EP 46 - The Elusive Rayon-Sheathed Cord
Channel: Dielectric Videos
Date: 2017-10-20

Here's a brief look at one of history's most unique types of cord: the rayon-sheathed cotton-insulated power cord. These cords were predominantly used for light-duty appliances in the 1920s-1940s. Due to their tendency to fall apart, relatively few of these cords are still found in the wild. Their rarity makes them quite desirable, and it's especially fun when they are still in working condition.

This particular cord powers my isolated lab bench and serves as a ground lift. Despite its age of over 80 years, it's still serviceable and I regularly use it to drive loads up to 20 amps at 120V AC. This particular cord came out of a 1935-vintage vacuum tube radio.