Electrical cord storage

[Sigarms]

Yesterday I went down to my MIL's to pressure wash her vinyl siding garage and carport. My FIL has been gone now for close to 2 years. Looking for some tools in his garage to help with his old pressure washer, I came across this one electrical cord. I have to admit, I thought is was kind of odd looking, but knowing my FIL, there was a specific reason why he did this and not just because it looks interesting. Anyone store cord like this, and why? He spent 30 years as a power lineman, and he always had his reasons.

 

[Spike56]

Yesterday I went down to my MIL's to pressure wash her vinyl siding garage and carport. My FIL has been gone now for close to 2 years. Looking for some tools in his garage to help with his old pressure washer, I came across this one electrical cord. I have to admit, I thought is was kind of odd looking, but knowing my FIL, there was a specific reason why he did this and not just because it looks interesting. Anyone store cord like this, and why? He spent 30 years as a power lineman, and he always had his reasons.

View attachment 768409

That is interesting indeed. I would like to know also. Seems that would take a lot more patience than I have to do that to the cord and the other extension cord is wrapped like I would do it ?

 

[workinonit]

All of mine are laced like that when I get done using them. It keeps them from tangling. I use 25 foot Fluke test leads in my work and all of them are laced like that as well. It's something my dad showed me and once it's passed on it seems to stick. I let someone I knew use a drop cord and he called me and said it took him 30 minutes to get the thing untangled. I laughed my ass off.

 

[Sigarms]

On a side note, my FIL always impressed me. His "tool shop" which is a complete mess now since he's been gone, because some other family helped cleaning out the garage by taking "stuff" they wanted (little too much to handle for my older MIL to keep up with). This was after he moved everything from Vermont to NC (he must have let stuff go because his tool shop in Vermont was twice the size of the wall in this pic). Everything had a place, and after you used it, it went back into it's place. I knew going down he'd have the tools, and I did need a screwdriver and wrench, and I put them back exactly where I got them LOL I hate to say it, but I'm not so disciplined.

 

[Sigarms]

I let someone I knew use a drop cord and he called me and said it took him 30 minutes to get the thing untangled. I laughed my ass off.

And that is EXACTLY why I didn't touch it, even though I wanted to. I didn't think about getting it untangled, but would have no clue how to get it back like that.

 

[Spike56]

All of mine are laced like that when I get done using them. It keeps them from tangling. I use 25 foot Fluke test leads in my work and all of them are laced like that as well. It's something my dad showed me and once it's passed on it seems to stick. I let someone I knew use a drop cord and he called me and said it took him 30 minutes to get the thing untangled. I laughed my ass off.

Ok, I will bite.... Untangled, I could see that. But (my brain is not yet functioning well this morning) when you go to use the cord, looks like a pain to get it straight ? I use those extension cord reels... no issues. I am intrigued however.

 

[Sigarms]

That is interesting indeed. I would like to know also. Seems that would take a lot more patience than I have to do that to the cord and the other extension cord is wrapped like I would do it ?

My line of thinking is the other extension cord is smaller in length. The one wrapped "interesting" is much longer.

One of those times I wished he was around to ask.

 

[scootr]

I worked construction before cordless everything. Needless to say we used lots of electrical and air hoses. The 'chain' method is simple. Fold the cord in half. Make a loop and reach down the cord about 2ft and pull a loop through a loop. This video

At home I abandoned this method for the lariat method = one twist per loop which keeps the cord from knotting up

 

[BackRoad]

It is just a series of loops...much like grain and seed bags are done, where pulling the right string makes it unthread almost like a zipper.

It's ideal for longer cords and ropes.

Done properly, you can just keep pulling the end of the cord and the entire length will unwind without tangles.

Very easy once you see it done.

 

[Sigarms]

Very easy once you see it done.

After watching the video by scootr (thank you by the way) it was very easy to untangle.

I just felt like a idiot looking at it hanging there afraid to try and figure it out figuring I'd never get it back to looking like that LOL