Ep 01: Stingers (Extension Cords)

Learn to build "Stingers" or "Extension cords" like the pros
Leviton Male end:
amzn.to/2sHSHn3
Female End:
amzn.to/2rEUDba
(affiliate)
12/3 SJOOW Cord 75 ft for $60! (discontinued link sorry, new link below)
amzn.to/2saqkwN
(affiliate)
Twitter: / dave_donaldson
Music By Andreyka: Making Moves
• Andreyka - "Making Mov...
WARNING: Electricity can hurt and kill. You are doing this build at your own risk.

[@MatthPeder]

I've learned that the fastest way for a crew to know you're a newbie is by wrapping cables wrong. I remember on my first "real" on-set experience a gaffer taught me the correct way and told me "Everyone starts somewhere." By the end of the production, he gave me a a bag of bungie cable ties, which I still use to this day.

[@dandavenport7488]

A tip you cable builders will come to love. Unless you buy a whole spool to save money, when buying by the foot buy from a newer spool. The closer the spool gets to its end, the tighter and smaller its coils are at the core making it difficult to work with because the jacket and conductors are "trained" to that size.

[@sadiqkhan8691]

Thaaankyouu so much for this page. I am learning cinematography without school & I honestly find The Grips team work really really interesting. And I really wanted to learn what goes around & how to figure it out, since we cannot experiment on set.. thankyou.

[@PAULFROCCHI]

New to the party, and just finding this Dave. I've worked in broadcast rentals for multiple years and have been shooting still work over the past 3yrs. Looking forward to going thru your series so I can keep my talent safe on my photoshoots. Thanks for putting this together!

[@HelenaOfDetroit]

pretty awesome vid! As a detroit filmmaker and youtuber myself, I applaud your effort with the channel! Keep it up! One tip that I've started doing with my stingers is that I make them (secretly) 2 feet longer. So my 25' is actually 27'. I do this because it always seems like you need that little extra bit, and it keeps me from having to re-patch in a 50 footer.

[@GripTips]

+FlipFlopGaming haha yea i thought about that. re-patching sucks

[@mattm5324]

Hmm do i know you

[@EliasGwinn]

sooo, your stingers go to 11?

[@briangurnett]

I would also disagree with the wrapping part of this video. The correct way to wrap a stinger is actually over-over. Over-under is for audio, video, and data. Using your left hand to hold the growing coil as you are doing, but clockwise. And I learned always wrap To the pin(male side), not from. You will find this on almost all union electric sets.

[@GripTips]

Brian Gurnett you are absolutely going to love tomorrow's episode

[@briangurnett]

I do appreciate what you are doing with this series, though. Keep it up!

[@GripTips]

Brian Gurnett absolutely, this department does not get looked at well enough, I hope my channel does it's purpose

[@clinke2007]

I have always heard than any cable with multiple conductors benefits from over-under. That would include power cables.

[@thenaje]

secret Salt N Pepa nod for the win. great vid!

[@DavidAcampora]

Use a wire stripper. Put the hubble ends on before you strip it. I can put an end on in under a minute this way.

[@BigJonMCT]

I think your cord wrapping tutorial was just as helpful here as the making of process.

[@thebrothersthre3987]

Just purchased some 12/3 SJOOW cord! Time to make some legit cables finally.

[@GripTips]

theBrothersThre3 🤘🏻

[@snapshot1]

The best explanation thus far!!! Two thumbs up

[@mitchell2820]

Great video man

[@filmprofessorstallings]

This may be resolved now in 2020, but Mole Richardson maintains that you don't wrap over+under with lighting cords (or stingers). Only audio.

[@steelbluesleepR]

hmm, I've always been told to over-over power cords and over-under on signal cables. one gaffer even told me that he prefers over-over purely because Sound invented over-under

[@paulgallardo3884]

You are correct. Over-Under is the incorrect way to wrap a stinger due to the Copper core. Many peeps do it on set. It will cause a shortage in the cable but it is very rare. I guess you can do it but in reality it is the incorrect way.

[@ASSADZMANFILMS]

This is an awesome video

[@ifrr3759]

gracias amigo, eres un campeón !

[@patrickantone1203]

it seems the male and female plug ends are only rated for 125V yet the cable is rated for 300v. Whats the point of a 300V cable if the weakest component on it can only handle 125V?

[@camilleholle1538]

Love your videos!

[@Chris90.]

is it bad if a bit of the copper from the ground makes contact with the hot or neutral at all?

[@GripTips]

Yes, you’ll likely be popping fuses or breakers once the stinger is plugged in. In fact. A method I’ve seen is someone taking the cord and deliberately connecting the hot and negative together, just to find which breaker is which so that they can label them. Not recommended because if a breaker doesn’t trip, that’s a fast way to electrocuting yourself or starting a fire.

