Almost every builder or repairman who uses carriers every day is familiar with the phenomenon of knots appearing on the cable. In general, it’s almost mystical with them - one end is plugged into a socket, and a hammer drill is connected to the other. Despite the distance between these two ends from each other, it is almost always carried in an interesting way knots appear - it is impossible to fight this phenomenon. They are absent only if an extension cord is used on a reel - we will talk about it in this article, in which, together with the site, we will deal with the issues of choice and self-made such a wonderful and convenient thing as an extension cord on a reel.
Extension cords on a metal reel photo
Extension cord on a reel: how to choose and distinctive features
By by and large, there is nothing to choose from on the reel - this product has no varieties at all, and they can differ from each other in only three indicators.
Alternatively, you can also add the manufacturer to this list, but this will not be entirely correct. However, it is not only possible, but also necessary to pay attention to who manufactured the extension cord on the reel - the quality of the product primarily depends on this point.
Electrical extension cord on a reel: advantages and disadvantages
I probably didn’t start with the right thing - first I needed to understand the advantages and disadvantages, and then move on to making a choice. Well, okay, as they say, better late than never, and everything is learned by comparison - naturally, we will compare with a carrier without a reel. What will we evaluate? Features and ease of use.
In general, an extension cord on a reel is convenient only in one case - when it plays the role of a stationary connection point for other carriers. Well, even when they are used to connect not entirely mobile equipment - for example, or. This is if we talk about construction - if you choose such a carrier for the home and for the dacha, then it will be convenient in any case.
Extension cord on a reel with grounding: how to make it yourself
The main problem in making such products with your own hands, oddly enough, is not the drum, but the frame on which it is installed. Let’s just say that you can’t bend it from wire, and not every person knows how to cook it. It is for this reason that the issue of making a carrier on a reel yourself needs to be solved from the ground up - solve it, everything else will not seem too difficult to you. I can give you a couple of ideas as tips.
The next carrying element on the reel is the reel. An elementary option for its manufacture is to use polypropylene pipe and plywood. If we imagine this process step by step, it will look like this.
- Take a piece of pipe (diameter 32 or 40mm) required length and solder couplings on both sides.
- Next, again, we solder pieces of pipe into these couplings on both sides.
- Now we put pre-cut plywood disks on the pieces of pipes and fasten them with plugs standard for this polypropylene pipe.
The end result should be something resembling dumbbells. The only thing you need to pay attention to in the process of making such a drum is the evenness of the soldering. Curvature is primarily a beating during rotation, and beating is an inconvenience of use.
Extension cord on a reel with grounding photo
- Connect the drum to the base. A threaded rod is ideal as an axis of rotation; pass it through the polypropylene tube in advance. drilled hole it won't be difficult. The only thing that can really be difficult is to ensure a long-term movable connection between the stud and the frame - without bearings this will not work. In principle, the reel will work without them, at least for some time - but if you want to use it for a long time, then bearings are needed, and you will have to rack your brains over their fastening and installation.
- Put several on the reel (you can immediately use a block from an old extension cord), connect to them required quantity cable, then add a handle to the drum and wind up the carrier.
Basically, that's it. We can say that the carrier with the bobbin is ready. Naturally, we should not forget about making the right choice sockets and cables - in fact, it was because of them that all this trouble started. At a minimum, you will need a round wire with a cross-section of 2.5 squares and sockets with a plug designed for an operating current of at least 16A. I think you can figure out how to connect all this into one circuit on your own.
To conclude the topic about the extension cord on the reel, I will add only one thing - in my opinion, the game is not worth the candle. Making such a carrier is more mess than it will be of use - if you decide that you really need it, then it is easier to buy it. In addition, it is not a fact that the carrier you made of this type will last a long time and will be really practical and convenient. In general, there are quite a lot of chances that you will be disappointed in it.
Reading time ≈ 4 minutes
A do-it-yourself universal extension cord reel is a fairly necessary attribute in any garage or household. By using a rotating drum, you can increase the functionality and ease of use of your portable cable. A coil made from a minimum set of materials will protect the wire from damage, which has a positive effect on durability and reliability of operation.
Key stages in the manufacture and assembly of an extension cord coil
1. Making a bushing for the drum. Universal homemade reel for the extension cord will rotate. Therefore, it is important to make a reliable bushing with locking washers. To do this, you need to take a pipe with a cross section of 20 and 25 mm. The material is cut to the width of the drum, taking into account the installation of the fixing bolt. In this case, a tubular element with a cross-section of 20 mm must be cut with a margin of at least 5 mm in width. The smaller pipe diameter should fit freely inside. On the sides of the axle, bushings machined from steel 2-4 mm thick are installed. The moving element is fixed with an M8 or M10 bolt.
2. Stand for the reel made of profiled pipe. In the instructions in the photo, which shows how to make a coil for an extension cord, there is a structural important element U-shaped stand. This part can be made from sections of profiled pipe 20x20 mm and 20x40 mm. Initially, it is important to determine the dimensions of the structure taking into account the dimensions of the rotating drum. A 20x20 mm pipe is cut to the required parameters and welded together in the shape of the letter P. central part marked in the center. After which a 20x40 mm pipe is welded vertically.
Important: The 20x40 mm pipe must be welded as evenly as possible so that in the future there will be no difficulties with rotating the drum. To do this, it is recommended to use a square or a building level.
