Storing long extension cords: any ideas?

[richla]

Hi,
I was trying to get the garage in order yesterday, taking advantage of the relative "warmth" and putting away outside Christmas lights, etc.
I have a lot of those orange "outside" extension cords that I was using to run Christmas lights.
I start wrapping these things up using the standard "elbow to palm wrap" but I end up with a mess, I have a few that must be seventy five feet, no way can I wrap those into a neat coil.
What do you gents do, any neat tricks or ideas to keep cords organized?
(not the most critical question that will come up around here, but there might be a cute trick I am not aware of)
Thanks.

 

[astroracer]

Get a few five gallon buckets and wrap them into the buckets. Easy to take out the next time you need them and putting the lid on will keep them clean.

 

[c4cruiser]

This cord reel is available at Lowe's, but you should be able to find them at just about any store that carriers electrical stuff, such as Harbor Freight, Wally World, Home Depot, Ace and others.

I have one that will easily store an 80' 12 gauge extension cord.

 

[cnttxmdc]

II usually take hold of the female end & stretch it my full arm span, then make a loop. At the end, I put a couple wraps around the body of the rolled up cord & connect the ends. It's always worked for me, and I usually use 100' 12ga cords.

 

[elvee]

Learn to properly coil cable. The wires have a natural twist to them. I started to type out how to do it, then decided to just find a video.

This is called the over/ under method. Works well for longer cables. Shorter cables can be done without the under loop.

 

[safetyman665]

This cord reel is available at Lowe's, but you should be able to find them at just about any store that carriers electrical stuff, such as Harbor Freight, Wally World, Home Depot, Ace and others.

I have one that will easily store an 80' 12 gauge extension cord.

Seconded. I used to wrap all of my extension cords and would the longer ones would sometimes end up in a rat nest. Now I use cord reels for the longer cords. Reels virtually prevent tangles and ultimately make using and storing cords a breeze.

 

[richla]

Great ideas and replies, thanks!

 

[Keithinsc]

FIL has about 500' that he uses on the jobsites. Keep them on a garden hose reel. Just have to leave the male end sticking out of the middle and find it once you have the spool payed out.

 

[JakeKohl]

Get a few five gallon buckets and wrap them into the buckets. Easy to take out the next time you need them and putting the lid on will keep them clean.

^THIS^

If you really want to get fancy, drill a hole in the side of the bucket near the bottom and pull the male end out to be plugged into an outlet. When packing away the cord, just stuff it in and carry away. With the male end extended out the side of the bucket, you only need to pull out as much cord as you need. It stays tangle free and is ready to grab and run next time.

I've had those orange reels with my RV - they work OK but you're still lifting them while reeling in the cord.

 

[jkwilson]

Braid them. Cost $0 and it beats everything out of coiling them up. http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/...rap-up-your-extension-cord-like-a-contractor/

 

[Sheriff245]

Braid them. Cost $0 and it beats everything out of coiling them up. http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/...rap-up-your-extension-cord-like-a-contractor/

That's how I do it too. Works very well.

 

[Zeke]

As a former painter I learned how to coil ropes and hoses. I hate wadded up extension cords and I won't let anyone wrap a tool cord around a tool. Most cords get a 1 foot dia coil and the longer bigger ones get 18". Here's a tip: I buy extension cords in 25' lengths only. I find that on most jobs/tasks a 25 footer gets me anywhere in a room or close enough to a plug outside. If I need longer I'll hook 'em up. But, I also have plenty for multiple tools in the same area. Five 25" cords plus some 3-ways, etc. fit in a duffle size tool tote handily.

I also only buy 12 ga. They coil up well.

 

[bhays]

I have a couple of these and they work great.

 

[Trekker]

Learn to properly coil cable.
...
This is called the over/ under method.

The over/under method works well for extension cords and also works well for pneumatic hoses, microphone cables, etc.

If you try and use the elbow method with a pneumatic hose (e.g., the Flexzilla), you'll end up with a tangled mess. If you use the over/under method, it'll uncoil easily and tangle-free.

 

[flippin]

Learn to properly coil cable. The wires have a natural twist to them. I started to type out how to do it, then decided to just find a video.

This is called the over/ under method. Works well for longer cables. Shorter cables can be done without the under loop.

Elvee for the win!!