[@mellangestudio]

I noticed you had some kind of thick velcro strip for clean wire mgt. Where can I get the rope style clamp attachment found on most stingers so I can install those on my own cables? I searched online and couldn't find it anywhere. Thanks!

[@twonakeddogs]

Are there specific types of surge protectors or multiple outlet strips that are also used on set or is it typically one plug to one light? Does it depend on wattage? Great videos by the way. Thank you for sharing your insight.

[@GripTips]

teameko I don't really do a whole lot of electric (eventually I will with this channel) but there is the cube tap. As far as surge protectors? I've seen a couple here and there but nothing brand specific, more generic types you buy anywhere. If I had to take a guess though, I'd say 1 light per outlet. I'll ask around some of the sparks I know and maybe do an ep. Thanks for the idea! Haha

[@twonakeddogs]

I'm not much on electrical either, at least I wasn't, but with a lot of the indie projects I'm on, I'm doing cinematography, lighting and electrical so any little bit helps. I figured if there was a specific surge protector or box it would cut down on the cords on set leading to a potentially safer environment. Maybe an ep on safety practices on set? Could be an idea. Or best practices? I work with a lot of green filmmakers and try to keep things as tidy as possible to keep them safe. We can be a clumsy lot. :-) Thanks for the info!

[@wwktpplonius2675]

In location, say in houses and such, if you use the places electricity, you have to be wary that you can have more than one plugs on the same breaker. typical breaker will be 15amp ones, so less than what your stinger can take. We typically use q-taps to split ac lines, you can put more than one lamp per circuit, just don't go over it's breaker capacity. Always find the electric box before starting to strike lights. that being said, if we are only lihhting with a few led panels, we tend to give less focks. When electricity comes from other sources like generators or tie-ins, usually there is some sort of distribution box with breakers. When you light something around water, a GFCI can be used wich will trip if there is an imbalance in the circuit indicating that "electricity is going somewhere it shouldn't".

[@cg5436]

Hey man I loved the video! Just so that you know the EBAY link that you have in the description of the video for the 12/3 SJOOW Cord 75ft for $60 is no longer valid, it says that the listing has ended. Fantastic video though thanks for making it!

[@GripTips]

Chris Goodwin damn, thanks for the heads up!

[@jeremygonzales5954]

Question is the 5v resistance loss at 100ft for the 300 or 600 watts.

[@codyjones3720]

Bought all the parts today! Can't wait to make me some sweet industry standard stingers! You da man! Question thought, why is a 20amp cable used and only 15amp plugs?

[@jra66267]

Cody Jones hi! I see this was posted awhile ago but... did it work out for you? I’m so excited to try it myself!

[@dandavenport7488]

Because it's cheaping out. Back before the prevalence of LEDs and lowered current draws an observant electric would notice the female 15amp starting to turn brown from overheating when used with 2Ks. Or worse, a wall receptacle browning from the heat where the blades inserted. Most household receptacles and breakers are 15A. Buy the 2O amp Hubble hospital grade plugs at the high price and avoid a code violating fire hazard. I have seen store-bought extensions where the molded vinyl plugs actually melt and mishaps with an over 15A load. A quality cable is like a quality stand. Don't abuse it and it will give reliable service for decades. Amortize the higher price out over 20 years and you are talking less than 50 cents per year per cable set. BFD.

[@dandavenport7488]

@@jra66267 Did you give it a try, Jessica, and if so how did it go?

[@danielortiz-pr4ur]

thanks mi frienth

[@BigJonMCT]

Wow, now I want a 25 ft. Stinger.

[@HackMyControlSystem]

No underwriters' knot for wire? Is that not necessary?

[@nadiabenaligrcia9486]

Merci

[@JonnyLewis]

nice. and what do 14/3 and 12/3 mean? gauge, ok, but what is the functional difference and why is one better, and for which uses? thanks.

[@danallen7107]

+Jonny Lewis I don't know the math, but thicker gauges have less resistance, so a 12/3 will have less voltage drop than a 14/3 over the same distance.

[@clinke2007]

Thicker gauges can carry more ampacity safely. According to electrical code, if you use 14, you are limited to 15 amps. 12 gauge can handle 20 amps.

[@dandavenport7488]

@@clinke2007 As long as the plug sets are 20A on the 12/3.

[@StrandDoctor]

I found this video to help test for shorts in conjunction with the tester you have. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZPUd6VniNV8itU It's taking me a few more tries than I anticipated. I must've tightened the female end too tight; I can't get the tester in all the way.

[@bonsaipiper3773]

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