Sanding a few nights ago with my Bosch RA sander and it cuts out (no power) a couple of times (I thought it might be the cord) and then it finally quit. Dead. Darn it all because I really wanted to get something done.

So, play with the cord a little to no avail and then decide to tear it apart and see what makes it tick. Found a loose wire coming out of the switch. On closer examination, I see the "spade" connector that plugs into the switch has burned off. The sander is about 12 years old.

Next dilema was to get the rest of the connector out of the switch. No room to get needle nose pliers in and nothing much to grab anyways. I was finally able to pry the piece out. Now to find a replacement...

Found the part on toolparts something or another .com for $1.44 (that was for the 5 inch wire with both connectors. $8.99 shipping!!! If it had been $11 bucks with free shipping I might have bought it but for some reason I hate paying $9 bucks for something they could stick in an envelope for .44 cents. Yeah, I know, handling fees too...

Anyways, I starting searching for a connector on the 'net and was coming up empty. Stopped at a couple of local hardware stores and a Radio Shack - zilch. Finally stopped at an electrical supply house. They didn't have the right part but had one I thought I could make work. I had to flatten it (if was round to begin with) and ended up soldering the wire after I crimped it. A little more flattening and bending with pliers and I was able to "make it fit".

I plugged the rest of the wires back in their correct locations, tightened down the terminal screws for the incoming power cord, put the covers together, plugged it in and gingerly pulled the trigger. It worked!!! Cost me nothing but a little time.

I used it tonight on some maple and it performed just as I expected.

I just wonder how many good tools get thrown away for such little problems.