DIY retractable WELDER Cord Reel 50amp 240volt Plasma Cutter

Build a Retractable Welder Cord Reel for 1/10 the cost of buying one.
3 wire SLIP RING: ❗️READ BELOW❗️
50ft air hose reel: amzn.to/3b4guTB
🔌 NEMA 6-50r 50amp Cord End: amzn.to/3XhHUub
50ft air hose reels can also be found at Harbor Freight(Merlin is better than the Central Pneumatic and is worth the few extra bucks)
BUILD THOUGHTS
Buying a premade welder retractable cord reel will set you back over $1000. Yes a grand! I already had the cord(8/4 SOOW) so my total costs for the Hose Reel and Slip Ring fell under $100. You don't need a 6 wire slip ring like I had in the video a 3 wire is more than adequate for a 50amp "WELDER CIRCUIT". amzn.to/3043FCA for a 3 wire/30 amp per wire. This is rated at 30amp at 100% duty cycle. Now you ask how is that adequate for a 50amp Nema 6-50 plug/circuit? We don't need 100% duty cycle for welders/plasma cutters. Homeowner Welders at full output generally draw sub 50amp at 20-30% duty cycle and this will EASILY handle it. And that's at FULL power, when was the last time you ran your 240v welder at full power until the overload protection kicked in? Now if you wanted to use this for powering an RV or similar 100% duty cycle appliance you will be limited by the 30AMPs of the slip ring and you should NOT exceed that. As far as the cord on the reel, 10/3 or 8/3 would have been lighter than my 8/4 I put on there and would be better. As a word of cation: Never run any cord reel at full power draw with multiple layers on the spool. Unroll them so they can have access to naturally cool under use. LABEL the cord end and reel so future people know the limitations.
This and all my projects are HIGHLY simplified for the videos and a ton of background testing is edited out. I take tons of precautions and do continuing tests to ensure my calculations are correct and everything will work safely for me and my equipment. If you have no idea what I was talking about in the video when it comes to amperage, voltages, and wiring; do not attempt this. Want more info do your own research. National Electrical Code NEC article 630 is a great place to start.
❗️3 wire slip ring:❗️ The largest gauge wire I can find on a slip ring is 12awg, which is the same gauge wire that is likely on your welder. It will handle 50amps with a DUTY cycle of up to around 40%. YOU CAN NOT run a stove, dryer, shop machinery off one of these as it won't give the wire enough time too cool. Here it is: windandsolar.com/90-amp-3-wir... If you want you can buy the 6 wire as a redundancy like I did in the video but I would still not run 50amps continuously : windandsolar.com/180-amp-6-wi...
Now with that said you can't run 12awg wire for the entire coiled cord as the voltage drop will be too much over 25-50ft. You need to stick with at least 10awg but 8awg is better. ❗️
STAY UP TO DATE BETWEEN PROJECTS on Social media
sixtyfiveford
sixtyfiveford/
SUPPORT THE CHANNEL?
I'm not asking for people to send me anything, but people are awesome and asking how they can support the channel:
Zero Cost to you; Watch my videos or buy any items you were going to purchase on Amazon anyways by first clicking through my affiliate link. Costs you nothing but I get a few cents for referring you to Amazon: www.amazon.com/shop/sixtyfive...
OR support the SHOP DOG
Buy Ginger a new bone: www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted...

[@shaneducsharm9228]

Im almost certain there will be some KZbin electrical inspector try and say this isn't to code, however, being an actual electrician I can 100% confirm this man has done his homework and everything is totally up to snuff. Awesome idea! I will definitely be doing the same in my garage!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks. The only thing I should probably do is shield the slip ring wires going to the junction box. I just wrapped them with tape mainly so I could test their temps as they are the weak link.

[@SuperMapupa]

@Shane Ducsharm I really hope you are not a licensed electrician, running 30+Amps through a low voltage chinisium slip ring.... you don't need to be an electrical inspector to spot troubles.