Wrapping an extension cord around your elbow and hand will get you kicked off my jobsites, possibly fired if I own the extension cords

These are the best images I could find online. And this is only a mild degree of twist but you get the idea what happens when you "wrap" a cord without first compensating for the associated twist created by "wrapping"

I can't remember where I learned the following tip but I hang all of my "extra" extension cords, rope etc using this simple and inexpensive method. I have since improved upon this by sliding an equal length of old garden hose over the rope to increase the contact surface area. Of course cord reels are the bomb but sometimes you still need to hang stuff.

/

 

[richla]

I have to admit, I thought this was kind of a silly question. Now I'm really glad I posted the question, thanks again.

 

[INSP380]

I keep the ones I use often hand coiled, the others are coiled on old 50# weld spools.


Steve

 

[elvee]

I started out as a stage hand and truck loader. Lesson 1 was how to coil cable. It only takes one crew chief who makes you dump an entire case of cable and redo it to make you very picky about storing cables.

 

[djjsr]

I use these for some cords. They're simple, cheap and they work.

 

[owenst7]

Braid them. Cost $0 and it beats everything out of coiling them up. http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/...rap-up-your-extension-cord-like-a-contractor/

That's how I grew up doing it. If you do it properly, you can throw the cord/hose and it will unravel in the air without any tangles. Its fast for coiling too because you are wrapping twice the length in each movement.

 

[chicken89]

I started out as a stage hand and truck loader. Lesson 1 was how to coil cable. It only takes one crew chief who makes you dump an entire case of cable and redo it to make you very picky about storing cables.

Learn to properly coil cable. The wires have a natural twist to them. I started to type out how to do it, then decided to just find a video.

This is called the over/ under method. Works well for longer cables. Shorter cables can be done without the under loop.

these. Us stage hands learn quickly. the cords also come apart easily without tangles... very helpful when you have longer cables.
on the flip side, the sound guy at my church where i have been "banned" from running sound because i know more then him, if he is in the mood, he will do elbow/hand method with mic cables and speaker cables, when he gets lazy, its just "throw them in a bag for the next guy". many times people have commented that they knew that was the wrong way (people helping tear down stages, i.e. no experience/training) and that he must not have to pay for any of the equipment. ahh well, i only run sound once a year for week long church camp. what he does outside of that week is up to him

 

[McMurphyMD]

I use 2 bicycle hooks and do the rope/cable method of coiling them. If they are going to be stored for a long time, I toss a long dust cloth over them and leave them hang.

 

[themiller]

I use these for some cords. They're simple, cheap and they work.

^^^. I also use them for Christmas lights. Work like a charm. Some people say they "damage" the cord - well... one of the cords on them in weekly use is over 30 years old so for me no worries.

 

[taumac]

I use the elbow method but spin the cord as wrapping it around mine arm to take coil out. Hard to explain but works.

The 5 Stitches Garage part 1 http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142100

The 5 Stitches Garage part2 http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211899

 

[DSM21]

Damn I wish I had a picture of it, but My uncle and I use Old Rims and wrap extension cords, air hose ect around them. I don't mean beat up rims, but just older rims we find. My favorite we have used is the Modal A ??? I think it was we been using.

 

[71goldss]

Braid them. Cost $0 and it beats everything out of coiling them up. http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/...rap-up-your-extension-cord-like-a-contractor/

Braiding is how I used to do it for around the home use. Learned it from a contractor friend of mine. Unbraiding for use was always very easy by just shaking out the braids. The only problem I found by braiding was that if the cord was not used often, and stored in changing climates for long periods of time, it would develope permanent bends in the cord. I eventually had a very wavy and kinked cord and decided to go to a storage reel. I would assume that if used frequently, this would probably not happen by braiding, but I'm not positive. Or, maybe I was just braiding it too tight?

 

[The Cobbler]

I wrap my cords in long loops following the bias so it they are rolled up neatly. black tape around them and voila

 

[machine_punk]

+1 on the stage hand 'over-under' method. I've done stage work for 31 years and I can do this wrap in my sleep now.

If not, at least do the mountaineers wrap (pretty much the same thing, but just 'over...' coil it neatly.

I always take new extension cords out into the yard and lay them as straight as possible...this makes it much easier to get the winding out of the cable and you coil it up properly for the first time.

Once the cords are wrapped neatly, you can put them into a rectangular plastic box (like an action packer or the ubiquitous storage boxes you find at many stores now). They will stay neatly coiled in the box, until you need them again.

I have a favorite extension cord which has been wrapped the exact same way every time I am done with it for about 20 years. My boys got ahold of it and did the 'coil around the arm' method and made a mess of it. I nearly cried.

Kev

 

[Ch3No2]

I started out as a stage hand and truck loader. Lesson 1 was how to coil cable. It only takes one crew chief who makes you dump an entire case of cable and redo it to make you very picky about storing cables.

