The MK Safety plug

[anonymous-user]

Morningside said:

Is that cable/cord/wire/lead (depending on your decade) mechanically secure?

added: I can remember putting on plugs to a couple of boxes full of computer power cables way back in 1982 on a YTS scheme.

Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 1st December 15:52

Thank you for the concern and the observation of the picture.
Yes the wires go through a strong cord grip. I must confess that the pins are not sleeved so care is taken when inserting and more importantly withdrawing the plug.
It just gives me a smile when I take these out of the box each year.

[anonymous-user]

Morningside said:

Thanks, it wasn't a complaint or attack it's just over the years I've seen some shocking (no pun intended) wiring. Worse one being an electric light in someones shed supplied by bell wire and coax joined by twisting the wires and Sellotaped!

Never thought anything of it for a moment.
Though the wires do look like they shouldn’t go directly into a plug don’t they its like they are missing the outer sheaf. Funnily enough I have seen several plugs wired up with the brown and white going into the plug and the white sheathing terminating a few inches below

When I was 11 going into 12 I remember one Xmas one set of lights going off on the tree. I was interested in electrics at an earlier age and thought I can fix this.
These were the older sets that when a bulb went they all went off No safety white bulbs back in that time

Anyways I unscrewed and each bulb and looked closely at the elements all seemed fine (It was only a set of 12) I then put the bulbs back and pressed at the wire entry on each one and found the culprit.
I know I pulled the plug at that point as I had to unscrew the front part of the outer coloured shell.
My idea was that the wires must be loose at the bulb holder and so when soldered back would be fine. Sure enough one wire was loose. I don’t know why exactly but I plugged them back in to double check and sure enough just putting the wire to the holder they came back to life. I knew the wire needed stripping back slightly and ended up using scissors – metal handed scissors.

The shock was very noticeable but not overpowering. Just very unpleasant. When I unplugged the set again. I was more careful, stripped the wire back slightly soldered it to the bulb holder screwed the front and back of the holder together screwed in bulb and they worked, I was quite pleased with myself. Remember it very well
Funnily enough remember that on the TV there was an Xmas episode of Upstairs Downstairs that I always remember parts of.

I have seen some badly wired sockets in my time too. It’s also quite interesting how many people think extending a cable that runs under the carpet is ok and just use insulation type tape for the join.

[anonymous-user]

AlexC1981 said:

OP, I was just putting away some 80s computers I had out and I thought you might appreciate a group shot.

An excentlly excellent selection there if I may say so. I also have some of the type on the far right.of your picture.
Thank you for sharing

[anonymous-user]

dhutch said:

Excellent.

My parents still have similar period and likely brand miniature tree lights, used annually on the tree, but as they away where; turned off unless someone is in the room with them. These days we also often put an LED set on as well, which giving out less heat is likely safer to leave on unattended.

As a child I also grew up with a set of Pifco coloured outdoor lights, substantially made rubber cabled set using the 'olive' shape miniature candle MES bulbs which would have been new at around my birth, and that through my teens become increasingly unreliable as the rubber seals perished and the internals corroded. These were replaced with a new direct replacement set but the quality was awful and the only did a few seasons. They are not on the generic 'indoor outdoor' LED string lights which a cheap and chips but only last a few years, give a very different look and feel, and tend to flash/chase unless you ask them very nicely indeed to not do that! The only other option appears to the much larger industrial type festoon lights with either golf ball or gls bulbs.

To me these 'vintage' sets are still what tree lights should look like, a lovely warm light, delicate in size, but also well spaced so when wrap they appear as individual lights rather than a string of lights.

In 2006 a friend of ours bought several sets of lights from Wilko's (Wilkinsons). There were 3 sets one plain and 2 coloured to go on his outside tree. Amsusingly when I popped round I found him busy unscrewing and screwing in bulbs.
Turned out his wife didn't like the colour mix as seen from the roadside and his job was to make sure that an even almost symmetrical pattern was in view

The quality of the bulbs so good that I bought t some myself . Whats great is that they have a thin jack style connection that can go through a wall easily enough. So we have some rigid plastic tubes that fit through holes drilled in the wall.
Throughout the year they are fitted with a bung type plug but at Xmas the lights are taken outside and draped round the tree in the lawn then the plugs fed through into the transformers and the lights are in full swing

[anonymous-user]

Gents.
I have just come across a website that is like all my yesterdays

https://www.flameport.com/electric_museum/plugs_13...

Scroll down the plugs listed in the left margin and lose yourself in the nostalgia

[anonymous-user]

I do indeed remember that type of plug.

Funnily enough I also have some of the MK safety plugs with the retailers name on them. 2 of the Granada symbol

[anonymous-user]

I thought the twisting of the internal wires was quite novel on this little beauty I took apart yesterday