to the top of the lighthouse). I even tried it with the smallest needle that I could find in the kit I have and couldn't even get the tip of the needle through the other side. I know they make smaller needles and I know people have more dexterity and patience than I do, so I'm going to let a girl at work who makes dolls try it with her various needles and such. Will keep you guys abreast if anything changes (hopefully for the better).

Steve

Don't give up Steve.

Bert

Poor Kitty!
Don't you know cats think they can go any place they want and do anything they want?

Kay,

Not only do they think they can but they do. Cats have owned me for most of my adult life. I can fully understand the dilemma.

Once I even was owned by a cat, a dog, a bird and a rabbit all at the same time. And in an apartment, no less. But they all got along fine. Maybe that's because I raised them all from babies. I believe they all thought they were brothers and sisters.

bobo

Okay, I got the piece back threaded, tied and I glued it and trimmed the string. Doesn't match exactly but close enough for government work!!

I moved it and the NY pieces up to the middle shelf (about belly button high)and put it to the back. I took my Delaware pieces (including the event piece) and my Maryland piece and put them on the top shelf of my corner 5-shelver (about chin level) so they should be safe and the cat can live without forced demise!! :p

Thanks for the suggestions and the interest.

Steve