Mama Kat Thursday: Last Thing I Fixed

 "Something I recently fixed," is today's Mama Kat option. It's a good topic because I do minor amazing things from time to time.

Last fix was actually in 2018. It was a extension cord--but not the one in this picture. That one is only 50 foot and I use it just for Christmas lights and electric Jack O' Lanterns.
 The one I had to fix was a 100 foot cord I used for the electric mower and electric hedger.

So, one day, I decided to do some trimming on the Lantana in the back yard with my handy electric hedger. 
 I was plugged in and whirring away on the project when the hedger just suddenly stopped.
The hedger has  a 3 inch tall gray plastic safety shield separating the handle grip from the blades and it's tipped forward toward the blades to prevent back-spatter. I discovered the cord had gotten looped over the blades right against that shield, but was hidden from sight and the blades had hacked the cord up enough to cut through some of the wires inside it.
So I unplugged it. 
I walked back around to the open garage and fetched some electric tape, a wire cutter and a pair of scissors. Then back to the cord.
I could see inside the cut in the orange cord covering three small wires; two were cut through; one was intact.
So with scissors, I lengthened the opening in the orange rubber a bit more, enough to reach the wires better. I stripped each broken wire enough to expose enough copper wire I could twist matching color wires back together.
Then I wrapped each twist with electrical tape.
Finally, I wrapped the 3 inch cut in the orange rubber with electrical tape as well, ending up with a small,black bulge in my cord. 
I plugged it in and was back in business.
That repaired cord ran the mower and the hedger the rest of the season.

McGyver would've been proud.

Thanks for Visiting


Comments

John Holton said…
Cutting rthrough the electrical cord that's powering your tool (e.g. hedge clippers) is easier to do than you think. That's what I learned, anyway. Good for you getting the cord back together and usable, although my guess is you probably replaced it at your earliest convenience.
Patty said…
I don't know about MacGyver but I'm damn impressed!

It's a good feeling when you can take the proverbial "bull by the horns" and accomplish something like this....good for you!
KatBouska said…
Wow! I bet that was the best feeling when you plugged it in and it whirred back into action!

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