ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Violation Photo Forum Overheated extension socket (UK)

Fibreboard composition, [or 'compo' as it was known], is a pressed resin/woodfibre material of immense strength when dry. It far outperforms crummy plastic grips- just try breaking a piece with your fingers!
It was much used in the pre-plastic era for electrical insulation in transformers, switchgear and motors.
One modern use is for seals in domestic water connections here in France, because it swells when wetted, effecting a reliable joint.
Historical note: The British Army issued our squaddies with 'compo' ID dog-tags during WW2 for economy. The poor blighters who fell on the Normandy beaches became unidentifiable when the tags disintegrated in the seawater.

Alan

That's the impression I was under as well, but I'm really not sure about the contacts on that socket being able to take that current continuously. There were no clues as to the manufacturer or country of origin on this socket.


It wasn't cracked -- Must have been a hair.


As I said, my guess would be that this socket started out life on an extension cord sold for garden tools. It would probably have had orange flex, and most likely an orange plug too, fitted with a 3A fuse. You can still buy extension cords using 0.75 sq. mm flex fused at 3 or 5A.

The plug I found on the other end of this extension was just a generic white type, fused at 13A.


Yep, the old fiber cord grips are actually much stronger than they look. The usual failure is where someone has been a little over-enthusiastic about tightening them and stripped out the threads.


I've read that in the U.S. a couple of states issued fiber license plates for cars during WWII as well to save metal. Apparently people in one area had problems with wild goats deciding that these made a tasty snack!

"No license plate officer? Gee, a wild animal must have eaten it!"