Tools and materials
The right length of cable, a mail plug and a female terminal, screwdriver and cutter or wire-stripper.

 

The kind of cable
- Before fashioning an extension cord, know what you are going to use it for.
- Factors that are important are the number of cables (two or three), if they are grounded, the thickness of the cross-section and what devices or machines are going to be connected to them.
- Remember that for certain kinds of tools or domestic appliances like ovens washing machines or dish washers, the cable needs to be of a special kind, as do the plug and terminal.

 

Cutting the cable
- Buy or cut the length of cable you need. We always recommend you ground the extension cord.
- Choose the kind of cable and its insulation. The most common is plastic.
- You might want to make a decorative cord that goes with another kind of cable, such as one that is braided.

 

The plug
- Take one end of the cable and strip away aproximately one cm of the protective layer. You will then see three conductive wires, each covered in a different color: phase (red, black or gray), neutral (blue), and ground (green or yellow). Peel these three wires to the same length. If the cables are made up of many small wires, twist them to strengthen them and bend the tip to stick them into the terminals.
- Disassemble the two parts of the plug by unscrewing the screw that joins them. Make sure you don't lose the small nut that comes with it.
- Loosen the screws of the two terminals in the plug. Stick in the phase wire and the neutral one. Screw in tight and tug to see if the wire is holding fast.
- Make sure there are no loose wires or visible ones that can touch others or be touched accidentally.
- Unscrew the third screw, normally in the middle, which holds the ground wire. Tighten.
- Put the two pieces of the outer packaging back together and put the screw back in.

 

The terminal
- The female part of the cord is connected in the same way at the other end of the cable. Strip the three wires and screw them each in tight in the terminals and in the middle screw for the ground.