This guy majored in wrapping extension cords

I was shown this method 30 years ago, and I am still using it. I see a lot of different methods at work with a lot of guys struggling to untangle the cord when stringing it out. Me, I plug it in and go for a walk to where I need the cord taking the 6 foot loop off as I walk. No tangles, no problems, plug in whatever I need.

Thank you! I am 65 and finally have the perfect method to roll up and store my electric cords. Great video. Thank you for being so thorough in your "how to" explanation.

Nice presentation - - - This is what is taught in the Merchant Marine. Clarification: 1. You were holding the main loops in your left hand and winding COUNTER-CLOCKWISE with your left - - which IS the way to coil most extension cords BECAUSE INSIDE THE WIRE THEY ARE LEFT-HAND LAY. 2. If you are winding WELDING CABLE - - you wind it CLOCKWISE, because inside the wires are RIGHT-HAND LAY. - - - - - Winding in the direction of the lay reduces stress and kinking of the wires and EXTENDS LIVE OF THE CORD. Thanks again for a good presentation. Making a chain or wrapping around your arm tends to break (stress) small wires inside. Also works with hoses, MOST of which are right-hand lay.

Beautiful Johnny! EERY rock climber/mountaineer and sailor does it this way. There is a concept called the "lay" of the line which they know about, the odd twists occurring when one doesn't restore the line to its natural lay (especially in stiff, cold, days with electrical wire (the internal wires have a long twist, which creates the lay in extension cords, while the weave of ropes does the same), cause tangling force. By spreading the arms with loose hand, and by quick almost automatic choosing of the natural nontwisted loop to the coil, preserves and restores that natural lay. Sometimes, when rope or xt cords have been used in a fashion that requires a repeat or two of the spread in order to untwist toward the uncoiled end, it is worth repeat to remove the incipient twist. Soon, even cold old lines return to natural ease of manipulation.. So everyone just learned a skill useful for at least three trades, only one of which makes you seasick. Thanks Johnny!

As a +35yr contractor who uses ext cords every day I can appreciate the need to correctly put away your cords. All my guys learn this technique. I have a 40+yr old cord that works and looks fine because I always wrapped it up like this. Great to see I'm not alone, well done

He did the second way all wrong, and it's the best way I've seen so far, not critizing, he saw people doing it wrong. There is a 'farmer Jay' video that does a great job explaining the procedure.

Totally agree, in fact I was taught this method by my dad 50 years ago. I have been in residential construction for over 40 years now and my cords have never shown signs of twisting (unless someone else wrapped them poorly) and yes you can throw them out to a straight line. And yeah, ALWAYS wrap from the female end, for many reasons. lol, I still run cords (on the job site) that my father used. They must be more than 30 years old by now. They were quality cords back then and still to this day.

Hello Johnny, I learned this exact method nearly 30 years ago from a guy named Karl back when I lived in southern New Hampshire. Been doing it this way ever since. It's similar to the way you wrap a climbing rope. Or a lifeline when your on a roof. A tip to tell people when you finish the last loop would be to tell people "put tail to tail, that gives you the wrapping loop". Also you should tell people to start with the female end of the cord, that way when they roll out the next day, they have the plug end to start with. Another thing to tell people would be that if they do it right you should be able to throw it and it will come out straight every time if you train your cord this way. God Bless bro. Jesus loves you man!

I use a technique also, the only thing is there is a stress point where you hang the last loop through on a hook. But other than that I love it.

I also HATE!!!! When people roll up their cords like the second version you showed. I was taught your version and it by far is the best.

every one that came on my job got this lesson on cord winding I have been doing it all my electrical years thanks for putting this out there ......nothing worse than a cord with a bunch of memory knots in them

That's a legitimate method and I'm not saying it's wrong, but I don't like putting my larger 12 Guage (expensive) cords into any kind of small loops if I can help it. I roll em up into clean loops like you did with the loop size depending upon the cord length and then to combat the hanging troubles you mentioned I either use a small length of rope or a bungy rather than the cord itself to secure the loops and hang them up on a hook. Not much difference but my 12 - and 14 gauge cords just don't like the smaller tight turns your method requires. For the lighter duty cords everyone seems to have I like what you showed = thanks for sharing man.

