Where to find 10 and 15amp leads <5m

[Waldo]

G'day,

Does anyone know where i can find 10 and 15amp leads shorter than 5m? Ideally I'm looking for 3m - 1m lengths, coded yellow or above.

Thanks for your help in advance. :D

[ozwinner]

Make your own.

Go to Bunnies, get the heavy duty lead and the ends, and Bobs ya Uncle.

Al :)

[Wood Borer]

Making your own would be easy but not legal unless you were qualified.

It would be legal to get someone qualified to make them.

[Waldo]

G'day Ozwinner,

And like WoodBorer says and I'd say, I'd end up frying myself and the machinery. Don't know didly about sparky stuff so I keep away from it.

Other things I don't know about I try to learn - but at least if I'm careful they won't kill me. :D I intend to keep all my extrematies.

[ozwinner]

Making your own would be easy but not legal unless you were qualified.

It would be legal to get someone qualified to make them.

I worked at a place in a previous life that made wool presses.
Being the handy sort of chap that I am, they set me to work making 240 and 480 Volt extension leads for aaaalllllllll their presses.
I often wonder where they ended up at, I can just imagine some poor farmer some where, plugging in "Al the Brickies lead".
They must of worked as I made them for about 3 years on and off, I must have made 1000's....

Bzzzt..................Bzzzzttttttt

Al :D

[Sturdee]

It would be legal to get someone qualified to make them.

Making extension cords is the first subject you qualify in at the DIY/home handyman school. :D I passed that subject back in 1959 so am well qualified. :D

Peter.

[ozwinner]

Nothing has changed since 1959, a watt is still a watt.


Al :D

[outback]

Nothing has changed since 1959, a watt is still a watt.


Al :D

Whatwatt?

Whatwoolpresses?

[Barry_White]

I know that some are cautious about making leads but it certainly isn't rocket science.

Plugs and sockets are marked with.

A = Active Red or Brown wire

N = Neutral Black or Blue wire

E = Earth Green or Yellow & Green striped wire

Made up leads should use transparent plugs and sockets.

The following flexible cords have the following specs.

10amp uses 32/0.20 = No. of Strands/mm dia. Each Conductor Area = 1.0mm²

15amp uses 30/0.25 = No. of Strands/mm dia. Each Conductor Area = 1.5mm²

[ozwinner]

Whatwoolpresses?

Lyco, Sunbeam, Stevlyon.......
Whhmaahahahahah....

Al :D

[Waldo]

G'day Barry White,

Thanks for the info.

Your reply gives me a bit of confiedence to look into this further and jump in.

Maybe a stupid question, but better to ask than not, are the plugs different from those used in a 10amp lead for light use different to ones for industrial?

Next step is to find the plugs.

[ozwinner]

The only diff in plugs is the bigger earth pin on the 15 amp plugs.


Al :)

[Barry_White]

G'day Barry White,

Thanks for the info.

Your reply gives me a bit of confiedence to look into this further and jump in.

Maybe a stupid question, but better to ask than not, are the plugs different from those used in a 10amp lead for light use different to ones for industrial?

Next step is to find the plugs.

Waldo

As Al says the 15amp plugs and sockets have a bigger earth pin. If you can't get 15amp plugs and sockets from Bunnings go to an Electrical Wholesalers like Lawrence and Hansen, Auslec or Cetnaj. You will probably get them cheaper anyway. Just remember to get clear or transparent ones.

Also remember the flexible lead sizes are different.

[Waldo]

G'day Guys,

Thanks, well aware of lead differences, just didn't know about the plugs.

Know about the difference from a 10amp plug to a 15. If I didn't I would've most likely fried some good machinery by now. Guy who owned the place before we bought it, did up hotrods and decked the shed out with all the right electrical wiring and gear.

Just need to get a double p/point hooked up about 3 to 4" above my bench to plug p/tools in. But that one's for a proper sparky - ain't going no where near that one!

