Where can I buy coiled 3-wire cord? (1 Viewer)

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After looking at the lightforce stubby light, and knowing what it cost me to put my mangetic based Hella worklight together, I figure I could probably sell a few and bring the cruiser fund into the positive.

Does anyone know where I could find a quality coiled cord that has 3 12 gauge wires? Thanks.

Ary
 
I think you are talking about "retractile" cord. Right?
BrimFiberCoil116.jpg
 
Arya Ebrahimi said:
Yes.

Thanks for the lead Christo!
The mcmaster-carr part number for 12/3 retractile cord is 5821K34 at $297 for a 4' retracted length 20' extended length it might not be the best choice of suppliers.
I would contact a local electrical supply house, look for somebody who handles Beldon wire. Knowing that you are looking for retractile cord will help.
 
After realizing that I don't need anywhere near 12 guage for the load these wires will be carrying, I did some research and 18 guage should be sufficient. Much more reasonable at $33 for the 4'/20' length. Still a bit above what I was expecting/hoping.

Thanks for the education on the terminology.

Ary
 
18ga sounds a bit light? (no pun intended) how many watts are you pulling through that 20'? 18ga at 12V can have quite a significant voltage drop by the time it gets to the end. You are talking about a 40' long circuit for the power to travel.
 
At 18ga you will be limited to 3-4 amps continuous, not ideal for a work light.

If you can find a way to bump it up to 12ga you'll be good for ~12 amps.

Both of these take in to account that the wire is in free air, not the case for three conductors in insulation.
 
Here is a reference chart that should help. Since you are in collage and probably have nothing to lose I won't warn you about the liability issues of building electrical equipment. Just buy all UL certified products and remember overkill isn't always a bad thing. My rule of thumb is to design for 120% of the expected load.
 
If you buy that stuff from mcmaster you'll get screwed on price. They are super expensive. Look for another supplier and I'll be you save about 50%.
 
Dale Sr said:
If you buy that stuff from mcmaster you'll get screwed on price. They are super expensive. Look for another supplier and I'll be you save about 50%.
Now there's a good suggestion!:D
 
Ah, not to pump my part time job, but is this in the ballpark?

Retractable Power Supply Cord, Cord Length 12 Feet, Gauge Conductor 16/3, Jacket Color Black, Maximum Current 13 Amps, Voltage Rating 125 Volts, Temperature Range 32 to 140 Degrees Fahrenheit, UL Listed, CSA No, End Bare, Jacket Type SJT, Meets OSHA, Nominal OD 0.340 Inch, Outdoor Grainger Item # 2W551
Price (ea.) $2.65

If thats not it exactly go to our website www.grainger.com

Scott
 
Dale Sr said:
If you buy that stuff from mcmaster you'll get screwed on price. They are super expensive. Look for another supplier and I'll be you save about 50%.

They might be expensive but they have some of the best stock availability and super shipping. I can order up to 5pm at the shop, have it then next day and only pay ground shipping rates. Never had them backorder a single item on my, doesn't matter what obscure thing I order.
 
sleeoffroad said:
They might be expensive but they have some of the best stock availability and super shipping. I can order up to 5pm at the shop, have it then next day and only pay ground shipping rates. Never had them backorder a single item on my, doesn't matter what obscure thing I order.
They are great for that. I use them a lot for prototyping or when trying out blue sky ideas. For production qtys you need t find a more cost effective source.
 

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