If you're not doing over/under loops, then you're causing the wires to twist inside the outer jacket. In your final "this is the right way" example, you put 16 twists in the cord. When you unroll the cord, you have to undo all those twists to make the cord lay flat. And eventually you're going to end up with the same kinky cord that the elbow wrap causes. Making the large loops causes the inner wires to become twisted less quickly than doing the elbow wrap - but with time, you're still going to end up with a kinky cord that won't lay flat.

Use alternating over and under loops… That is every second loop twist before grabbing with your other hand… This way it will never tangle when unwrapping… You can even hold one end and throw it and it will not tangle.

This just made my day! I just paused the video went out in the garage and rewrapped by two chords. Thx!

for your cute Xmas tree/homeowner little cords that hangs on a hook in your garage and not on a job site truck that's fine, don't try that with my 100' 8g or 10g construction cords.. the chain style you started to show (though improperly) was close, run it in quarter (end to end x 2 = 4 strands in hand making it 25' then chain it, that's proper for real equipment - homeowner/handy husbands...do what you want

You put a twist in with each 6 ft. loop. If you alternate each of those loops with a rotation or your hand as you place that section onto the top of your coil. The balance of your routine , I like. Coiled thousands of long halyards and lines on sailboats.

Finally, finally, finally, I have over 25 years as an educator in the entertainment industry. I have spent hundreds of hours retraining students how to coil cables. I'm retired, but man I wish I'd had this when I was teaching, 'cuz we all know if its on KZfaq then it must be true. I'm sure most of my students thought I just had OCD issues, but there are other reasons to do it this way, beyond what you shared. Most importantly your cables/cords are going to last longer. Wrapping them around your arm actually damages the cord. The next most important, especially for the stage, is that cables will lay flat when properly coiled. If not they will almost always present a trip hazzard. Thanks again Johnny for an excellent video!!!

Yea go Dave Staats. You are so correct. When rolling up a cord of significant length correctly you make the firs loop as most people normally do and as shown by Johnny in the above video. But the second loop you want to turn your wrist to lay the next loop above your wrist and hand, the third loop your wrist and hand ar above the loop as your oppisite hand grasps the loop, and the next is back to your hand and wrist being under the cord as you grasp the loop. This is as Dave calls the under over method. You ask why? With a cord rolled this way, you can grasp the end of the cord you started with being held in your non-dominate hand, and throw the entire looped cord in the direction you wish the other end to be and it will come completely out with no or at least very few snags. I like Dave worked in stage and television production for many years, That was long before wireless mikes and video camera connections. Now finishing up making the hanging loop the way Johnny did it is fine for electrical cord or rope. For electronic mike & camera cable it is better to use a velcro tape fastener going around the plug ends ( which we always plugged into each other first) and if you were worried about inter-looping with other cables, put a second velcro tape fastener on the opposite side of the loop from the connectors. Time is money; and saves frustration trying to un-knot those loops.

This is great. I don't usually hang cords, just put them on shelves or into bags, but I do use the spread arms method, this tying up at the end part is really cool.

I agree with you generally but I use velcro instead of looping the cable around itself. I find that those small tight loops will have a memory and tend to cause the cord to no lay flat, especially after being stored a long time. The other thing is that when you are coiling it up I like to have the cord laid out the full length and straight so that the twists will simply cause the cord to roll over and not cause the twists to become incorporated in the cord. If you coil it up with a birdsnest on the ground the twists cannot unwind. Good video!

i bought a house and never had to deal with any tools and cords before.. and I always had hard time with winding cords and got frustrated cuz they twist so much lol thank you for your video. it is very helpful.

I worked in drywall and this is the way I learned to roll up a cord. Also if you leave it in the sun for a while it gets soft and then you roll it up from one end, but from then on always roll from the same end you rolled from when you let it sit in the sun. You are actually training the cord to roll the same every time. I have seen people try to roll one of my cords from the opposite end it was trained from and it doesn`t work well. I have had cords last for many years from doing this, cuz the other will bind the chords in little places and you get a bunch of small twists that won't come out and it becomes a true mess and unusable in my opinion. Good vid man.