[@ghostridergale]

Great idea for sure, I do love having any long cords whether it’s air, electrical, etc. on some kind of retractable roll hanging from my ceiling whenever possible. Sure makes a cleaner set up and more convenient when you need to use it too! Hopefully one of those days I’ll have a need to add one of these too. But for now I still need more practice just weilding things for myself and a little Wielder all I can handle dealing with at this point. If I ever get good enough to do larger projects then this be a great addition to add to my shop too!

[@michaelosmon]

@Lehich his welders don't draw 30 amps though if they have 14guage power wires

[@oh8wingman]

I have had a number of welding trucks and shop machines over the years and many had similar reels for extension cords , welding cables, and the like. The only possible problem I can foresee here is heat. That cord will heat up slightly when you are using it. The code is based on the cord being open to the air to help it cool. When it is on a reel, only the outer layer can cool. The inner layers will grow successively warmer as you go in towards the reel. Over time this warmth will cause the inner layers of cord insulation to deteriorate and fail. This rig will work fine as long as you take all the cord of the reel when you use it for any length of time.If possible, you might want to create some ventilation holes around the reel drum to allow some air circulation. I found this out the hard way when one of my welding cable reels burst into flame one day with heavy usage.

[@sharonbradford4494]

One more thing that uses slip rings is the famous rotated tornado sirens you know the ones that’s got a rotator. The motor at the top has to have a stable connection and we’re slip rings come in

[@charleshoward9983]

I agree with Shane you definitely have it going on. I'm 66 and I do belive I could definitely learn alot from hanging out with you. Great project you did there. Course I don't believe there has been a video I don't learn something from. Again great video. Thanks for sharing them and keep them coming I look forward to your videos. Take care and be safe.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks. Very kind of you to say.

[@riftvalley1765]

I always wanted my welder extension to be retraceable but as you mentioned they are really expensive, the other day I picked up 3 hose reels from a local recycling place for $50, use 1 as is for air and I wanted to use one of them for a 12awg extension cord & the other one for my welder cord but didn't know that I need the slip in piece, I didn't even finish watching the video I went on amazon to try to get the 40A but that's $53 & it comes from China, however on eBay there's one that is made for wind turbine rated for 90A for only $18, I ordered 2 of them to seal the deal. If any channel deserves the subscription this is the one & thank you for sharing your knowledge. Hope to see you with another great video.

[@chuckster6513]

This is one of the best repurposing videos I have ever seen. I am new to this channel but this guy is real ! I have watched several videos that he has done and felt educated after each one. Ad that to the fact that he has a 65 FORD, Way Cool Guy ! Thank you Dude. Be Safe and Well

[@nocompredejavu]

Your videos are so insightful and just plain awesome. Love how you make things practically and describe the perfect amount of detail so even dolts like me can follow. Thank you!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

[@itztractorjohn]

I have been planning to do something like that when my shop gets finished. Nice to see someone else take the time to show it. Saves me some time. 👍

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

[@davidfrank2824]

My friend I thought you were insane when you said you were going to build it. You really did a great job on this. I've never even thought about something like that and I sure in the hell would not have known how to build it. Great job

[@PaulThomas-qo9vy]

The more I watch your videos on 65Ford, the more I appreciate the depth & width of your knowledge & skills in the mechanical arts. Thanks for sharing!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks, I'm glad you like them.

[@DereksWorkshopAndProjects]

Dude you are a genius! Everything you build yourself looks almost factory and it’s always super well done!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks 👍

[@1waukesha]

You never cease to amaze me with your brilliant mind. Awesome job sir!

[@NCprivateer]

I didn’t know I needed one, but now this is going on the project list. Awesome job.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

[@harrywalker5836]

@@sixtyfiveford here in sht hole aus..a regulatory r trd, will cut the end, off your extension cord, if it has a kink, lay,s on ,over, any metal object, is not taged. is not suported above head height, not on ground, has bits of sheath nicked. has to have clear, ends, to see wires connected. allways has to have earth. all electrical equipment taged every 3 months.wearther used, or not, in your truck,. they send women round to inspect sites as,,'' you cant hit a woman''..

