I just watched Tucker Windover’s video on how he wraps cords and hoses to keep them in good shape. He’s got some good ideas here, but he didn’t mention the method I was taught to use in my college A/V geek days.
First, take the cord and run it through your hands to un-kink it. Then, hold one end of the cord and fold it in half, by holing one end and running the cord through your hands until you have both ends. Fold it in half the same way again, and again as needed until you can tie a loose overhand knot in the whole bundle.
I have never had a cord tangle sing this method, in over 30 years.
Replies
There is only one way and one rule to my cords and hoses.
Don't even think about trying your way of rolling them up.
I don't need the help.
Leave 'em lay.
thanks.
edit: I'm sorry, welcome to BT (for your first post).
And, no kidding.........someone made a video of rolling cords? What the heck will they think of next?
A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Edited 11/10/2008 10:25 pm ET by calvin
No problem ... and if you never get cord snarls, I envy you!I'm always undoing other people's cord snarls, it seems ... then I show them my way. A few even use it.
Liz, my words were not directed at you. They were and are spoken to whoever wishes to "help me" clean up at the end of the day. Homowners often want to give me a hand after a job. I cringe as the first thing they seem to go towards are my cords.
At the beginning of the day I can take one end and throw out the bulk. But not if they "help".
One other thing I might add. The first thing I do with a hundred foot cord is cut it in half. But I'm not a framer any more.A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
>I cringe as the first thing they seem to go towards are my cords.<
I'm with you Cal,
Nothing can wreck a startup in the AM quicker than haveing chords & hoses that turn into birdsnests.
calvin,
The first thing they all do is start wrapping your wire around their forearm - I want to whack them across the side of the head.
ron
My husband does this, and yes, I want to smack him up-side the head. A 50' #12 cord does not like being treated like that. However what I would like is a good way to conquer a heavy-duty 3/8" air-hose. Sometimes I'll just get out a hammer rather than my pneumatics 'cause I don't want to deal with the #@%$! hose!
CindyTR
Mongo's way works. As he said, it's the first step of crochet work.
I find it takes up too much room, though, so I use a figure 8 coil for hoses. I lay the hose down on the floor in a figure 8 pattern and then clip the ends together. I have a cord tied on to the male fitting end of every hose and wire. I use this to tie one end of the figure 8 coil, then flip the other half over on top of the first and tie both halves of the coil together.
With the figure 8, every full turn around the 8 puts down the hose with a half turn to the left and a half turn to the right. The net result is no twists.
ron
It does sound like it takes a lot of room, and room is at a premium in my shop. I could always kick the husband figure out of the corner I've "allowed" him, but seeing as how he fixed my lawn-tractor today, that might not be a good idea if I want any of my mechanical things fixed in future. I can try this method until I actually get a hose reel, and who knows? I may like it better.
I really like hose reels. That makes life a lot easier. I got one of those self contained ones with the handle that comes with a cheap blue garden hose. I stripped that hose off and I use the reel for my 50' pressure cleaner hose. I also have reels for my long extension cords but the 50' and shorter are not that hard to keep straight by simply coiling them. I even do the evil "forearm" thing on the 25 footers sometimes. Quality heavy duty cords coil and uncoil easier than the cheap orange cord.
You know, I never thought of just a hose reel for the thing. I can see that working quite nicely. I can leave the whole 100' on there rather than splitting it up into the 50' that stays on the compressor, and attaching the other 50' on the rare occasions I need that much length. Thanks for the tip!
Dont use a cord on a reel unless you fully unwind it. If you use a pretty good amperage the cord will heat up and melt. Dont ask me how I know this.Of course you can use a Dremel tool on a 12 ga. without unwinding but watch your amps.
Not talking about a cord in this instance. I don't have any problem coiling those up (as long as I can get to them before my husband does ;-) ,) they're pretty cooperative. Talking about using a reel for my air-hose.
I have 6 el cheapo hose reels I bought from a big box store years and years ago.