This is a much better idea than some people that I see braiding the cord up just because it looks cool. This way, with the long loops is much easier when working in cold temperatures and I believe increases the life of extension cords.

This is also a good workout for your shoulders, especially with a heavy 100' cord.

Chaining the cord is a good way because it never gets tangled and you don't have to undo the whole cord to use just some of it. Your idea is good for the homeowner with the 16/3 type cords.

Good job, Johnny. I'm a tradesman and hear you on your pet peeves! I usually told my boys I'd roll my cords up, thanks. Unless I had somebody who "got it". I want to add something you were doing but didn't mention, as it is the real key to this method. The half-twist. Every time you do another loop one must also let the cord or rope do a natural half-twist, and if done, a rope, line or cord will play out smoothly. You CAN throw it. Which is why this method is the way the old sailors coiled their lines and sheets to the sails. It's also why that over the elbow is hell on a cord too. The cord is actually three or four different wires ganged together in the exterior sleeve. Wrapping it over the elbow does not allow the cord to rotate naturally as it's being wound, resulting in the internal wires getting twisted together in an unruly mess after a short while of being wound up that way. And yes, screw that daisy-chain mess. Why would I want that thing strewn all over the back of my van!?! It will get snagged on everything around it! It follows the law which is an extension of Murphy's Law I call 'String Theory'- Any string, line, cord, wire, rope, cable or hose that can become snagged on absolutely anything, absolutely will. Corollaries- 1)Unless you want it too. 2)If nothing else is available, it will snag itself on itself, given the slightest chance. BTW, I do something similar, but I liked your wrap at the end. I like the tidy hanging loop better than the way I've been doing it. I'm going to subscribe, Johnny. You seem to know what you're talking about and I'll back ya up when I can. I have been working with my hands and my head for 51 years and at this point I have remember what I know sometimes!!

That's usually the way I do it, but it depends on who your working for. My one boss wanted the done with the loop pulled thru the loop method and then we just thru them in the back of the truck on top of a tarp covering the tools so it would not blow off. I know that you can take chords rolled up in that method and they will kinda coil up and store in a five gallon bucket easily also.

My Dad was a builder and always coiled his extension cords around his arm, then got frustrated because it never uncoiled easily. I coiled it so the cord twisted naturally with no knots. With the male end left over, I doubled it over and wrapped it around to a loop as Johnny just did in the video. Now he could grab the plug and toss the rest of the cord. I was a teenager then ( about 50 years ago ), and still remember my Dad's guffaw of surprise and then showing it to all his buddies. It seemed to me a better way. I still coil them that way.

Always roll up cords starting from the female end...............so that the next day you start with the male end at the power source and you can route your cord to your work area. ALWAYS DRAG THE CORD THROUGH YOUR HAND TO FEEL FOR NICKS OR FRAYS....cord inspection will keep you from OSHA fines. Great video.

Scott, you nailed it!!! I too, am commenting on it? Ive used every rolling method for cords and hoses and they all end up tangled!! ive got to go find something to do! paint drying is always fun!

They also sell rings for extension cord rolls to hang up on walls. Without putting that pull stress on the chord.

GREAT video!. I've bee doing this with twisted line and extension cords for decades. One thing you forgot to mention is that lines and cords have a certain way they want to coil. The easiest way to figure it out is to loosely hold the cord with your hands at least 3 feet apart. Bring your hands together and the cord will tell you which way it wants to go. In this single case, the extension cord is smarter than you are.

Having worked in the hotel convention industry for many years, I prefer the in and out as you roll the cable. Audio, video, data and lighting cable should always be rolled in and out. Never get tangled up and in that business time is everything. Can't be wasting time untangling cable during a event. It has always been good for me. 😎

Here's my tip/trick. I'm in the broadcast business television/corporate and so on. I use my complete and total lack of cable rolling skills to GET OUT OF rolling up cable when we tear down sets. Here's what I have developed. "Hey guys, I'm ready to help roll up cable if anyone needs any help. No thanks, we got it why don't you go ahead and take off.." Works EVERY time.