[@orvileknox3130]

Another excellent job. Well done and we'll demonstrated!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks Orvile

[@rong2578]

Another great video, I always look forward to seeing new videos from you on what you are building in the garage.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Awesome, thank you!

[@TheShadeTreeFixitMan]

Another slick trick. Thanks Moe.

[@chadhelmer3835]

I like the idea of redundancy in the slip ring. This is the most likely point of failure. Nice work!

[@sixtyfiveford]

That was my thought. I wouldn't buy a 6 conductor over a 3 though for this purpose but it worked out fine.

[@cb84capri]

Great idea and awesome execution!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Glad you think so!

[@Lanninglongarmmowing]

Genius!! Great idea.

[@jimanddiana4103]

Really helpful, very inventive. Thanks!

[@ryanpiar3490]

Alot of keyboard electricians out there! I like the idea of using a slip ring. Nice execution. Folks need to understand the issue with wound welder ext cords is heat soak. So as stated, unwind the cord when using for a big project. It is super convenient to take only what you need to make a couple quick welds. Prolonged use will heat the cord up and make it curly Q when it is unwound. A little common sense goes a long way. Thanks for the great video!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks Ryan. That's the problem they need to make items these days for complete idiots that have no common sense.

[@wizardofhyd]

Outstanding, what an excellent way to create a retractable extension cord :-)

[@macswanton9622]

Belt-and-suspenders. Definitely the way to go with high voltage/amperage. Thumbs up!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks Mac

[@owa2533]

You're too cool man. Respect.

[@Mike-xt2ot]

Another great tip!!! Thanks brother.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks Mike

[@dm13limited52]

Thanks for the problem solving ideas, this is one that I can use.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

[@Masso1973]

We have 3 phase 400v here, if I do it I’ll use the same gauge as the welder wire as well. Great idea, never even thought about it

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

What a super idea idea!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Glad you think so!

[@jasonrucker9712]

great job, great build,

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks 👍

[@tuffy16]

Used them for extension cord and remote cable for my welder, $100.00 MAX works great! YOU DA MAN!!

[@tanksoldier9770]

Nice build , I hope to get a plasma cutter some day , thanks TANK

[@sixtyfiveford]

They definitely have a fun factor about them.

[@alec4672]

(for anybody that doesn't know) Basically with a slip ring it can spin for as long as a motor can, that's basically what's inside of a universal motor. It can spin as fast as a motor too if you support it properly. You can run parallels for a single appliance say you have a rolling mill feeder that need 600a 480v you could run 4 sets of 3 phase to keep your wire radius down but you have to individually protect each conductor with at minimum fuses. That's way beyond the scope of this video though 😂😂 your screw facing got my like 🤙

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

[@2LateIWon]

Awesome idea Love it

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thank you! 😊

[@danmay9728]

Thanks for the tip, love the dog such a sweerheart. As always be safe. Peace.🇺🇸

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

[@randymack1782]

I got a job many years ago at shop, I brought my welder, and was too poor to buy a good extension cord, so I went to flea market, and bought a 12 gauge cord, then used it to move around my welder, which was a Lincoln AC/DC tombstone welder, cord was 30' and it worked great, didnt get warm, unless running several rods at top end of welders range, and most of the time welder was in middle of range, I welded hundreds of trailers, never had issues, still own the cord, its stored in my attic, but I picked up longer & heavier cords I use around home, like 85' of 10 gauge, or 135' of 8 gauge. never needed to hook both together. but yeah those are heavy. but I may need to bring my old 12 gauge cord down.

[@turnndirt5486]

Sweeeeeet idea, thank you

[@sixtyfiveford]

Glad you like it!

[@byronwoolfrey1039]

Made a similar one using a garden hose spool on wheels and the mechanism off an old vacuum for the spinning part for my 50ft. Extension cord.

[@byronwoolfrey1039]

Just regular extensions cord

[@sixtyfiveford]

Awesome!