Working for the studios the first thing they teach you is the over/under method..especially for the 330' 3/4" round camera cables

 

[jeffmoss26]

Over-under. The only way!

 

[ishiboo]

Over/under and then a piece of "hook and loop" cable wrap around it. I just use wire ties for infrequently used cords.

I have quite the cord collection for temporary wiring, four 100' 12-3s, one all weather 100' 12-3, four 50' 12-3s, and lots of cheap 16ga 20'ers, smaller cords, etc. Only way I've found to organize is via plenty of hooks on the wall.

 

[2ManyProjects]

Hi,
I was trying to get the garage in order yesterday, taking advantage of the relative "warmth" and putting away outside Christmas lights, etc.
I have a lot of those orange "outside" extension cords that I was using to run Christmas lights.
I start wrapping these things up using the standard "elbow to palm wrap" but I end up with a mess, I have a few that must be seventy five feet, no way can I wrap those into a neat coil.

Well... You CAN, but it gets tricky with longer/heavier cables. The key is to compensate for the wire's natural twist (due to the underlying stranded wires, which are themselves twisted) as you go by twisting the cable a bit with each successive loop. If you pay attention, the cable itself will indicate which way it "wants" to twist; don't fight it, accommodate it -- and DON'T use your elbow. This still won't produce a "perfect" coil; but it's about the best you're going to do "freehand".

What do you gents do, any neat tricks or ideas to keep cords organized?

At the end of the day, you're going to want to use SOME sort of reel or frame to wrap the cord around. There are all manner of different types & styles, starting with the simple plastic frame cited by "djjsr" (which works OK for shorter cords, and stores fairly compactly). "You pays your money and you takes your choice."

Learn to properly coil cable. The wires have a natural twist to them. I started to type out how to do it, then decided to just find a video.

With that ultra-limp mic cable he's demonstrating with (or nearly any coax, for that matter, since most coax lacks a natural "twist"), almost any technique will work. But if you were to try that with, say, a 100-foot AWG 12 extension cord, you're going to have a mess on your hands. The problem is, you are effectively making a figure-8 which is folded back on itself. If you carefully un-coil it using two hands as shown in the video, BEFORE those alternating inner/outer loops have a chance to get tangled up with each other, fine. But if you let it sit in the bottom of a tool box or other storage container for a few months, then pick it up and attempt to unravel it from one end, the "pull from the middle" action which will occur on every other loop (due to the "figure-8" being doubled-over on itself) will make a rats nest in short order.

HOWEVER... The figure-8 pattern itself is worth remembering; and it works well when NOT folded back on itself. Aboard ships, it's referred to as "flaking your lines"; Google for examples.

Braid them. Cost $0 and it beats everything out of coiling them up. http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/...rap-up-your-extension-cord-like-a-contractor/

I don't like that one at all. Too many tight-radius bends, which will take a "set" while in storage, and lead to still worse kinking and tangling in the future.

 

[rixtrix1]

Lots of ideas on how to wrap a cord here , but what do you do with them after you've " braided, coiled, spooled etc.? I usually coil mine, accommodating the "twist", but if you stack them up, the pile is almost three feet tall and you have to sort through it every time to get one the right length for the job at hand. I don't have a lot of space in my 18'x20' garage and I want to keep the floor as open as possible. Thanks.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Lots of ideas on how to wrap a cord here , but what do you do with them after you've " braided, coiled, spooled etc.? I usually coil mine, accommodating the "twist", but if you stack them up, the pile is almost three feet tall and you have to sort through it every time to get one the right length for the job at hand. I don't have a lot of space in my 18'x20' garage and I want to keep the floor as open as possible. Thanks.

Lowes and Home Depot have a large selection of hooks, the rubber covered ones, like for hanging bicycles, ladders, etc. You mount a 2x4 horizontal on the wall and pre-drill and screw these hooks in. I have several mounted on the end of a pallet rack that cords and other stuff hang on.

Charles

 

[jabin]

HOWEVER... The figure-8 pattern itself is worth remembering; and it works well when NOT folded back on itself. Aboard ships, it's referred to as "flaking your lines"; Google for examples.

I really like this method for doing my wife's gardening hoses that lay on the patio. She uses them every morning for water her hanging plants and herbs and just needs to pull as she waters across the patio. I didn't want a hose real for 20' of hose.

The other important duh, is never coil up a cord while its still plugged in. IE: vacuum cleaners. You'll fight the nature twist.