Power tool cords.

[lorax]

Hello all,
Last night I did a mega cleaning of my carving studio, and there remains one unruly, unsightly mess- the shelf full of power tools. Specifically the cords from those tools. I like having them all lined up on a shelf, handy for my use, but the cords usually hang down from the shelf, and usually are tangled around other cords. The only thing I can think of is using those cord ties, but in the past they prove to be a bit too time consuming to wrap up every time I put a tool back, then only to unwrap it after I find I need it again. Is there anything that you all do for this? Is there another way to shelve power tools so that this is no problem?

[Just Carving]

I just wrap the cord around the tool and tuck the plug in the cord. Been doing it for a long time and the motors usually give out before the cords. So it works for me.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

About half the time I wrap the cord around the tool, the other half, I use "cablecuff" ties from Home Depot http://www.cablecuff.com/

[Tom-H]

Ok folks, I may be showing my ignorance, but I've been wondering about this for some time. Never done it though! Cut the cords off the power tools near the handle and "splice" in the plug at that point. You would end up with a short 6 inch pigtail on each power tool. Then have one cord plugged into the wall receptacle. As you use a power tool merely plug one into the line from the wall receptacle.

Tom H

[Eddy-Smiles]

Tom... That's deffinitely thinking outside the box but I believe whether it was a good idea or not would depend directly on the piece of equipment that you did it on.

First off, you'd most likely void any warranty that was left on equipment that you shortened the cord on.

Then, for safety's sake you'd need to install an approved cord cap which would in all likelihood end up being twice as bulky as the original cap.

And finally, there would be the added feature of a connection close to the piece of equipment which might lend itself to making operation of that piece of equipment cumbersome to use.

[Colin-Partridge]

On the subject of power cords I am sometimes a hundred feet or better from my carvings and I use power. I do have a #10 heavy duty power cord, but does that distance have any effect on the power tool I am using. I know if you are using a regular power cord it will burn out your tools but is it the same with the heavy duty cord. I only ask because I have absolutly no idea and maybe someone here could set me straight on this subject
Colin

[xsailer]

TomH, good creative thinking. As Archie says there are some considerations but not a bad idea. There are advantages both ways. Of all the tools I've bought over the years I may have but can't remember having returned one within the warranty period. Maybe I've been lucky

[lorax]

Wow, hats off to TomH for that idea! I will probably give that a go for some of my older tools, but for my Brand new Triton Router, probably not. Hi_Ho, I also checked ourt those cable cuffs and I love the way those look. I will be getting those for the tools that I dont shorten. The ones I have used in the past are the rubber band ones or the velcro ones, I was not thrilled about the sucess I had with those, and I went back to wrapping them around the tool again. Thanks for the ideas guys.

[Bob_in_TN]

Colin, you should be fine with the #10 cord, it's the people that buy a #14 and try to operate tools 100' away from the source that burn up their tools. Your cord is heavier then the wiring in most houses. I think my statement would apply to Canada also. We use to send products to Canada and a lot of the Canadian and US standards are very similar.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I have a 50 foot 12 guage extension I bought at Costco....you won't hurt anything using that, its the same size wire you most likely have in your house..unless you have a newer house they are using a lot of 14 ga. now! Most of the regular extension cords you see for sale are 16 ga.