[@Fatamus]

Fantastic idea thanks I'll definitely going to use the it

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

[@FlatThunder]

Fun project I need an extension cord for my welder. The biggest holdup is the expensive wire. If I ever get ahold of an affordable cord I might have to build one. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@sixtyfiveford]

I know what you mean. Wire costs are ridiculous.

[@wheelin66bronco]

Great video, found this because I'm wanting to build a reel similar. Thumbs up!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

[@hosslane320]

Going easy with it , it should do well . I appreciate your time and effort . Thanks for shearing knowledge . Bless ya'll from hooterville , n.c.

[@Marandal]

That's it! i'm building my own!

[@MrVailtown]

Your da man . Love that Dog !

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks. Ginger is having a blast.

[@tkskagen]

Great Idea! Awesome Inexpensive Project Idea...🤔

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks TK

[@GarageofHope]

Awesome. I'm SOOOO tired of dragging my heavy duty extension cord around. I'm building one of these starting right now!

[@sixtyfiveford]

This thing has been amazing. It is so nice not to have a huge cord to drag everywhere.

[@wildmanworley]

now that the way to go..... great video

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks 👍

[@GodzHammer]

We need a garage/work shop tour!

[@sixtyfiveford]

I did one last year, but stuff has changed since then.

[@mikeangelastro7648]

Nice build 🇺🇸

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks Mike

[@chrisforeman7248]

I just did this with a manual garden hose reel. Might have to do this idea I didn't know about the slip ring

[@sixtyfiveford]

Awesome. Garden hose reel is far better than hand manipulating these cords.

[@IROCKID]

That’s pretty cool.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks Man

[@LujinCustom]

Very neat. I’m actually doing the door LEDs from your video on that. Just waiting for HF to put a salt on the 5500 lumen fixtures. I also put the reel on a smart switch and put an old Echo Dot on the ceiling

[@bmay8818]

I use a normal 120v 12ga extension cord for my welder. I made adapters that convert one end into a 5-20 plug (which goes into my shop receptacle) and the other into a dryer outlet for the welder. It basically makes a 240v extension cord. Anyway, nice work! That's a handy thing to have.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Very cool. I would do the same and with occasional hand to cord heat temp checks, never give it a second thought. 12awg will easily handle 50amps up to about 25feet with a 20% duty cycle. But I don't think I have even needed to turn my stick welder up to full output, so I'm only pulling 20-30amps ever.

[@bmay8818]

@@sixtyfiveford I actually made two different adapters. One converts a standard 120v plug into a 240/120v 5-20 plug (the kind with one prong sideways). On the other end is the female version of that adapter, but I also made another one that converts from a 5-20 to a dryer style outlet. My plasma cutter takes a 5-20, my welder uses a dryer outlet, so I can do both with the same extension cord just by switching adapters on one end. Anyway, yeah, it works great and I've never noticed anything heating up. My welder can't do a 100% duty cycle and actual on time is fairly small anyway, so like you said, no need for big fat expensive wire.

[@tblbaby]

that's a convenience! Nice.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I think I'll get use out of it.

[@1970chevelle396]

What I ended up doing was making two extension cords. One is 50 feet long the other one is 15 feet long. Most of the times I only need the 15 foot one. That I don't have to roll the heavy 50 foot cord up.

[@sixtyfiveford]

That's exactly what I've been doing. I have a 20', 50' and 100'. The 20' is adequate most of the time but it drives me crazy when I need another 5-10' and the 50' has to come out.

[@terrymiller9647]

Made in the USA, Mercotac slip ring connectors will transfer up to 500 amps. NO that is not a typo. The one I purchased for a Christmas decoration Ferris Wheel will transfer 50 amps. The best thing about these is they use mercury as the slip ring contacts. THUS, there is NEVER any wear on the rings. I am extremely happy with the one I purchased. Easy to mount, easier to use. Thanks for the videos.

[@trappistachel]

Got a link to the 50amp one?

[@sixtyfiveford]

I did look at their slip rings. They are not cheap and the only one over 30 amps was over $1000 if I recall.

