Ideas for a drape pull?

[Joe J]

We just moved into a house and the previous owner has a quilted shade in a half circle window that sits on top of another window. He didn't leave the drape pole. The string runs up the center of the half- window to the peak of the half-window and the string has a small ball fixed to it. So to operate the half shade, you move the ball up and down using a wand. That moves the string around a pulley at the peak and bottom and the shade opens and closes. Prices for these things are in the $40-70 range and I'm thinking a four foot dowel with something fixed to the end, would do the same thing. I've been wandering around the local Ace looking for something to attach to the pole, but no ideas have jumped out. I'm thinking something that looked like a small claw so I could maybe hook it around the ball to pull down (ball is about size of small marble) and then just put it underneath the ball and push up to close it. Any ideas?

[chaniarts]

depending on the size of the ball, something on the order of a citrus fruit picker basket could be fashioned.

[Colbyt]

I need a little more information to help you. There is a reducer ball used for this type of thing. Multiple cords enter the top and a single cord exits the bottom. The two halves screw together.

Does yours have a hole in the bottom? If so all you need is some cord. A picture would help. Places let you post them for free and you can link to them here.

I am a little confused by the "push up to close" comment. That makes me thing of an operating pleated shade.

[steveshapiro]

Have you tried installing the kind of dowel people use at the base of flag poles? Run a strong knotted rope (maybe the nice, thin, white kind of rope) up through there and you should be in business, friend!

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[Steve B]

I am familiar with what you are talking about. They are used for commercial applications like black out and very heavy drapes in hotels and such. But I am not quite sure of what you need. Can you post a pic? If you just need a strong pole to lengthen the one you have, buy a length of steel pipe (actually small tubing, not pipe), or perhaps a piece of 1/2" conduit painted the right color. Those rods can take a lot of abuse due to their length and leverage, and sometimes it is important to have something like conduit or something heavy that won't break vs. something light that looks good, and breaks.

Do you use that ball mechanism to unlock it or to push/pull the drapes shut? Is there a motorized closure device on there, or just a straight pull?

A pic would help a lot.

Steve

Heart surgery pending?

[dadiOH]

No need to get ripped off, look here at the fiberglass or non-fancy steel batons...

[Joe J]

The ball is a little smaller than a small marble.

[Joe J]

Yes, it is a pleated shade on a half-moon window. You pull the ball down and it moves the shade up (closed). You push the ball up and it opens the shade. One single very thin line in the center of the shade. Camera is broke at the moment.

[Joe J]

I'm learning my terms as I go. It is a vertical pleated shade. It operates up and down. Camera broke at the moment. You push the ball up, which brings the shade down (open). You pull the ball down, which moves the shade up, to the closed position.

[Joe J]

Thank you. Not sure that's what I need. I think that is for horizontal shades. I'm going to try and get the camera working and will study it more later.

[Colbyt]

Joe, I have never seen one with a ball. Most of the have a loop or a small handle and use a variety of this item.

How do you push a string up? Release the cord lock and lower the shade I can see. Some of the newer units do have a tension system that allows them to stop at any point.

Colbyt

[Colbyt]

Baton is the word you are looking for. The fiberglass or steel coated ones are the best. The plastic ones like used on blinds are not stiff enough to do the job. The last picture on this page is a fiberglass one.

[Joe J]

As I said in the first post. The string is a stretched closed loop, a circle that loops around a slider at top and bottom. When you push up, the weight of the shade drops it. Pulling down, raises the shade. The string is taut the entire time.

[Joe J]

Unless I'm missing something, it won't work. I could clip it on the ball in the shade-up ball down position. But when the shade is down, the ball is at the top of its travel, too high to reach. I don't want to just leave the baton hanging down the center of the window.

[Joe J]

OK, got the camera working.

So, the half moon operates up and down. The wand attaches to that ball.

[Steve B]

"Colbyt" wrote

We have some on our vacation rentals. We had to go with shorter ones, as people would easily bend or break long ones with the additional leverage.

Steve

Heart surgery pending?

[mm]

Can you borrow a camera or camera phone? Remember the days when people didn't try to own one of everything, and they borowed things from each other?

You push the ball up, which

[norminn]

Can you change the ball to a hook, so that all you need is a baton with a loop on the end to move it? Decorative or plain hooks come in lots of sizes....or just a ring, like a small curtain ring? Go to the garden center, pick out bamboo plant stakes of the right size, paint and you have a baton. When I made drapes for our condo, we bought some 2", 13' bamboo for the rods. Bought plain wood rings, stained and finished to match bamboo...didn't want hubby closing the light colored drapes with his grubby hands, so I made a baton to open and close them. Turned out to be easier to just slide the rings by hand, as the bamboo was a little bumpy and they didn't slide with the baton thingy.

[Joe J]

Presenting my .19 solution:

It's an old Libman mop handle and a .19 hook that I opened just enough to allow the string inside. Hook it on the topside and pull down to close the shade and push from underneath to open. Works great. Thanks for all the ideas! Joe

[Colbyt]

You are sure to be nominated for the 2011 Field Engineering Award. Nice work.

Colbyt