3. Attaching the drum axle to the stand. The axle must be welded to a 20x40 mm pipe. It is first necessary to note the height position of the drum. Round pipe 20 mm is welded to the profiled electrode welding. You will also need a thrust washer, which will act as a retainer for the drum. If necessary, the washer can be welded to the profile.
4. Handles for the reel and supporting frame. Handles are necessary for ease of use of the reel. Handles from a grinder or drill are suitable as the main elements. The large handle must be secured to the upper part of the 20x40 mm profile using a nut. The small one should be located on the coil itself. The handle for rotating the drum can be made from a bolt or pin. A handle with a roller will also work. In this case, you can get a smoother operation of the rotating mechanism.
5. Installing sockets on the coil. Before reading how to make a reel for an extension cord with your own hands, you need to purchase all the components to assemble the product. For normal operation of the device, you must purchase panel sockets. This type of socket is quite convenient and most suitable for installation. Installation options are shown in the photo below. For reliability, the socket can be secured with self-tapping screws with a cap. The socket fasteners are selected individually, taking into account the width of the plastic drum.
6. Installing the drum on the axle. After installing the sockets and handle, the coil must be secured to the axis. To do this, a drum with a sleeve is placed on a 20 mm pipe. The outer part of the axle is fixed with a bolt or nut, depending on the type of design chosen. The locking mechanism should be tightened taking into account the free rotation of the drum. After tightening, the coil should not jam.
7. Winding electric cable to the reel. For the intended use of the product, you will need to wind the cable. Almost any wire with a core cross-section of 1.5-2.5 mm2 will do. Winding must be carried out taking into account the cable fixing mechanism. There must be a plug at the end of the wire to turn it on, and installed sockets must be connected in series. The number of sockets depends on overall dimensions drum
Important: For safety reasons, all contacts should be insulated.
For production we will need:
- steel square 10 mm - 1 m long.
- stud with nut with a diameter of 10-12 mm - length 170 mm.
- a handle, for example from an angle grinder.
- coupling 100 mm and two plugs for it
- two circles of plywood with a diameter of 230 mm
- 8 mm stud - length 1 m and 6 nuts and washers
- three sockets and one plug
- the wire
Making an extension cord on a reel.
I made the base for the coil from a square, bending it according to the dimensions that I indicated in the photo. Then I welded a mount with two nuts, a handle borrowed from a broken angle grinder will be attached to the top one, and you will find out what the second nut is for below. To attach the coil, I welded a pin to the base.
To prevent the wire from rubbing against the pin during winding, you need to make a bushing for it, for example from a polypropylene pipe.
Now let's start making the coil itself.
In the circles that I made from plywood with a diameter of 230 mm, I made holes in advance. In the center there is a hole for attaching the coil itself to the base, three holes in a circle for the wire to exit to the sockets and three more holes for tightening the coil. And another hole on the outer circle, near the circle, where the handle will be attached. I made the same holes in the plugs.
We prepare the sockets, cut off three parts of about 10 cm each from the wire, strip them and attach them to the sockets. Then we insert the wires from the sockets into the holes and tighten the sockets, the circle and the plug together. We twist the wires. We drill a hole in the edge of the coupling for the cable and insert it into the hole. We connect the cable with the wires coming from the sockets. We put a second plug on the coupling, take a second circle of plywood and tighten it all with three pins. The coil is ready.
We place the coil on our base and lightly tighten it with a nut so that the coil rotates freely. To prevent the nut from unscrewing, it must be locked.
We wind the wire onto a reel. To prevent the reel from unwinding spontaneously during transportation, as I wrote above where the handle is attached, I welded another nut nearby, and we screw the limiter into it.
When you get tired of winding the cable around your elbow every day and then untangling it, you have to urgently make a device like this.
My version of a homemade garden and yard extension cord from what was on hand at the time.
And this is what happened:
A piece of chipboard, PVC scrap pipes D-40 mm, piece of laminate, PVC panel, a threaded pin or a large screw, a small cylindrical handle from an old bedside table and the most important part - an empty spool of welding wire.
Tools:
Electric drill, drills, drill bit, saw, clamp, screwdriver, knife, wrench, el. cable ~30 m, plug, socket.
Manufacturing:
We saw off laminated chipboard size 300*300 mm, drill a hole in the center for screwing in a pin (screw), depending on what you have.
Let's take it PVC pipe and cut off a piece from it equal to the width of the coil + 10 mm, reserve for the washer, this will be the sleeve on which the coil with the wire rotates.
Now let's select core drills, we need three different sizes, one #1 is equal to or slightly less internal diameter pipes, the second No. 2 is equal to the outer diameter and the third No. 3 is 10 mm or more larger than the second.
Using the first drill, we make several centering washers for the pipe from a piece of laminated chipboard or laminate, put them on the stud and then put on the pipe sleeve.
Using drill No. 3, we drill a PVC panel (laminate), drill the resulting circle with drill No. 2, we get a ring, it should fit onto the pipe, then we put on the coil.
It is convenient to drill on a wooden lining with a clamp, then the likelihood of PVC breakage is reduced.
Using drill number 3, we make the last finishing washer, put it on the stud and tighten the nut with a lock nut or glue, there is no need to tighten it, the coil should rotate easily but not dangle.
Install the handle for winding the wire.
For the wire, we make a hole in the coil, slightly larger than the diameter of our wire. We insert a wire from the inside and attach a plug, on the other side one or more sockets.