[@jeepthrasher]

Sure wish you were my next door neighbor. Love your videos!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks Josh

[@jerrywilder9403]

That really looks great Sir got an extra reel that air hose fitting was damaged new fitting is way too much from coxreel so making it electrical is a great answer I’ll just need one of those slip rings thanks brother

[@sixtyfiveford]

A Cox reel is built as 100x better than this cheap thing I used.

[@jerrywilder9403]

@@sixtyfiveford yeah it is a great reel yours works

[@tuffy16]

Wicked! Am looking to build two reels for my welding rig. One for remote and one for 110. A used reel for remote is 1600.00 Canadian !You the man!!!!

[@MyDIYAdventures]

Another great build! And I love your dog, my dog just gets in the way in videos😂

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

[@backwoodsengineer]

I’m jealous I didn’t think of this. Great idea.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Glad you liked it!

[@JackdeDuCoeur]

Nice job!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks!

[@agguilarmetalwork4494]

Thanks great info 👍🏻

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks!

[@Fireship1]

Nice engineering Moe!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks!

[@805ROADKING]

Great idea Bud!! I just cut my 120 ft cord in half last week, it was 12ga!! Not so much for the weight but it's also just a pain in the balls to wrap up!!☺

[@sixtyfiveford]

The cord I used was over 100'. I'm happy to cut it down as it was just too much to deal with at that length. Now I have 50' on the spool and 50' I can manage easier.

[@cameronlamb7274]

Check out how essential craftsman handles his extension cords

[@sokraal]

Good content. You got yourself a sub mister.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

[@charlesangell_bulmtl]

Air reel from Harbor Freight was my solution to the weld leads also, I just leave the plug ends loose at side opposite the rotating mount side during the reel/unreel. If I get tired of that I guess I'll have to build some suitable sliprings.

[@heavymetalmadman3533]

awesome vid.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey thanks

[@vincentlo7292]

They have power reels for RV applications with 50 amp wires. You can probably buy one of those and fit your own ends to them. I've even seen these reels have power retract.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Yes they do make exactly what I made here but it'll cost you about $1, 000-$2,000.

[@jeremiahkastner6374]

THANK YOU.

[@machinistwanttobebrianfrom6887]

Brian from Ma.Great Video love it Besafe

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks Brian

[@robertmccully2792]

Good job.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks. I didn't think I would use it that much, but it is one of my favorite garage accessories now.

[@campbellpaul]

Keen! A plus is that it can be stored high and away... Thanks, amigo!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks Paul.

[@viniciusnoyoutube]

Very cool.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

[@musicauthority7828]

I did same thing because I have a Jeep P/U with a utility box on it. but I purchased a reel from Harbor Freight. actually two of them one for air and one electrical cord. but they don't automatically reelup because I figured. being as there wasn't anything at end of the cord/hose that would dig into the ground or get caught on anything. I just crank them back into the reels by hand with hand crank. and they were cheap about twenty dallors each which is always a factor. then mounted them at the back of the utility box so they swing out for use. it allows me to have a gas powered welder, a gas powered air compressor, and a generator on the truck. and get to areas that I couldn't get close to with the truck.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Awesome

[@lewiemcneely9143]

Heeler-isms. Ginger will be bouncing up and getting the 220 for you. Might better keep the breaker off. The only 220 here on a chord is for the pump to generator on a DPDT to disconnect from line voltage. It stays wound up on the generator, ready to go. Glad you're set and GBWYall!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Train her to bring me the cord end.

[@lewiemcneely9143]

@@sixtyfiveford That'll work! BETTER, even!

