[BenWA]

I now have the sneaking suspiscion that in the half-done restoration job, someone replaced the power cord with a new cloth covered cord already. I was amazed at how good condition it is... no frays at all, etc.

I came across Sundial wire's website selling cloth cord kits. They ALSO sell these kinds of "Acorn" (brand) plugs which is identical to what mine has:
http://www.sundialwire.com/PN2RECTBN.aspx

No wonder the cord and Acorn plug end is in such good shape.. they are modern made.

How to my question, how safe are those kinds of plugs? They have nothing more than a small piece of cardboard covering the wire and screws inside:
[Image: http://www.sundialwire.com/images/produc..._thumb.jpg]

[PAradiogeek]

It says it is UL recognized. Sounds to me like they would be fine, unless they are lying about that fact. I have no direct experience with that product, so I can't say for sure, but it seems fine.

[mikethedruid]

That type of plug was used for years. It is perfectly safe if it is wired correctly. Be sure to use an underwriter's knot on the 2 internal wires to act as a strain relief. Make sure the conductors in each wire are well twisted together, and go under the screw in such a direction that they tighten under the screw as it is tightened, rather than get pushed backward. After wiring the plug, then put the fiber cover over it to cover the screws and wiring inside.

[morzh]

The plug would be fine even without UL recognition, it is not used in havy duty apps.

However, this cardboard piece first does notvwant to go on the pong, and then tries to slip off.
I am not sure it is even needed (old plugs do not have it) but they could've made it behave better.

[mikethedruid]

I worked for Leviton Corporation for a number of years in their Q.C. lab as a tech. Leviton was a manufacturer of this type of replacement plug. This sort of plug came with the fiber piece to go over the exposed wiring. The slots in the fiber piece should just slide over the plug prongs, and stay in place by friction. If the piece has been removed and replaced several times, the slots can become too large. It is not absolutely necessary, but is there for safety.