How do you make a Power Cord Spring?

[Brad]

I posted this in another group and was asked to move it here... The saw is a Sears Craftsman Computerized Radial Arm Saw model: 118198610

I am replacing the power cord on a Radial Arm Saw and unfortuately, the

manufacturer does not just supply the cord but you have to buy the cord

with the motor. The power cord is coiled (like a spring) so as the saw

moves across the arm, the cord is stretched and as it moves back, the cord contracts into a tight spring and stays out of the way. I plan on

getting an extension cord to replace the bad one, but the question is: How do you make a straight cord to contain a permanent coil?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Mike Marlow]

You don't. That cord was manufactured that way. You can try to coil it around a pipe to shape the coils and they will exhibit some small amount of recoil, but it won't be like you are used to. You can afix (tape) a spring to the cord near where it secures to the motor and back somewhere near where the motor normally sits and that should work.

[Lew Hodgett]

You don't.

Try a search for "koil cord".

The cord is a commercial item.

Lew

[Gerald Ross]

You can order one from Whitney Blake.

--

was the first one I found after googling for coiled power cord.

Gerald Ross Cochran, GA

3 out of 4 Americans make up 75% of the population.

[Mike Marlow]

Please provide supporting documentation.

[Andy Dingley]

You buy one. These things are available (in the UK anyway) as coiled kettle leads.

Or else you take a normal piece of extra-flexible powertool flex, coil it loosely by hand, and run it over a tensioned wire or length of elastic to hold it in place.

[Brad]

Thank you everyone for helping out with your comments. I ended up going to the site Gerald mentioned above. They were pleasant on the phone to deal with and will ship out today. The only thing is that I will have to splice the wire because I wasn't going to pay for a special run of a single cord ($100 setup fee).

Again, thanks for all the help.

[Brad]

1 out of 4 Americans are mentally unstable. Look at your three closest friends and if they seem normal then it is you.

[Mike Marlow]

I must be sane then. I don't have 3 close friends.

[Prometheus]

I know you already found one, but just for the sake of speculation, I wonder if a guy could pull braided wire through a coiled air hose to get a similar effect. It's almost certainly not up to a standard electrical code, but it might do in a pinch...