[@hboozel]

great idea, just wish you had a bolt together design for those of us that don't have a welder

[@matthutchinson3139]

Hey, don’t know what’s going on with KZbin, it never showed up in my subscriptions , found video on KZbin home page. As for China and electric cords and wires, as a Asst. State Fire Marshal we found that China meets UL codes for exterior width diameter for all wiring but they reduce the size of wire down inside the casing. That why you have over heating of extension cords and any kind of lighting, which always causes fires at xmas time because people leave lights on for ever. Anytime in need wires and cords always go to City Electric contractor supply and make my own. Always enjoy, keep them coming

[@sixtyfiveford]

I know what you mean. They really cheap out on wiring and I don't like any wires from China. If they're not aluminum they're copper coated in aluminum just to save a fraction of a penny. My main cord is SOOW USA made 8/4.

[@catherineharris4746]

Fkng Outstanding!👍👍👍👍👍

[@Bigtwin88]

NICE JOB .....I LIKE....

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

[@johnanthony2545]

Pull about 6 ft of slack out and let it lock. Then back feed slack by hand leaving wheel stationary. Loop slack back on wheel. You have know added spring tension. Need more do it again have one that has to much do same in reverse. Hug advantage of single bracket reels. Takes like 2 minutes maybe. Great vid btw.

[@airecraft1]

Pretty cool

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

[@FredLarracuente]

Nice!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks Fred.

[@nrs91]

Love the idea, but coiled extension leads need to be fully unwound before drawing high amps.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Yes, that's standard practice with any extension cord.

[@wafflezoot]

Electromagnet!

[@sixtyfiveford]

@@wafflezoot Nope. 240v is two 120v phases that are perfectly opposite and cancel each other out.

[@connorfortune8483]

Same phase just tapped with a neutral in the middle to make it 120

[@grounded-b937]

@@connorfortune8483 Nope. 180 degrees out of phase. That's why the neutral only carries the difference between the two

[@Just1Spark]

Just fyi, I have the Harbor Freight Titanium 175. I made a 6ft extension cord (220v) using 10ga wire. The welder will only weld for about 1.5seconds then cuts out. I remove the extention cord, and it welds perfectly fine.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Interesting. It is likely polarity sensitive and your Hot/Neutral are swapped.

[@witherow321]

I would be curious how this holds up the bearing and spring are not designed for that much weight but is a neat idea to build one on a budget

[@DoingItCheap]

Was this reel the one that had the hose that cracked on you?

[@sixtyfiveford]

No, I bought a brand new hose reel for this project and thought I would get an extra hose. Nope, the hose was so cheap that came with this one. The rubber was so soft and uncured it stuck to other parts of the hose when reeled up and ripped holes in itself. So the brand new hose has around 5 holes in it and I've never aired it up. I'm taking just the hose back to HF today to see if they'll give me a new one.

[@tallokie67]

Before you added the wire to the reel, I think you could have wound the reel a few more turns to get more pre-load on the spring. I've had to do it before even with just the hose. I can't remember how much more it can be wound before the spring is maxed out tho.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I gave it two more wraps last night. You need to use it for a while to let the clock spring settle in but I may be able to get away with doing another one or two wraps.

[@tylorcolston9175]

If there was enough "room" on the clock spring you could always clock it a few Revolutions tighter and it would help with the retracting aspect. Not too much tho or you won't be able to unwind fully and could break the spring all together . But like you said , inexpensive hoss reel

[@8Jory]

There are spools like this that are meant to be used for water hoses. They have a stronger spring so should have more pull and be a bit more robust.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Very true. I need to run it in and out a few dozen times to settle the clock spring. Then I can easily tighten it.

[@fryreartechnology7611]

80# that's all? Try 3 phase SO cord. We have 150' long cables for our welder. 480VAC 30A is what we want for our welder at work but we use 8/4 SOOW cable to power them. It effect the welder when we have that long of cable. Love your idea!

[@sixtyfiveford]

I have a 6/4 SOOW 150' cord I never bring out because of weight. I can't imagine how much weight I have there.

[@sparkywow1]

I do have an extension cord like what you showed in the beginning, BUT I need it as such, Extension. I need more of a holder, so I can plug it in, go out @ 25 feet and plug in a welder.

