Underwriter's knot

Yep, for strain relief, in case the crd got pulled on, the knot would (hopefully) keep the wire from ripping right off of the screw terminals. This was all well and good, when you had room for them and there was no other method...

Somehow I am sensing a bit of a chip on the old shoulder here? the shoulder that points south???

I think you've answered your own question, sort of. There is no room for it, so you can't do it. It was never really "required" but rather just "good workmanship".

The "little notch"? may indeed have an opposite part that clamps down on it when you tighten down the screws? or is there maybe a "groove" around it where you could route one or both of the conductors? (similar to the bottom of most modern phones, where you can "lock in" the wall cord by bending it around some posts in a channel). It's my semi- educated (I can't see it from here, sorry) guess that maybe the notch is part of the newer version of "strain relief" 2004, se hablo Espanol.

I wouldn't take it personally. ;-)

Nobody under 50 knows how to tie a U/l knot

I agree it is a better system ..., pity

I do! But I'm over 50...

Erik

Me too (68).

They've gone the way of nice limp flexible rubber cords on power tools. Those nice ones which knew their place and didn't coil up like an Anaconda and get in the way when you went to use the tool.

Jeff

Bill:

WB> I'm not an electrician, but years ago I was taught to put an WB> underwriter's knot at the end of the cord when rewiring a lamp or a plug.

Yup: I've done that.

WB> I have an extension cord with broken plugs, so I went to our last WB> independent hardware store here and picked up new plugs made, naturally, WB> in Mexico. I dutifully tied my underwriter's knots, but when I tried to WB> get the cover back on the plug it wouldn't fit; there is no space for WB> the knot. There is a little notch beside the fastening screw so I fed WB> the wire through that. Is the knot no longer required, or are these WB> Mexicans trying to burn down my home?

Any sort of resistance to yanking the wire out will be an added safety feature. I've put a wire clamp around the zip cord, bolting the two 'ears' together: _ / \_____ \---------

^ ^There's a mounting hole through the ears for bolt Cord through hole

- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

• Getting old: Getting lucky means found your car keys in the parking lot.