I used to do tree work before I became a carpenter. That's how we wrapped our ropes. I've wrapped my electric chords like that ever since. It's faster and it keeps your ropes or chords relaxed 🇺🇸

I had an electrician friend who taught me how to wrap it up this exact way. He passed away a few months ago and watching this reminded me so much of him. Ty for the upload my man. 👍

I built an Electric Ottoman. A milk crate bolted a bit of plywood on the bottom and added wheels. Then took a large plastic jug and bolted it to the middle inside. My first cord the male end I pulled through the side of the crate and then coiled the rest of my numerous cords around the jug in the center. The part that I had pulled through now went back in on top. The jug held all my plugs adapters and extension cords. I then built a box to cover the crate and padded and upholstered it. When i need to use the cords I take the lid off the portion I pulled through goes to the plug. The cord coiled inside goes to what ever tool I need. When I am don working put the cords back in crate put the lid on and put my feet up for a good rest.

Johnny-- I use a 100' cord when I do janitorial vacuuming. You wind your cord up about 98% how I do mine. It works., Thanks Donj

I've been teaching that to my helpers for years. Thank you. Also, you may want to do one on rolling up garden hoses. If you lay the hose on the ground or in the bed of your truck in a figure 8, it will not kink, especially when unrolling it. The natural motion of the figure 8 keeps it from kinking. Nothing worse than a kinky hose, Ha. You can then do up the end similar to your drop cord or any way you like.

Just watched today 1/6/20. Thanks for the great information video Johnny! Exactly how I have always done mine(this much easier/better/faster way) @work & home. I have been in construction pretty much my whole life. So you can just imagine what "messes" of cords I've seen with people trying to be cute or just didn't know HOW.👍🏼

nice, I tie my boat lines with the same end result but the way you tied it off at the end is so much more simple.

I roll up the cord the way it was made. Start with plug ends together, then end to end, end to end, in half each time. I like how you wrap it. Nice add.

I do the Over Then Under style...basically a constant in the figure 8 algebraic equation if you will.

Thank you,i waste half my energy fighting with very long extension cords.I shall incorporate this (your) technique into my life.I really appreciate your wisdom brother.

Got out the 100 ft'er and un twisted it first, looped like you did, finished with the around tie, pulled through and end in top loop. Very nice! Thanks Johnny

Done this a thousand times with a little variation but essentially the same result. Please note this doesn't guarantee that your line will not become knotted ( especially on a long ( 75 to 100 ft 6 gauge line ) when unraveling it. Now THAT would be a fantastic video.

Ryan is right... Loop one, then reverse the loop and add it - then repeat . " sound tech's loop" never tangles!

I bought a cordless extension cord by Tesla so I don't have that problem but I will use your technique until I run out of old cords.

wonderful video this also works well on garden hoses in warm weather!!! THANK YOU..

I was raised in the construction business first woorking as a kid for my dad a building contractor. I got to do all the peon work. He did teach me the easist and best way to roll up an extention cord. This way it won't kink up as you are rolling it. First stretch either end out away from you till the cord is stretched out all the way. This method will work on garden hoses also. Pick up either end and start rolling like you did but stand in one spot and pull the cord to you. As the cord is being rolled up, the other end will unwind. This gets the kinks out of the cord as you roll it up. Never roll a cord up walking to the end, pull the cord to you.

One suggestion for your extension cord video-- move the camera much closer to yourself, and fill the frame. Your explanation about wrapping the last loop around the bunch of cord loops will be easier to follow visually.

Thank you have wanted to know this for years .

This technique used to be a huge deal in studio and live audio. When I learned it was called "over & under" at a comfortable arms length but we used zip ties at the end to secure and store. The great thing was that when "loading in" to the studio or venue you could secure one end and throw the entire cable with no tangles whatsoever.

Got a 100 foot FLAT 14-3 cord out of the neighbor's garbage. It was damaged by being run over with a mower. Cut the damaged part off and made a 90-foot extension out of it. I'm still using it 40 years later by using this technique. I even used the short piece and made an 8-footer for use behind the TV. Now that's recycling!!1!

They teach that in lineman school. But we do that with rope not wire. Copper, the more you bend it the more brittle it becomes so don't expect your cords to last as long.

TAH DAH! Now I'm convinced that whenever I'm bored outta my mind I should re-roll my extension cords ... OR vacuum the carpets.

