How to make an electric carrier on a reel. How to make an extension cord on a reel. Now let's start making the coil itself

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 - 1 m long 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.

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 - 1 m long 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.

Reading time ≈ 4 minutes

A universal do-it-yourself 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. A universal homemade extension cord reel 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 reel for an extension cord, there is a structurally important element - a 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. The central part is 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. A 20 mm round pipe 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 the electrical cable onto a 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 for inclusion, and the installed sockets must be connected in series. The number of sockets depends on the overall dimensions of the drum.

Important: For safety reasons, all contacts should be insulated.

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, knots almost always appear on the carrier in an interesting way - it is impossible to fight this phenomenon. They are absent only in the case of using an extension cord on a reel - this will be discussed in this article, in which, together with the website, we will deal with the issues of choosing and independently manufacturing 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 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 had to figure out 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 the use of polypropylene pipe and plywood. If we imagine this process step by step, it will look like this.

1. We take a piece of pipe (32 or 40 mm in diameter) of the required length and solder couplings on both sides.
2. Next, again, we solder pieces of pipe into these couplings on both sides.
3. 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

1. Connect the drum to the base. A threaded rod is ideal as a rotation axis; it will not be difficult to pass it into the polypropylene tube through a pre-drilled hole. 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.
2. Put several on the reel (you can just use a block from an old extension cord), connect the required amount of cable to them, then add a handle to the drum and reel in the carrier.

Basically, that's it. We can say that the carrier with the bobbin is ready. Naturally, we should not forget about the correct choice of 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.

In conclusion to 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 will cause more trouble than it will be useful for - 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 of this type you make will last a long time and will be truly practical and comfortable. In general, there are quite a lot of chances that you will be disappointed in it.

There are situations when the extension cord is short, and the connection point is further away than the length of the extension cord. Of course, you can take another one to connect them and connect electronic equipment. And if there is no other extension cord or outlet nearby, but there is lighting (electric socket of an incandescent lamp), then you can be smart. Do-it-yourself extension cord ideas arise.

How to connect an extension cord to the network using a lamp

So, we will need pliers, insulating tape, a lamp, wire cutters and the extension cord itself. Take the lamp, carefully break the glass, and use pliers to remove the glass burrs from the threaded part of the lamp. We leave the central glass rod, then we bite off the central antennae with pliers, leaving the side electrodes.

We take an extension cord plug, one electrode and tightly wrap several turns onto the pin of the plug and insulate it with insulating tape. Moreover, the glass rod should be between the pins of the plug in the middle.

We do the same with the second electrode and part of the plug, then we wrap the entire connection with tape for elasticity and insulation. We screw our assembly into the socket, turn on the switch and the extension cord under voltage.

DIY extension cord

Often, when choosing an extension cord, the question arises: which one is better, and whether it can withstand a heavy load, well, it seems to be of good quality, but the cord is short. In order for the extension cord to be to your liking, in terms of quality, number of places in the socket block and length, it is preferable to make it yourself. It is not difficult.

Before you start making an extension cord yourself, you need to purchase a cable, an electrical plug and a block of sockets. As for the choice of cable: it is necessary to take into account the length and load for it.

Basically, those who make extension cords with their own hands use a cable for large loads from 3 to 5 kilowatts. The most optimal soft multi-wire copper two-core cable is P V C with a cross-section of 2-2.3 mm.

Let's turn to the instructions on how to make an extension cord yourself.

• It is necessary to remove the top layer of cable insulation 5-7 centimeters, then strip the wires by 1-1.5 centimeters.
• Then we disassemble the plug by unscrewing the screw and loosen the fixing clamp in the plug with the screw.
• We connect the wires to the contacts of the plug and clamp them with screws, secure the cable with a clamp and assemble the plug.
• Let's disassemble the socket block and connect the wires to the contact plates, just like on the plug. Then we assemble the block.

It’s not at all difficult to make an extension cord yourself; it will cost you several times cheaper than buying it in a store.

Extension cord on reel

Let's look at another way to make an extension cord on a reel yourself.

We will need a cable, the length is at your discretion, a socket block, a plug, two washers, an 8 mm bolt 16 cm long and a nut, an electric jigsaw, a screwdriver with an 8 mm drill and a spool.

First, let's make a coil. Using a jigsaw, cut two perfectly even pancakes, the diameter of which is 25 - 30 centimeters. Suitable material: plywood, chipboard. Next, drill a hole in the pancakes exactly in the middle, cut off a polyethylene pipe 13 cm long with a diameter of 5 cm.

Then, we put a washer on the bolt, the bolt itself with a washer, push it into the hole in the pancake, then we put on the pipe, then the second pancake, the washer, the nut and tighten them together.

The polyethylene pipe serves as a sleeve between the pancakes. As you tighten, the sleeve must be centered. Drill another hole on the pancake from the edge 3 cm to the center. On one side of the cable we connect the socket block. We push the other end of the cable inward from the outside until the socket block rests against the coil, and secure the socket with self-tapping screws. We connect the plug to the cord. And we wind the cord around the sleeve. The extension cord with the coil is ready.

Extension joint when broken or extended

When using an extension cord for a long time, sometimes the cable shorts due to kinks, blows once applied to the cord, etc. Maybe you wanted to increase the length of the extension cord. Let's look at how to connect an extension cord with your own hands.

To begin, unplug the power cord. If the cable is shorted, it will be immediately visible, cut off 10 cm on both sides from the epicenter of the short circuit, and wipe off the soot. We remove the top insulating sheath of the cable 5 cm, clean the wires 1.5 cm on both sides.

We twist the two bare wires together as tightly as possible, preferably without gaps for good contact, this will prevent the connection from heating up under load. We insulate the twist with insulating tape, and do the same with other wires; be sure to wrap both twists with insulating tape, for the elasticity of the twist and strength.

Some people prefer soldering wires; this method is better than twisting. Soldering of wires and insulation is carried out in the same way. When extending the cable, the same work is done

What can you use to make an extension cord at home?

If you don’t have a purchased cable, then what can you use to make an extension cord at home? Some far-sighted people, when any electrical appliance breaks down and is only scrapped, for example: a vacuum cleaner, drill, refrigerator, electric oven, etc., cut off the cords and leave them as they come in handy.

And indeed, from several scraps of cords of different lengths you can assemble a good extension cord. The old wiring will also work after replacement.

When connecting, step-by-step assembly of extension cords and instructions for assembling extension cords will help. Of course, this option is a way out for urgent needs, but not for constant use, in order to avoid fire safety.

DIY photo of extension cords