[@jasonbarrett5709]

Hey bud, I like your style, its refreshing to noy be the only fixer left. Anyway, I tried to go through your store link. It may need a little tune up. None of the things in this video are listed. I am trying trying to help support you, even if you are a Ford guy. Loved the dash repair and dryer to heater videos! Keep it up!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks. I appreciate the support. Generally I put individual links to products and don't put them into the main store. That's just because there are so many items with all the videos I do it would be hard to find.

[@MrSenorPun]

Thank you man! I've been trying to think what the slip ring thing is called. I just have a male end at the end and just plug and unplug each time I roll out

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

[@AndrewBrowner]

since you have half the length of wire vs the air hose that was on there you could crank that clock spring up a half dozen turns so it winds in better

[@sixtyfiveford]

I actually put 50 ft of wire on the 50 ft hose reel so the exact same. The clock spring needs to be pulled out a couple times just to so it settles. But then I will do a couple extra winds and it'll work way better.

[@AndrewBrowner]

@@sixtyfiveford oh wow thats a good set up then,looked like alot less than 50', you buy the cords premade online or did you find a spool of wire for cheap? in canada was cheaper for me to buy the cord than just order the wire alone

[@sixtyfiveford]

@@AndrewBrowner Yeah I salvaged 135 ft from a boat dock last year. But in the past when I've needed heavy guage extension cords I would buy the old Lincoln stick welders. The people would include the cords for no cost and then I would just resell the welder and have $200-300 worth of free cord.

[@thecarl168]

clever !

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks Carl

[@topgrom]

This is a great idea. Have any idea how I can do this with a regular extension cord?

[@sixtyfiveford]

Generally it's cheaper to buy a premade one for a regular 16,14 or 12awg extension cord.

[@AtimatikArmy]

The KING of DIY has once again spoken!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks Atimatik!

[@Hellsong89]

I would add brush and licker into the spool if this was used other than cleanish shop. Say work truck environment on the jobsite get licker so cable wont pull in all the mud and dirt to spool. Could use same thing for air hose as well.

[@JDeWittDIY]

Do the main coils of the extension cord heat up at all after welding? I'm not talking about the spinner component, but the actual coiled extension cord itself. If you were using this for something other than welding, something with a high current draw for sustained periods of time, I'd be concerned about the extension cord melting together and shorting. You can search for "melted coiled extension cord" if you want to see some fun pictures! Awesome project!

[@sixtyfiveford]

No heat at all with my test runs. I was actually trying to heat it up. There's just so much down time with welding it'll never be a concern. Any cord reel though should be unwound to allow cooling during heavy use though. In the unlikely scenario that I want to run a portable stove in my garage I would be limited to a 30amp 100% duty cycle of the slip ring.

[@wozzlebaby5313]

@@sixtyfiveford looks like you finally did just that. Once we upgrade the dryer in our home, I might duplicate what you did! Love the explanation about the duty cycle...always wondered why the old Lincoln welders had a 50 amp breaker but only specified 10ga wire. The more you know!

[@NickHorvath]

Blue tape can't disguise that harbor freight hose reel. :) You can probably give it an extra wind to make that last 6 feet retract easier. the instruction book says how but basically pull it out one turn then manually feed the cord around the reel (you'll have to take your end off again).

[@sixtyfiveford]

It's blue tape brand. It's so cheaply made I didn't want to endorse it. I have their higher end Red Diablo that I thought was cheap, but they were out of those when I went in. It first look they look to be made the exact same but this yellow one has a few more corners cut to save a few cents. I t should hold up fine, but if not I'll beef it up. But I did give it 2 extra winds last night. The cord is also so heavy it takes a second for the reel to pick up momentum, then it seems to do fine. I thought I would get an extra air hose. Nope, the hose was so cheap that came with this one. The rubber was so soft and uncured it stuck to other parts of the hose when reeled up and ripped holes in itself when unwinding. So the brand new hose has around 5 holes in it and I've never aired it up. I'm taking just the hose back to HF today to see if they'll give me a new hose.

[@NickHorvath]

@@sixtyfiveford the hose must be hit or miss on these then, I have 2 of them and they work great (couldn't resist $60 coupon).