35 yr construction veteran, carpenter......1 rule and the new laborers were only told once.....DO NOT ROLL UP MY CORDS OR TOUCH MY TOOLS until after they've been put in their boxes.....used Yellow Jacket lit end cords, 100% osha compliant and had a cpl that were years old, still original and at over $1 a foot, expensive

Thanks man, I admit I was the guy using the second method you showed, and I did think it was pretty good! Until you showed us this way. I like it a lot. Cheers

The roadies who work for rock groups alternate the direction of the loops, so the cords will unroll easily without twisting.

being in the roady trade we loop 1 in and 1 backwards continue to the end this is done because you can throw it out without tangles cheers

Good man , I’ve been looping up all my cords for over fourth years that way , except in my six foot length I half turn the cord with my fingers to help make that loop , it loops so much easy,re , and it alway stay straight , never coils up , and stays flat on the ground or floor , very important on a job site , you ever trip on someone’s coiled up crap! I have no fun! Thanks for putting this out there! Names. Eugene and I’ve been an electrician with Tesla!

this is the way that i have always done it also, always one direction (clockwise for me) with the loop on the end to hang nicely. Also will throw out nice and evenly. i always lay them out straight on a nice warm day to try to get the memory back from a messed up cord..Thanks!

I've been a tree trimmer for the power company and that's how I wrap my ropes

35 years as a construction electrician. I roll cords up almost identical to your demonstration. Kids at home remember to always unplug the cord from the outlet and start rolling from that end. I have seen guys that don't get bit in very wet weather. Don't trust your life to a GFCI protected receptacle. They can fail like everything else. I've never had a cord damaged from hanging off of a single cord like you show. Just don't hang off of a narrow item like a nail. The wider the better. I roll up the cord completely then randomly drop a loop and finish like you show. That way the cord doesn't always get hung from the same spot. Hope that makes sense.

Thanks... A good way to hang power cords. I always alternate looping over then under to eliminate any tangling... This forms perfect coils with plugs at both top and bottom. Perfect along with your technique.

Thanks Johnny, I'm going to use that method. A word of advice for everyone when rolling up a cord, let the cord take its natural turn to the front or back of the loop when rolling it up. This helps when unraveling the cord, it helps in keeping it from knotting up.

I feel your pain Brother ! Those that don't understand haven't had to replace many cords twisted to the point of being useless or paid hands to untangle the cords they previously "rolled up" day after day after day .........

I wouldn't be happy putting that much stress/weight on the last loop. Too many people forget that you've got to protect the wires inside the insulation from being stretched, pinched, etc.

Very crafty! Thanks for sharing the knowledge!

All encouraging stuff.Thx Johnny.

40 years in the electrical construction industry, any cord you can hand coil you do similar to what he does in his video but you finish with a quick wrap of tape you carry in your pocket. Like he says, you start coiling with the female end so when you flake the cord out you have the female end and the remaining cord at the work area. anything over #8-4, you roll up on a reel. especially the 4/0-4 baloney cord. Any person that can coil up even 50 feet of that is not a person to mess with...

Oh but wait I just noticed a how to on raking leaves! Gotta check that out!

I do exactly what you did..drywalling days to being a welder always have exstention cords..good demo !!!

I like the way you finished your cord. I do it a little different every OTHER arm length I twist it in as I bring it up to the hand holding the looped cord. Then I reach down to the bottom of the loop to start again. It might not look pretty but it will never get tangled.

Now there is someone who knows how to roll a cord. Great video. Around the arm leads to twisted extensions and in the long run, broken insulation.One comment about the finishing touch. It works great with lighter cords but is difficult with 12 and 10 gauge three conductor extension cords. I use straps with Velcro with a hole for hanging them that works well on heavier cords. You can find these at hardware stores.

Yes, yes, yes. I have wrapped my extension cord like this for decades. My husband does the around the arm thing and the cord ends up in a twisted mess. He thinks his way is great. It takes me a good 20 minutes to unwind and straighten out the cord before I can use it for a ten minute job.

Great, thanks Mr. David Wilcox.

I appreciate learning this. Thanks for the lesson (and I appreciate your frustration when things aren't done the right way!)

Great to wrap a rope this way, not good practice with electrical cords, be it extension cords or sound cables. You must use the "over and under" technique to avoid metal fatigue in the wires.

