https://imgur.com/a/nsp4JVG

It is for an old drill. It was old when I saw it in my dad's garage when I was a kid, and now I have it.

My question is--can I put something (a plastic cover of some kind) over the plug, to cover this up? It is for a drill, it is working just fine. I'm just worried about something getting inside & ending the life of this drill prematurely. If they don't sell that type of thing, would it make any sense for me to simply wrap electrical tape over it?

Hardware stores should have inexpensive replacement plugs that have the correct insert you are missing. I would try to use one and then electrical tape around the edges, so it doesn't get lost like the original one. Failing that, I have used electric tape to cover and protect the exposed wires. I would put in a double layer. Third option would be to make a pattern and cut out a paperboard new one and tape it on.

Here is some electrical insulating paper. Trace around and cut it out. Glue in place.


https://www.amazon.com/GC-ELECTRONI...lating+adhesive+paper&qid=1574899167

I would replace the entire cord, not just the plug.

Why not replace it with one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-515P...=120v+plug&qid=1574904289&sr=8-4

That looks promising. So it would essentially swallow up what I have now? I would just plug in the current prong, into the innards of the yellow plug? Or would I have to cut the plug off, and then work the wires in my cable, inside the yellow unit?

Spend the $3 on a new plug.

Like the one Sonny recommended? Or did you mean something different?

Short term solution: Tape an air-tight seal on the cord end of the plug, hold it upright and fill it with epoxy.

Long term solution: Replace the cord and plug, and clean and lube the inside.

Here's a few how to videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxiLX6lzWyI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPeppnaPibc

We upgraded to a three prong cord on a 60 plus year old drill. It was easy to find a screw for the bonding conductor. This is assuming a metal drill.

Depending on just exactly how "old" old is, chances are good that the cord is rubber insulated and if not already dry-rotted, it will at some point in the future.

I'd head to the hardware store, get as much cord of the appropriate gauge as I wanted to have on it, terminate it with a new plug, and call it a day. A plug should be $5 or less, and a few feet of cord will be about the same.