I'll scout around some places. Annoying that you can't get small leads, but with you help I'm on the way.

[echnidna]

Try a caravan accessories retailer as all vans are fitted with 15 amp connections.
Maybe even supercheap autos.

[lesmeyer]

G'day guys.
I may have mentioned before, that as some aother member have said above. The diffs between the 10A and 15A plus is only the earth pin. The other pins can carry the same current - regardless. Do however ensure that the wiring is capable of the heavier current.
In my case I had a sparky wire my shed and some other plugs to a 20A circuit with 20 A wiring. However, the plug outlets are 10A as most tools use this plug configuration. Only my jointer and thicknesser (both 3HP) require 15A plugs and i need a lead to feed them. Got a 15A caravan lead from Bunnies and some heavy duty 10A plugs from Lawrence & Hansen - as Bazza said. With decent wiring and good leads, It is OK to use 10A plugs.
No worries. (Can you hear Sir Les??)
Les

[silentC]

I replaced the original lead on my TSC-10HB with a new longer one. There's a chart in the manual that tells you what size cable you need to use for different lengths. I bought a 10 metre 15 amp lead and cut it to the length I wanted. I put a new male plug on the end of the remaining bit and now I have a shortish 15 amp lead as well. Cheaper than buying the flex and making one up.

[Wood Borer]

Although I am not a qualified sparky, I do have a background in electronics in design and construction of circuits.

Domestic power distribution is relatively simple and wiring of power points and extension leads is straight forward. I have wired a few extension leads and GPO's however in the eyes of the law what I have done is not legal.

If a disaster occurred and it was discovered that some work had been done by an unlicenced person then I would be in deep trouble. :( The fact that my work met or exceeded the standards does not count. The insurance companies don't like paying up and any excuse will satisfy them.

Do I think this is sensible? - No

Do I think these regulations are for boring inspectors to flex their authority and serve very little other purpose - Yes

Obviously if the work is sub standard and dangerous then the person who performed that work is responsible and should be punished accordingly.

If Waldo would like to bring his electrical bits and pieces over on Sunday then .... well perhaps his problem can easily be solved.

Testing can take place in the heated sauna (bar stools holding Al's bathtub over Cliff's burning firewood). The earth from Al's extension cord will be connected to the bath with Al in the bath. :eek:

[Waldo]

G'day Wood Borer,

Poor Al, everyone is out to get the guy! I can't be nasty to a guy I don't have the pleasure of knowing - if I did would I have the pleasure in testing such Frankenstein experiments? :eek:

Sadly, as in my PM, the other half has reminded me of other committments (sp?) on Sunday. :( Hopefully there'll be another Sunday.

[Clinton1]

Waldo,

You originally asked where you can get short (under 5 m) 10 and 15 Amp leads?
Dick Smith sells short 1 - 3 meter extention leads for 10 Amp. These are for home use, i.e. computer or stereo lead to wall outlet. They are usually under $10. Also check out Safeway/Woolies/Kmart/Target. Colour is usually white.

Can't help with 15 Amp leads.
Maybe just buy some house wiring cable, cut out 3 lenghts, bare the ends and stuff the bare ends into the power points, hold in place with nails jammed in. Use bull dog type clips to clamp onto the other ends on to the power cable?:D :eek: Jokes, jokes. Bzzzt, dead.

[Waldo]

G'day Clinton1,

If no-one hears from me again then you'll know that I followed your advice and fried myslef in the process. :D

[Stuart]

Had a quick look at all the above posts but didn't notice it mentioned. Get a plug tester while you are there - you plug it in, and depending on what lights glow, you know if it has been wired correctly, or if not, what is wrong. Good backup for those less than confident in their wiring skills.

Bunnies sell them - can't remember how much, but somewhere around $10.

[Waldo]

G'day Stuart Lees,

Great idea! Better that than frying the wiring on other things.