[nfb-talk] Help with canes

[David Evans]

Dear Tom,

You did not say if the cane is a fiberglass or carbon fiber cane.
Either way, it is not really a screw, but a metal insert that has 
ribs that resimble screw threads.
You can force this insert out by locking the cane shaft up in a 
vise or with the use of some vise-grip pliers and twist it out.
You may break the cane shaft if you are not careful and i 
reccomend that you wrap the shaft with some cloth to protect 
against this as much as you can as the teeth on the pliers can 
cause the material of the shaft to crack and break.
Once you have the insert out and are ready to put it back in 
again, you can use a two part epoxy to glue it back in.  Super 
glue will work in a pinch, but the epoxy is better and will last 
longer and fill any gaps.
Once you have the cane asembled their are some other things you 
can do to make them even better.
I find a metal flat washer, that has the same hole size as the 
small shaft section and install it on the shaft above the place 
where the rubber stopper goes.
This keeps the second section of the shaft from going down 
between the stopper and the smaller section of the shaft and 
expanding the stopper and therefore preventing the cane from 
closing properly or splitting the stopper.  Now would be a great 
time to install a flat washer on the smaller shaft section, 
before you glue the insert back in.
Sometimes I just take a flat washer and cut half way through it, 
with a hacksaw,  and then take two pairs of pliers and bent the 
washer open and the put it around the small shaft section and 
then bend it back flat again.  I somethine have to file or use my 
belt sander on the outer edges of the flat washer, to reduce its 
size, until it will let the washer go inside the handle properly 
and the stopper to fit in the larger handle section and keep the 
cane closed.
I also have found that glueing a nickel under the plastic cap 
prevents the shaft sections from punching through the cap or 
cutting the rubber plug off and letting the shaft sections pass 
right through the cap.

You can use some liquid soap to lubracate the rubber stoppers and 
the rubber sections of the cane tips, to help you get them on 
over the mushroom part of the insert, when replacing them.
A small amount of lanilan can be used to lubracate the shaft 
sections to make the opeing and closing easier.
You should not "snap open " the cane by snapping the wrist.  This 
can cause the sections to jam and stick and sooner or later they 
will begin splitting apart.
Use your hands and pull the cane ope and give each section a 
little pull and twist to lock them in place.  This will help to 
keep them from coming loose and the cane collaspeing.
I always place my hand over the cane cap and then hammer the cane 
straight down to collapse the sections of the cane before storing 
it away or hanging it on my side.

I have also found that fastening a "carrabeaner clip" like that 
used in rock climbing , to the lanyard, up close to the cane cap, 
makes it easy to clip on a belt loop on my side and thereby free 
up my hands for finding keys and opening doors when my other 
;hand is carrying something.
I always hang my cane on my belt loop and I always know right 
where it is.
It also works for ladies too as they can clip it around the strap 
of their purse.
The clip also makes the closed cane a very good weapon in an 
emergency.

I save the sections of all of my broken canes too and make new 
ones from the parts.

David Evans, NFBF

> ----- Original Message -----
>From: "Tom Cramer" <tom.cramer1 at gmail.com
>To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:13:03 -0800
>Subject: [nfb-talk] Help with canes

>        Hi,

>I have a problem with telescoping canes.
>Right now, I'm finding that these are a good thing for me to have 
because
>they're a lot less troublesome and can be handled easier than 
other canes
>I've seen.
>However, I need to know the best way to fix some broken ones.  I 
have a few
>that broke but I kept pieces of them that still work.  I have 
enough to make
>a new good cane except for the fact that the end part has that 
screw for the
>tip.  I have no idea how to take that screw off without affecting 
that last
>part.  I don't think those take rainshine tips well either.
>I don't have many tools so am not sure how to do this.
>If the screw does come off, then how do I screw this back in 
because from
>what I see it's not a regular screw.
>I need a good dependable cane though.
>Tom Cramer


>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Michael D. Barber" <m.barber at mchsi.com
>To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 2:44 PM
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Question on an upcoming change


>>I use the Motorola Q 9M with Mobile Speak for Smart Phones.  Very
>>accessible.  I'm told the www.accessiblephones.com will be 
updating their
>>site before the end of this month and you can check there under 
Verizon and
>>see if other phones will work.  I know that some of the Palm 
Trios work as
>>well.  I have used Verizon for 2 years and am very happy with the 
service
>>and the great connectivityh.  I can count on one hand the amount 
of dropped
>>calls and I travel all over the country.

>> Cordially,
>> Michael
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Jim" <jp100 at earthlink.net
>> To: <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>; <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>> Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 2:35 PM
>> Subject: [nfb-talk] Question on an upcoming change


>>> Howdy,

>>> If I chose to go with Verizon as my cell phone carrier next 
January, I
>>> wonder what recommendations you would have about good cell 
phones with
>>> full and complete accessibility.
>>> I guess I wouldn't be able to use the cell phone for the KNFB 
reader,
>>> right?  But, what about a good cell phone with fully accessible 
software?
>>> Any information would be appreciated.
>>> Jim
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nfb-talk mailing list
>>> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org


>> _______________________________________________
>> nfb-talk mailing list
>> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org


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