Wards Riverside repair

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: Wards Riverside repair
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Monday, November 17, 2014 - 03:08 pm:


Not what you thought, is it? The brand was on lots of stuff. The choice here was whether to buy a new power cord with a plug at one end, or an extension cord with a plug at one end and outlets at the other end and cut off the outlets. The extension cord was about half the price of the power cord. There you see the effect of sales volume on price. The Extension cord is metaphorically a Ford and the power cord is a Packard. OK, it's not a perfect analogy, but you get the idea. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Strange on Monday, November 17, 2014 - 03:25 pm:

Steve, I'm amazed you didn't have another power cord in a box of "stuff" accumulated over the years.

Maybe it's a sickness, but whenever I decide to throw away a broken electrical appliance, I cut off the power cord, coil it up, and put it in my "stuff" box. If you're ever out my way, I'll give you a few. :-)

I also go over the device carefully to see if there are any interesting nuts, bolts, clips, or other things to scavenge off before I throw the stripped carcass away. Things like crashed computer hard drives get cut open to give up their rare earth magnets.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Monday, November 17, 2014 - 03:58 pm:

I probably do have other cords. That doesn't mean I can find them. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR on Monday, November 17, 2014 - 05:24 pm:

"...whenever I decide to throw away a broken electrical appliance..."

I don't think Steve ever throws anything away. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Eric Sole - Castelldefels (Spain) on Monday, November 17, 2014 - 05:46 pm:

Mark, I'm with you. I "part out" any appliances that are slated for recycling. There is some pretty cool hardware inside some of them.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ted Dumas on Monday, November 17, 2014 - 06:12 pm:

Our 1949 Frigidaire has a beautiful orange power cord from Dollar General. Problem solved quickly,locally and economically.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Seth - Ohio on Monday, November 17, 2014 - 07:23 pm:

Steve, Nice save. I did an old Sears a while back. The only thing I did different then the one in your photo was that I removed the electrical tape and replaced it with black shrink tubing. It's amazing what has the Montgomery Ward logo on it. I live in an old home and the bathroom medicine cabinet is from Montgomery Wards. It has a rounded metal cabinet with a mirror on it and the Montgomery Ward logo inside the door.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Monday, November 17, 2014 - 08:11 pm:

In the early days, Montgomery Wards had some good quality tools. I bought my first tool box (10-drawer topper) from MW in 1968. I still have it and use it every day. Its outlasted all the Craftsman toppers I bought since. The Sears drawer slides just didn't hold up. I still use those too but mostly for specialty tools.

I still have many Power Craft wrenches from around the same time. My favorite is my original 1/2" breaker bar. The Crapsman breaker bars don't stand a lick to it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Pat Clark on Monday, November 17, 2014 - 08:33 pm:

That picture reminds me, I need to fix my charger. I was using it for electrolysis to remove rust on my T parts, out in the shop when it was raining out. A big clap of lightning made me jump, and killed my charger. now I turn it on it goes Aurrrr-pop an shots off. Darn, I really liked that charger to!

My Mom worked at Wards for 15-20 years, at the St. Paul, Mn store, till they closed it. we all bought a crap load of their stuff, they sold it, we owned it! camping trailer, tires, tools, pool table, you name. Always went into their overstock/discontinued room, and got stuff real cheap.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred McDonald on Monday, November 17, 2014 - 10:29 pm:

Speaking of tools, I have the first set of tools I ever purchased in 1961 at Sears. It came with 1/8", 1/4" and 1/2" sockets and a full set of open end wrenches, screwdrivers and allen wrenches. Also a feeler gauge and spark plug socket. Still have all of them and the box being in good condition, I recently repainted it. I still remember the price because to me then it was a lot of money: $39.95I Anyway I wonder how many of you still have the first tools you ever bought


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Monday, November 17, 2014 - 10:50 pm:

I still have most of the Snapon 3/8" tools I bought when I was 19; 55 years ago.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Dewey, N. California on Monday, November 17, 2014 - 11:08 pm:

I bought a Craftsman tool box set for Father's Day back in 1975 and still have it! It's been through many restorations since then. I forget the price, but it was the Father's Day special at the Eureka, CA Sears Store (I was going to Humboldt State back then. Drove my '39 Ch####t town sedan down to the store & bought it! Sorta wish I still had that car, sold it two years later because my new wife couldn't see over the hood--still have the wife though. . .


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Tuesday, November 18, 2014 - 03:23 am:

I have a good size box full of power cords that I have saved from things being junked or thrown out. One of my battery chargers got the cord from a vacuum cleaner. It is long enough to at least sometimes reach the car from a wall-plug.
One word of caution. Anyone changing cords needs to be aware of the significance of cord polarization. If an electrical device (even just a lamp) is originally wired so that it matters, it must be rewired correctly. Most, not all, replacement cords sold new today are polarized. Some, not even most, devices require proper polarization. Many, many many many, devices sold new today with polarized plugs on them do not require them. Almost NOBODY tells you which devices require polarization or not.
So, how are you supposed to know? If the original cord on a device is not polarized, you are probably safe with any good cord so long as it can handle the amperage needed. If the original cord on a device has a polarized plug? It should be carefully replaced to match the original polarity. If the original plug is missing? You have a problem. SOMETIMES you can follow the white versus black or red color wire coding inside a cord. But not all cords, old or new, followed that rule.
Another caution. All three-prong grounded plug cords are polarized. Most grounded devices manufactured in the past 40 years must be wired in the proper polarity to be reasonably safe. This is because the ground and the power neutral are bonded together inside. Grounded devices more than 40 years old may or may not require proper polarization. Older devices also may not have been wired to modern specifications and may or may not be really very safe in today's world.
("One word"? Me? Yeah, right)
Drive and wire safely, and enjoy, W2


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