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Other Vintage Household Electrical or Electromechanical Items For discussions about other vintage (over 25 years old) electrical and electromechanical household items. See the sticky thread for details.

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Old 6th Sep 2012, 11:12 pm   #41
unabridged
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Default Re: More old plugs!

I was given something with one of those switched bakelite MK's in brown. It was very cracked and I nearly shed a tear when the poor thing fell into pieces as I gently removed it from its perished and rock solid rubber cable.
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Old 17th Sep 2012, 5:34 pm   #42
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Default Re: More old plugs!

I wonder if someone might be able to help me identify a plug from the following description. The part that I need, is a two pin female ie a pair of sockets in a plastic/bakelite body that will be on the end of a lead. I believe they might have been used in early mains voltage electric smoothing irons. The pins they will mate with are 1/4 inch diameter and spaced by 3/4 inch centre to centre. I will be happy to provide more info if necessary.
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Old 18th Sep 2012, 9:04 am   #43
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Default Re: More old plugs!

Hello J,
Sounds like the 10 amp connector used on many appliances and just pre war Ekco radios including the television range to 1948.
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Old 18th Sep 2012, 9:49 am   #44
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Default Re: More old plugs!

Hi Jaded,

if Unabridged is correct, there is a good chance you will find such items at a car boot sale in a less well off location, such as Brick Lane, Battersea or Wimbledon.

I note your location, but have given London locations as examples as these are ones I know.

Possibly more detail and photos of the socket/appliance would help.
e.g Similar plugs were used on kettles, some with an earthing contact strip on the outside.

Please advise back on progress.

Good Luck - Mike
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Old 18th Sep 2012, 3:32 pm   #45
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Default Re: More old plugs!

Hi Folks. Thanks for suggestions. The socket is on the side of an 'old faithful'. A Bendix BC 221-M which has a mains power supply fitted. I had a recent need and was dismayed to be unable use it because I've mislaid the mains cable. (Old age!). I've never attached 'photos before, so fingers crossed.
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Old 30th Sep 2012, 3:33 pm   #46
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Default Re: More old plugs!

Typical - you can never find these things when you need them! Afraid I have no ideas on that one.

On another note, thought I would share this- I picked this up for £3 attached to a basically unused 12v 2.5a mains transformer.

Only we British could come up with such a complicated way of doing a simple task such as shielding mains pins: It is a standard MK ivory bakelite plug, but fractionally deeper. The round pieces of plastic surrounding the pins are on springs, and they sink into the housing of the plug when they come against a surface such as that of a socket.

Ten out of ten to them for effort however; I don't believe shielded plugs became compulsory until a bit later, and it would seem unshielded plugs were still being mass produced into the 70's. This MK one however is obviously a very early attempt at it: inside the terminals are denoted "Green, Red and Black" which suggests this dates from pre-1969. I did see an advert for this at some point and 1963 rings a bell to me. Never seen one in the flesh however.

So there you go, thought that may interest some of you.
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Old 30th Sep 2012, 7:22 pm   #47
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Default Re: More old plugs!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nickthedentist View Post
As a continuation of this. After the Sanders operation moved to Hungerford (local to me here), it was merged with the Ottermill brand of Westinghouse. Apparently some of the workers moved down there because they thought their jobs would be safe. However, after only a few years all Westinghouse production on the site was shifted to Ireland. It's not stated whether any of the staff made that jump.

Some free marketeers have us believe that ultimate ownership of companies is irrelevant, but my own observations over several decades leads me to believe that once indigenous control of a company is lost, it is often only a matter of time until the jobs depart these shores as well

http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac....ufacturers.htm
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Old 1st Oct 2012, 4:39 pm   #48
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Default Re: More old plugs!

Quote:
Originally Posted by unabridged View Post
Ten out of ten to them for effort however
Ingenious! I would imagine that these cost quite a bit more than standard MK plugs. I wonder if anyone on here has any advertising blurb?
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Old 1st Oct 2012, 7:13 pm   #49
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Default Re: More old plugs!

I've never seen one of those MKs in the flesh, just on advertising material.

