Is it time to toss this cord or is a bit of 'character' normal for shop tools?

I've seen that exact wavy pattern on my old 16-gauge cords after running a shop vac and a table saw for a weekend project. Those black marks are ussually carbon tracking or spots where the internal insulation got so hot it started to cook the outer jacket from the inside out. Even if it doesn't feel hot to the touch while you're moving around, those high-draw motors like your drill press pull alot of amps on startup, wich creates quick spikes of heat that add up over time. In my shop, I finally bit the bullet and switched everythign over to 12/3 SJTW cords, specifically the yellow ones from Southwire. Once that jacket starts looking like a snake that swallowed a bunch of golf balls, the copper strands inside are usually brittle and the individual wire insulation is compromised. I’d retire that orange one to light-duty stuff like a single LED work light or just chop the ends off so nobody else tries to use it for heavy machinery. It’s better to spend the fifty bucks on a heavier gauge now than to wait for a short to let the smoke out of your grinder.

Honestly, I think everyone jumps to "internal melting" way too fast. I’ve seen that wavy, corkscrew look on dozens of cords in my garage, and 90% of the time it’s just becuase of how the cord is coiled. If you’re wrapping it around your elbow or just looping it tight, you’re putting a permanent twist in the copper strands inside the insulation. Eventually, the jacket just takes that shape permanently, expecially if the cord sits in a hot garage or under heavy equipment. Those black marks ussually aren't carbon; in my shop, that’s almost always rubber transfer from rolling a floor jack over it or scuffs from work boots that got ground into the soft orange PVC. I wouldn't toss it just yet unless you see actual bulging or the jacket feels brittle when you bend it. Instead of worrying about every scuff, I just switched my high-draw tools over to 12/3 SJTW cords, specifically the ones from Southwire or Yellow Jacket. They handle the surge from my 1.5 HP shop vac way better and don't hold a "memory" as badly as those thin 16-gauge homeowner specials. Just check the ends for any discoloration or melting on the actual prongs—that's a much better indicator of real heat damage than the shape of the casing.

Totally agree with upgrading to the 12/3 yellow cords. Those orange ones are usually rated for way less than what a shop vac and grinder pull simultaneously. One detail people forget is that when the internal copper starts breaking down and creating that wavy look, the resistance shoots up. That causes a voltage drop that'll actually burn out the motors on your drill press and grinder way faster. You're basically starving your tools of the power they need to stay cool while they run. Better to replace a forty dollar cord than a three hundred dollar motor.

Check the female end of that cord for any discoloration or melting around the slots. If you're seeing that 'snaking' on a generic 14/3 or 16/3 orange cord, you've definitly toasted the PVC jacket. I stopped buying those cheap big-box store cords years ago and strictly run Voltec Pro-Yellow or the Century Wire & Cable Pro-Star series now.

Those have the lighted ends so you can see if you've got power at a glance, and they use a much higher grade of TPE insulation that doesn't 'memory' into those waves as easily. If your grinder is drawing 13 amps, that old orange cord is basicly a space heater. Cut it up before it finds a way to start a fire.