very thin layer of densified plastic is left on the surface the surface of the plastic material is still plastic and somewhat tacky in the elastomeric die 53 and although the plastic is below its heat distortion temperature it still exhibits poor tear strength consequently some shredding and tearing of the surface occurs which seems to accelerate and increase later shredding of the plastic surface when the individual strands are closed into a wire rope the strand then passes through a weir type cooling trough 55 where the foamed plastic material is hardened and finally passes over the capstan 41 and onto the storage reel 61 all this is essentially as shown and claimed in the previous patents referred to above the plastic foam impregnated strand 59 on the reel 61 is next rewound on a series of bobbins 62 and mounted in a second flyer 63 a plastic fiber core strand 65 is taken from a reel 67 and passed down into a heavy oil bath 69 under a roller 71 and then up over guide rollers 73 through the flyer and into a closing die 75 the flyer 63 is rotated by a motor 77 and the wire strand 59 on the individual bobbins 62 is passed from the reels to the closing die 75 where it is closed about the lubricated central plastic core into a twisted wire rope which is drawn through a lubricating oil bath 79 to coat the outer surface of the strands and rope with lubricant and then over a capstan 81 and onto a storage reel.