Perhaps the idea was to protect the pins without thinning them, although the slight narrowing of the pins in the ubiquitous modern version is surely not the weakest/hottest point; I think that must be the fuse, its holder and the rivetted joint between it and the L screw terminal.
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Old 1st Oct 2012, 9:07 pm   #50
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Default Re: More old plugs!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nickthedentist View Post
I think that must be the fuse, its holder and the rivetted joint between it and the L screw terminal.
I often look at those WG/Volex ones where the live pin splits and curves up to form a fuse holder with about a 2mm gap between each side and wonder if that must generate any heat....if anyone out there knows what I'm talking about

I bought this power supply off an older chap at a car boot who did house clearances (probably about 60) - (I'm 22) - he actually asked me what "those things on the plug are" before I walked off. The fact that I'd worked it out just by looking and experimenting with the thing for about 30 seconds made me feel rather smug
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Old 1st Oct 2012, 10:00 pm   #51
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Default Re: More old plugs!

That type of fuse holder grips the fuse very hard, a high resistance connection here is unlikely.

Even with the pins thinned for the insulation they will still be far thicker than the flex connected to the plugs.

That MK plug is fantastic, must have been fairly expensive to produce compared to a standard plug. MK seemed to try all sorts of different safety features early on. I came across an old brown MK 13A single socket the other day, when the switch was on it gripped the earth pin preventing removal of the plug. It was the only socket in the kitchen!
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Old 1st Oct 2012, 10:02 pm   #52
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Default Re: More old plugs!

The brass is a lot thicker than the copper in the cable and certainly thicker than the little clips that most other plugs have on them.
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Old 1st Oct 2012, 10:09 pm   #53
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Default Re: More old plugs!

Quote:
Originally Posted by matthewhouse View Post
That type of fuse holder grips the fuse very hard, a high resistance connection here is unlikely. !
That is true they do grip very hard - fortunate as I come across many of them in my day job!

Its a fantastic bit of kit that Mk plug. It looks completly mint too. The cord grip has hardly been done up so it is unbent, the screw heads are completly un-scratched/rounded off on both grip screws, terminal screws and lid screw.

And most fantsastically, the little nodule at the top of the plug above the earth pin isnt chipped off as it usually is on these! Proper proud of that purchase - but bet loads of people just see them as old rubbish and bin them.
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Old 14th Nov 2012, 5:13 pm   #54
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Default Re: More old plugs!

Here is some more plugs to look at.
I would like to see if anyone has found another white version of the big square rubber topped MKs.
It looks to me like there is two types.
The left one has a slightly thicker rubber top and more so at the flex entry side.
The other two appear to me a bit more vinyl(ish) than rubber.
The middle part looks the same on all of them.

I have also found another that has not been seen in this thread yet.
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Old 14th Nov 2012, 9:06 pm   #55
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Smile Re: More old plugs!

Hi,
I don't think they made a white version of the rubber one (I'm willing to be corrected, though). I have, however, got a red version of the PVC type. Also in my junk box there are some MK 5amp round pin plugs, both black rubber & PVC.
The small Belling & Lee plug & socket was often used as a mains input connector for equipment. It was available in a couple of different sizes and various pin configurations. Both parts had shielded metal parts so they could be used as inputs or outputs.
Cheers, Pete
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Old 14th Nov 2012, 9:43 pm   #56
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Default Re: More old plugs!

I have a feeling now that at some time years ago i did also see a red square MK plug like my white one.
I just put the belling on because we have not seen one on this thread yet.
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Old 14th Nov 2012, 10:02 pm   #57
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Default Re: More old plugs!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Refugee View Post
I would like to see if anyone has found another white version of the big square rubber topped MKs.
Cherish that- it looks like no-one has chopped the cover after cursing the fact they'd left it off!
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Old 15th Nov 2012, 3:02 am   #58
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Default Re: More old plugs!

It is the only one out of the three that is "uncut" as they say.
It is in use on equipment that will be fine with a smaller cable.
It might get changed over to another job with the cable still attached as i tend to save cables with the plugs still attached from modern stuff.
I still have a few left from the good old days too
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Old 15th Nov 2012, 3:42 am   #59
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Default Re: More old plugs!

Plugs and Eras. (1960s onwards) Anyone have strong preferences for attempting to fit a plug that seems right for the time and product (more difficult to do with more recent molded plugs). I do need to change the plastic plug on the extension lead in the garage for a rubber Duraplug, preferably white cover so I can see it.

I like white MK plastic on grey cables for mono deck tape recorders, brown plugs on Hoover vacuum cleaners. Christmas lights with white plastic plugs and what looks above like a white Volex to go on some nice blue ridged cable for a DuoMatic washing machine would look really nice. I suppose it's what one has grown up with.
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Old 15th Nov 2012, 12:46 pm   #60
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Default Re: More old plugs!

Hi.

I have just rescued the white MK plug and attached it to my old Sharp 'linytron' Telly.

I have made the schoolboy error though....

I'l get me coat.


Jan
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