All cable or rope should be coiled over/under. As you coil it will relieve the internal natural twist of the wire and uncoil in a way you wont have to fight with it! Otherwise you need to do that little uncurl action @2:16.... O/U that won't happen!

Video starts at 1:40. Excellent video!!!

Thank you, Brilliant. I have seen many cord disasters.

I've spend endless sleepless nights trying to figure out how to roll up my extension cord now I can sleep peacefully.

Dude, the end part is SO bad for your cord! You're using a rope coiling technique on a cord, very bad Juju. I coil my extension cords with the same 6' wingspan loops but over and under coils so it doesn't twist, then plug the ends together and use a velcro strap around the cord to keep it all together. When I'm loading/unloading tools I just put the entire coiled cord over my head and under my arm like a sash and I've still got both arms free to carry whatever else I need. The same technique can be used on tool cords as well...smaller over and under coils and the same velcro straps which come on rolls and are very inexpensive.

Good method!! Sound method too. I just watched another guy who did a recent video using that twisty loopy method-not practical in long run. I like your way of making a loop to hang the cords.

I'm a sailor. Often, I need a very long line to be thrown (or at least stored safely) without tangling. My son-in-law has a 100 foot extension that I figure-8 around my elbow, flip the last wrap around the crossings then loop up through the top loops. When thrown (or dropped to the ground and dragged out for lawn mowing) there is no tangles. It also stores with one loop. For quick release, I tie a slipped clove hitch with the end. Pull the slip, uncoil the wraps, secure one end, and toss. No tangles.

Learn the ABC cable roll. It alternates the direction of each loop. No twisting of the cable/wire.

YOUR DA... t been doing the arm shoulder thing for years... got me subscribed...

AMEN BROTHER! FINALLY, someone who knows how to roll up a cord!!!!! I've seen the other videos on the "chain method" that's a shitty way.(worked on a crew that did that in my younger years...UGHH). Winding it around your forearm turns a 100 ft. cord into a basketball... sucks too; good luck trying to unwind that in cold weather. People don't understand it when I tell them NOT to roll up the cords and just let me do it...rather than go into a story about the pros and cons of cord storage with someone who ultimately doesn't give a #@%& about my extension cords is pointless. Winding a cord up like a climbing rope is the BEST method. I've been winding cords up as part of my profession for 35 years now... THANKS for the video!!

I have been doing that for years........all except the last bit. I do something different. But!!! well done as lots of tradespeople have disasterous piles of extension cords.

Absolutely WRONG! You're still going to wind up with a tangled mess most of the time and wind up breaking the inner wires eventually. You're killing your cord slowly. Also, "Training" a cord is for ropes, not for electrical cables. Extension cords, audio cables, coax cables, ethernet cables, and all such cables MUST be wound straight on to a spool or, if done by hand, with the over/under technique if you want to be using them for a long time. Any twist you impart to the inner conductors with this kind can change the impedance of cables like coax, break the inner conductors of other types, and affect the performance of your gear.

I wouldn't call his method terrible, but it is far from the best. My preferred method is to wind from the middle. This leaves the ends readily available. That way, if I do not need the whole cord I can unwind only as much as I need.

Johnny..thats how we coil a line on a sailboat (Halyards and Sheets)...great vid.

When you transfer the cable to the left hand, rotate your right hand so that the back of your hand meets the front of your left hand. It makes a funky looking coil but if you throw the cable on the ground and walk away with an end it doesn't twist or tangle. The wires inside don't twist either. This works extremely well for air hoses as well. I'm not crazy about the way you wrap it at the end but at least it is hung up.

Thanks for your video. If my storage building was the size of a huge warehouse, your technique, might work for me. But since my storage shed is very small, the simple roll-up on my elbow, uses less storage space. I might be able to store 3 cords, to your 1 cord.

I've always braid my cords I double them up if you know how to do it right first when you call the cord it gets twisted inside not good

LOVE THIS TECHNIQUE!!! ALSO, using the old arm method makes it HEAVY!!!!!

Almost perfect. If you'll use the over/under right hand method that people (we) do in the music industry for xlr cables you can literally throw 100 feet of cord and it (almost) never tangles.