Do Not Wrap Cord Around Clock

[Mackey]

Never store your flip clock by wrapping the cord around your clock. Or maybe this will happen.

This picture is from an eBay Listing and in the description the seller states, "Please note that there are some type of gouges or something on top and edge of this. I have no idea what would’ve caused that and although they don’t alter the functionality at all, I still wanted to bring it to your attention."

I don't think he needed to bring it to my attention ... kind of stuck out there.

So unless someone took a soldering iron to this, or rested their cigarette on there - several times, I'm about 99.9% sure that the cord was in contact with the clock.

I have found a cord touching a clock for an extended period to definitively be the cause of this type of damage. I believe it probably takes years. The clock I had, without a doubt, had damage just like this from the cord (I had to pull the cord away from the clock).

The material of the cord clearly is made with something that the plastic does not like.

So, Don't do it flip clockers.

[Performa]

Hey, that might explain some of those "grizzled" clocks we've posted about before. I never would have imagined the cords could do that, but now that you point it out, that does make sense! Yikes!

[flipoclock]

For a long time I have too wondered what might be causing this in certain clocks until you have to come to the conclusion that it can only be the cable... Dangerous stuff, apparently.

[Guest]

I would think it is some acidity of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) outgassing from the plasticized electrical cord and eating into the ABS plastic cabinet. That and maybe the environment it was stored in played a role in the cord's chemicals breaking down, too. Just a guess.

[RetroFlip]

It's an interesting observation. There's a technique in 3d printing called vapor smoothing, where you expose an ABS print to acetone vapors and it will soften the material and reduce the appearance of layer lines. Perhaps it's a similar reaction happening over time.

[Mackey]

It's an interesting observation. There's a technique in 3d printing called vapor smoothing, where you expose an ABS print to acetone vapors and it will soften the material and reduce the appearance of layer lines. Perhaps it's a similar reaction happening over time.

I've seen that on YouTube. Not sure why I was watching that, but, you know, YouTube.