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Cut powercords on saws etc.

| Posted in General Discussion on September 29, 2003 03:48am

How many times have y’all been doing something with a power tool ie: cutting, and you think that this does not feel right.  Like something is going to happen.  Here  I am after sheathing a wall which had a window R.O. deciding to cut the R.O. out.  Start cutting downward, there’s a flash (which I thought was a nail) and the saw cord falls to the ground.  Missed me, but on the drive home was thinking I may have been lucky on that one.  I measured around the rest of the windows the rest of the day.  I’m sure a lot of y’all have saws with black tape near the handle because of this.   

 

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Replies

  1. FastEddie1 | Sep 29, 2003 05:12am | #1

    Happens all the time.  Look for a thread "Cuttin the cord"

    Do it right, or do it twice.

  2. andybuildz | Sep 29, 2003 10:41am | #2

    belt sanders are the worst for going over the cord.

    We're being trained through our incarnations-trained to seek love, trained to seek light,trained to see the grace in suffering

    http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

    1. mitch | Sep 29, 2003 04:07pm | #3

      i'm with andy- it's belt sanders that are the worst.  i think with a saw you tend to have a more point A to point B task.  with sanders you're more likely to be kinda shuffling back and forth and the cord eventually creeps up under the rear of the sander and- if you're me- you end up looking to see if it came unplugged.  then cussing.  the only circular saw cord incident i ever had (btw- it was just once with the sander- i'm a fairly quick learner) was when i was in the process of setting it down after a cut, the blade had slowed considerably and a coil of the cord popped up into the blade, making a handy blade brake- and a small nick in the covering.

      m

      1. PhillGiles | Sep 29, 2003 05:12pm | #4

        I'd vote for upright vacuum cleaners and electric lawn edger/trimmers as having the most abused power cords..

        Phill Giles

        The Unionville Woodwright

        Unionville, Ontario

  3. User avater
    RichBeckman | Sep 29, 2003 05:27pm | #5

    Early on in my home repair career I cut the cord to my circular saw. Ever since then it is a rare moment indeed when I do not look to see where the cord is before I start. Just like I make sure I have no body parts behind the saw since the little hole in my pants leg with a tiny little cut behind it. I usually don't need to do stuff like that twice.

    I agree that keeping the cord away from the belt sander is a pain.

    Rich Beckman

    Another day, another tool.

  4. MalibuJim | Sep 29, 2003 05:42pm | #6

    After replacing the factory cord on my Skil saw two times, the third time I added a "sleeve" of 1/2" flex conduit about 12" long.  I first tried 3/8" armor cable with the wires removed, but it was just too tight.  I de-burred the edges well and taped it in placed right where it would pass by the blade. This works great.

    I found hitting the cord happened mostly when I was cutting straight down, where the saw was up at a 90 Deg angle.  this is when the cord dangles right in front of the blade.  I'm not about to change my cutting technique as this is the most accurate and efficient way to cut with a worm drive- let gravity do most of the work.

    Good luck!

    1. johnharkins | Sep 29, 2003 08:19pm | #7

      brings to mind when that happened to me  been about 25 yrs ( still have  & use saw ) days when Skil had service centers and there was one in our town

      hadn't had the saw very long   took it in and the guy said were you the one sawing  ya   good to see you he said    now that you need a new cord do you want a longer one  ya  sounds like a good idea to me   got a call three days later saw is ready   went in   asked what I owed   he said get out of here and get back to work

       I left w/ a smile  and my newly 20 ft. corded wormdrive skilsaw   those were the days

  5. csnow | Sep 29, 2003 10:28pm | #8

    Hedgetrimmers are the worst

  6. Steve1 | Sep 30, 2003 04:18am | #9

    every tool i own has had its cord cut or otherwise mutilated

    therefore i always have spare cords and plugs in the truck

  7. HeavyDuty | Sep 30, 2003 05:50am | #10

    Hedge trimmers. They have so many cutting slots that a corded hedge trimmer becomes a cordless hedge trimmer in no time.

    There is a solution. Use a 12 gauge cord and it's thick enough that it wouldn't get caught by the teeth.

    Tom

    1. PhillGiles | Sep 30, 2003 05:54am | #11

      Have you ever dragged around a long 12g extension cord ? I tried my 12g frog-hide 100 footer for my lawn trimmer once - boy that's heavy..

      Phill Giles

      The Unionville Woodwright

      Unionville, Ontario

      1. HeavyDuty | Sep 30, 2003 06:31am | #13

        Small lot, 50 footer.

        Tom

    2. ANDYSZ2 | Sep 30, 2003 06:14am | #12

      GASI MAY DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING BUT I WILL DEFEND TO THE DEATH YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT.

      1. HeavyDuty | Sep 30, 2003 06:33am | #14

        You read my mind. Been looking.

        Tom

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