Managing spools of wire

[Kart31]

How do you manage your spools of wire? How do you go about keeping them spooled rather than an unruly uncoiled mess?

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

A piece of kapton tape with a silicon adhesive will secure the ends. You tape can withstand at least 350F and still be removeable.

I secure things like battery doors etc.

Larger diameter wire - rubber bands. Bait bands specifically.

Double sided velcro will work.

 

[rjenkinsgb]

Various ways..
Put a hole in the side of the spool and thread the end through it. Some spools already have that.

Take about two turns off, double the end back the other way around the spool and thread the end though the bend where it was doubled, then fold it forward again.

Or just stack them - I took that when I decided it was time to tidy the shelves up a bit..

 

[atferrari]

The few I got, they always stay in boxes or big size tins. No chance to unwind, fall down of whatever
Suggest you to avoid bobbins of too small diameter. Easier to handle when in use.

 

[JimB]

Put a hole in the side of the spool and thread the end through it. Some spools already have that.

I use a variation of that technique for reels of "hook-up" wire.

Use wire cutters to make a slit in the cardboard end cheek of the spool.
The loose end of the wire can then be trapped into the slit.

Depending on the position of the free end of the wire, it may be convenient to make two or three slits around the circumference of the spool.

Like this:

JimB

 

[Pommie]

Sellotape (US:scotch tape(sp?)). Wow, recursive brackets!!!

Mike.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I was going to mention the hole, the keyhole, the slat (sewing thread) and the box (reel in a box - network cable).

 

[Musicmanager]

A friend of mine, has all his cable reels suspended on a piece of broom stale supported by a wooden rack. In front of the rack he has a series of McDonalds Drinking Straws, trapped horizontally in another piece of wood, with the loose end of the wire threaded through the straw.

Why MacDonalds Straws .. ? Well, he says because the ID of the straw is 2 x normal, so it will accommodate a thicker wire; and they have a convoluted section at one end which serves to stop the wire pulling back through the straw, but as soon as the wire is pulled it straightens out.

Quite impressive .. I'll try and get a picture the next time I'm there and he's not looking !

MM

 

[Beau Schwabe]

I did something like that back in 1995 where I had a double row "broomstick" rod with all of my spools. Instead of a straw, I just ran ALL the wires through a central hole at the bottom of a cabnet where the spools lived. I just pulled the wire I wanted.. worked great.

 

[Reloadron]

Various ways..
Put a hole in the side of the spool and thread the end through it. Some spools already have that.

Take about two turns off, double the end back the other way around the spool and thread the end though the bend where it was doubled, then fold it forward again.

Or just stack them - I took that when I decided it was time to tidy the shelves up a bit..

View attachment 124914

That looks amazingly like my wire storage shelves where I used to work. I also did have a rack with dowels for my more popular spools.

Ron

 

[Kart31]

Generally I need to take the entire spool with me. I do more than just benchtop/lab bench projects. I originally figured 25 feet would last a long time. HA! HAHA! HAHAHA! I have moved up to 100 foot spools. (even at that I just rewired the sawmill trailer lights POOF! there went a 1/3 of a roll).
I had been throwing the 25 foot spools in a box. They didn't unwind badly, if at all. The 100 foot spools, on the other hand, are horrible. I can't hardly tell there are spools in the box. Hence my motivation for this thread. I will try the hole-in-the-spool method.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Generally I need to take the entire spool with me. I do more than just benchtop/lab bench projects. I originally figured 25 feet would last a long time. HA! HAHA! HAHAHA! I have moved up to 100 foot spools. (even at that I just rewired the sawmill trailer lights POOF! there went a 1/3 of a roll).
I had been throwing the 25 foot spools in a box. They didn't unwind badly, if at all. The 100 foot spools, on the other hand, are horrible. I can't hardly tell there are spools in the box. Hence my motivation for this thread. I will try the hole-in-the-spool method.

We use 500m drums of a specific cable at work, in short lengths (just over a metre), and soon get through a drum - as I've been working from home during lockdown, I used an entire drum, and actually got 462 lengths off of the 500m drum.

To make matters worse, it's never in stock at RS, delivery date for a new drum is the end of May and we ordered it in April! - we also can't find another source.