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I have a Sekonic projector that is missing a power cord. I thought of making one.... taking an extension cord, stripping the ends...attaching the ends to the projector outlet prongs... then insulating the connection with possibly, silly putty (any other ideas?). Would this work? Do some dedicated 8mm power cords have resistance built in them? (I do not want to pay an Ebay seller $35. for one.)
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Good morning Thomas,
Can you shoot a picture of the projector power inlet and post it here?
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The few times I had to replace a power cord, I went to Home Depot and got one with the correct specs and 3 wires at one end already stripped and ready to go. It is an "HDX 6 ft 13 amp 3-prong appliance replacement cord". UL certified, 16 gauge, 125 volts. Outside the US you probably need one for 220 volts. It cost nowhere near $35. Don't remember exact price.
Don't use silly putty else we may never hear from you again! Wire it on the inside of the projector, don't just attach it to prongs on the outside! Assuming you have some experience with wiring, and you know which wire goes where.(neutral, grounding, and live.) you should be ok. Any doubt, hire a pro! Electrically insulating the wires on the inside must be done with care and should be researched for proper ways of doing it.
If the original cord had no ground, you should just be able to insulate that wire without connecting it anywhere. Steve will know more if you should connect the ground wire to a metal part of the chasis -- I'm not sure if that should be done or not.Comment
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I have this bias that any device that has a metal case has to have that case grounded, because the people I work for have drummed it into my head that if it isn't somebody will get shocked!
Still the same, there are a lot of older machines out there that are two prong with a metal case! They certainly aren't as safe as a three prong unit, because they can become hazardous if and when something goes wrong internally.
(It's kind of like driving a vintage car and noticing the lack of airbags and even seatbelts!)
I'm lucky along these lines: the machines I like the most are of the era that they are all three prong. Still the same, I bought an Elmo ST-800 that had a new power inlet installed (-former owner lost the original power cord...) and whoever it was didn't reconnect ground.
(Ended up a parts machine in any case...)Comment
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What puzzles me are machines like my Eumig that have a 3-pronged socket on the back, but the power cord that came with it only connects to 2 prongs of it, and only has 2 prongs into mains. I know it was the original cord since I've had the machine since new for 50 years!
The Sears-badged Bell & Howell Tower-style machines used sub-standard cords, since the 2 I have were shredded upon arrival. Any pic I've seen of them for sale have been the same. Those are the ones where I replaced the cords as above. They have the metal chasis, so I may just open them up and connect the ground wire to the chasis to be safe.
Thomas, I hope you were kidding about the silly putty!Comment
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I've seen that whacky two-pronged cord in a three-pronged machine. (Eumig 800 Series, actually)
Somehow I think they were trying to break a ground loop by doing away with ground itself! (A more sophisticated version of clipping off the third prong!)
Mine does just fine with a regular old 3 prong cord that probably started off powering a long dead personal computer.Comment
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It is two prong with a metal (seems like cast iron) case.Comment
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Check out your local thrift shops. They often have an assortment of cords with older-style ends. Or even vintage devices with the original cord that you need, for less than the cost of a new cord (assuming they still make it).Comment
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Also check Ebay. Here is a picture of one that sold on Ebay last August:
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The problem with those old used cords is you don't always know the specs. Better safe than sorry. Buy a new heavy duty one that can handle the volts/watts/amps, preferably one that exceeds it.Comment
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What was the outcome? Since I've seen the OP make additional posts recently, I assume he didn't try the "silly putty" solution, thankfully!
Not a good idea to use silly putty to connect wires carrying mains voltage!!!
I didn't even know that "silly putty" was still a "thing."
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