2 reels have extension cords on them--and 4 have air hoses on them. all 6 line up inside a big plastic rubbermade tub and ride in the truck everywhere with me.
the cords and hoses never tangle.I always take the cords off the reels when in use--- i remember reading several times about using a coiled cord will reduce the amperage the cord can handle--and potentially burn out circ. saw motors etc.
stephen
The first thing they all do is start wrapping your wire around their forearm - The easy way to use a forearm wrap without twist is to alternate arms.
Example even days right arm odd days left arm.
My words were not directed at you. They were and are spoken to whoever wishes to "help me" clean up at the end of the day. Homowners often want to give me a hand job. I cringe as the first thing they seem to go towards are my cords.
Never say anything bad about a person untill you have walked a mile in his shoes, by then you will be a mile away from him and you will have his shoes.
One other thing I might add. The first thing I do with a hundred foot cord is cut it in half. But I'm not a framer any more.
Arm gets too damn tired holding all that up, eh?
Arm tired, you bet.
And, at 5'9'' and short arms I can't roll big------a drag to try to hold on with mitts that aren't like Shaq's.A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
I had the home owner on a job want to wrap my cords up. I told him no. He really wanted to but he would get it wrong. He had experience with the TV movie industry.
I'm left handed and wrap mine the other dirrection from righties.
What's comical is that most of my cords have been around. Still pristine-no tape wrapped here and there. They almost wrap themselves. Matter of fact-my 25's you'd have to try hard to do it wrong. They have a good memory.A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Cal's Cord Rap
yo yo sucka
don't be wrapping on my cord
if you do mutha ucka
i'll pop a cap in your gourd
pop a cap in your gourd pop a cap in your gourd...
word
BIG CAL IS OUTNo Tag
I use a 12"x1/4" piece of velcro. Tie it just above the male end(hoses or cords), wrap the cord in a loop, plug the male into female and wrap the velcro tight around the loop. Good to go. Hangs in the trailer quite nice.
Nothing annoys me more than having the first foot of a hose or cord all bent and contorted from being wrapped around itself 10 times to hold itself from unraveling.
rapping ho's?
Ha- that made me laugh. And shoot coffee thru my nose...No Tag
I get helpers that all love to wind the cord around the tool. I don't even bother giving them an #### munch any more. The evil eye will do it!
Had a new helper the other day, near my age, he wound up the 25 perfectly, then wrapped the cord around the screw gun.
Thought I had a keeper.
So how do you store the cord on your tools?
I make a small roll at the end of the handle and toss in the box.
Anything in a factory box I might do my best to mimic how it came or do something that wo't kink it all up.
Depends on the cord.
Many tools come with a nice "rubbery" cord that you can
wrap around the tool.
But those plasticy (sp) cords have to be coiled.PS
I recently started using the cord cuff thingies they sell at the
the hardware stores. Not necessary but absolutely no more cord mess
from kicking around in the vehicle.~Nice~
Everyone of us has their special methods of wrapping up extension cords. We are all a little crazy about it but it makes a lot of difference in how the cords lay out and how long they last. Wrapping around an arm puts a twist in the cords, they kink up and the wire inside gets twisted and sometimes breaks. We might loan you our most prized tool, let you date our daughters, borrow our trucks, but don't mess with the cords.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Extension cords I do what I think is almost a loose "crochet stitch". Takes about 15-20 seconds, never a kink, and when I need the cord I just tug on one end to "unstitch" as much as I need to get from point A to point B.
Pneumatic hoses, I coil with a "half twist" with each coil. I actually prefer the red rubber hoses. They lay well. The plastic hoses sort of drive me nuts.
Get a 4 inch PVC toilet flange with a 10 inch piece of pipe inserted, screw this in the center of a a five gallon bucket to make a post. Bore a 1 1/2 hole through the side of the bucket at the bottom. Run about four feet of the male end of your cord out through the hole then just wind the cord clockwise around the post.
The bucket will hold a lot of cord so when you want to use it just plug it in and pull out the length you need.
You will save hours of untangling time if you do this.
To avoid voltage drop do not use 16 gauge cords.
The bucket also works with air hose or rope
Never say anything bad about a person untill you have walked a mile in his shoes, by then you will be a mile away from him and you will have his shoes.