How to Replace a Damaged Power Cord Circular Saw Drill Router Hand

Check out this video to see how to make a quick replacement of just about any power cord. In this case I am replacing the power cord on a Black and Decker circular saw but the process should be very similar for just about any brand and also other power tools.


STOP! If you are here on this page or about to watch this video you have no doubt already considered just wrapping some electrical tape around that cord that you cut. Am I right? How many of your tools already have tape on the cords? Come on, be honest, we have all done it. But before you break out that giant roll of black tape and start binding things together you may want to consider getting the job done the right way. Tape doesnt exactly make for the safest electrical connections and no one wants to see someone get hurt.


So now that we have that covered lets move on to a very fast and easy repair for that damaged power cable. You can pickup a new cable at any home center, hardware store, or via amazon with the links below. There are only two things to consider when getting a replacement. Does your tool have a 2-prong or 3-prong plug and what amperage does the tool draw. For most tools the amp rating is written on a label somewhere with the model number. It might even be on the cable itself. In my case I have a 10 amp tool. That just means that the cord I buy to replace the one I cut needs to be at least 10 amp or higher. In this case I purchased a 13 amp cord which will be just fine for this application.

Normally with any power tool the casing comes apart and splits in half exposing the trigger switch and the power cord inlet. Check out the video for an example. Once you take out those screws just unscrew the wire leads connecting to the switch (pay attention to white and black and their respective terminals) and remove the cord protector from the old cord. This is that hard rubber piece that is at the most flexed part of the  cord, where it enters the tool.  In my case removing the cord protector was the hardest part.

Once you have the old cord removed just slide the cord protector on to the new power cord and then fit it snugly back into the tool handle. Reconnect the wires to the correct terminals (Hot (black), neutral (white), and ground(green)).

Once things have been reconnected make sure the wires fit nicely back into the handle cavity and then replace the cover or side of the tool. Done!

This is a very simple and cheap (less than $6) repair that when done properly can add years of life to your tool. Dont risk electrocution or someone in your family getting hurt by putting a band aid on your tools with tape!

13 Amp 2 prong replacement cord - http://amzn.to/1NiHI4G
13 Amp 3 prong replacement cord - http://amzn.to/1NiIfnl

All of these products and more recommended items from the SSL Family are available at the Simple Suburban Living General Store

 

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Music - "Darien Gap" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/DarienGap


This post has been shared at:  Homestead Blog Hop

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Easiest Way to Take Apart a Pallet Using Power Tools

Ready to get started on some free or cheap pallet projects? Once you have all of your pallets brought home get ready for some frustrating disassembly!

In this video I briefly discuss the method I have been using to take apart pallets to get useable wood. There are many other ways to do this very same thing but this has proved to be the quickest and easiest for me.

The first step is to just lay out the pallets on a flat surface and start making cuts on the inside of the outermost supports. Using a jig saw or circular say is best and you can quickly have those outside supports removed from the pallet. As with any pallet project, make sure you check for nails ahead of any cuts!

The next step is to use a Sawzall or reciprocating saw to free each slat from the middle support. I find this to the quickest way to get the most useable wood as long as you dont mind the nail head being left in the center of the board. Rock the slat back and forth to free up a small gap and slide the saw blade (metal cutting blade) between the slat and the support to cut the nails.

If you prefer to pull the center nails just slide in a pry bar to pop the slats off and then pound out and pull those center nails. Either way works just as well but I prefer to pull less nails!

Using this method you are left with a selection of 36"-39" slats that are ready to be used in any pallet project. Now if you are going to do more finishing on your final product like sanding or planning you obviously need to make sure to pull the center nails instead of cutting them with the Sawzall.

There are many other options out there such as pallet pullers and special pry bars. My suggestions is to take the money you would spend on that specialized tool and get yourself a good wonder bar or used Sawzall instead. These tools can be used for much more than just pallets and are a necessity for any homeowner.

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Solar Power and Net Zero

Rainbow over the winner of the 2011 Solar Decathlon

An awesome thing about living in DC is access to events. This fall the Department of Energy held a Solar Decathlon, showcasing almost 20 homes that incorporated solar energy with various energy-saving designs to achieve "net zero" energy use.

Unfortunately, these were houses where folks would live, not greenhouses. But many of the ideas still apply. Some of my favorite ideas out of this conference:

• Grey water collection and treatment (the winning home used this in a water feature, eventually resulting in water clean enough to water their garden).
• Vaccuum tube solar water heaters (the winning home used this in a vertical wall that was absolutely gorgeous)
• Passive heating or cooling

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Starting Seeds

Weve been experimenting around with sowing seeds this winter, so I thought Id share how thats been going.

Our first attempt was to plant seeds in rock wool, with the idea that wed transplant the happy little baby plants into hydroton-filled net pots after they sprouted. That worked OK for a few seeds (peas, for instance), but for the most part we were left with itchy fingers and tiny plants that were too small to work with but too large to thrive in the original rock wool cubes wed allocated.

For my next attempt, I encased each seed in a spit wad of tissue paper before planting it directly in a net pot filled with hydroton. I thought the tissue would keep the seeds moist and keep tiny seeds from falling through the balls of hydroton. I was hoping the tissue would be sufficiently flimsy to get out of the way of the plant when it started to grow.

My daughter, for her part, wanted to use peat pots, which she planted liberally with seeds. She poured lots of very warm water over the plants.

My daughters seeds sprouted first - making a little carpet of green in her container. That was all well and good until it came time to transplant the little plants. It was nasty hard, and lots of individual plants were damaged in the process.

My seeds eventually sprouted, except for some old spinach seeds that likely were no longer viable. The spit wad idea worked great, and since the plants were already growing in hydroton, there was no need to handle the plants. All I had to do was plop my net pots into my floating raft out in the greenhouse.

Unfortunately, a fair number of the plants we set out in the greenhouse have "failed to thrive." All of the ones that havent thrived are plants from seeds we initially grew in either rock wool or peat, the ones that had to be transplanted into hydroton. So taking all the good ideas and getting rid of the rest, heres my plan for planting seedlings as I wait for winter to end.

• Encase the seeds Im about to plant in a bit of tissue. I used a single ply of facial tissue, torn in 1/2" strips, then cut about 1/2-1" long. I put the seed in the center and fold the tissue over it. Then I moisten the folded square of tissue (licking works for me) and roll it into a ball or wad.
  
  
  
• I fill a net pot 3/4 full of hydroton and place two of the seed spit wads on top.
  
• Next I toss a few more balls of hydroton on top to cover the seeds and fill the netpot.
  
• I arrange the filled net pots into a plastic container (to which I have a lid).
  
• I fill the plastic container with nicely warm water so it almost reaches the top of the net pots.
  
• Last thing for today, put on a lid and stick the plastic container somewhere dark and warm. Ive found I can put it on top of some electrical appliance, where the waste heat keeps things warmer than average.
  
  
  
  
  
• Tomorrow I will drain off most of the water and wait. If Im right, I should see little sprouts as soon as my daughter got sprouts. If so, I can move these plants to the floating raft in my greenhouse as early as next week.

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