welding reels

[usmcgremlin]

i need to fab up some reels for 100' of 2/0. does anyone have any plans drawn up or a good place to find some. i have some ideas but would appreciate ideas from someone elese.

[usmcgremlin]

http://www.bedair.org/Projects/Cart/mig2.html
this is close to what i have in mind but on a larger scale
just not to sure about the spring and constant contact might go for copper shims and a twist lock knob

[denrep]

Have you thought of starting with air or water hose reels?
Although a 100' is a lot of rope, for most home-owner type reels.

Last fall I bought two different styles to try it; I wound them full of cable, that's as far as I made it.

I pirated two electric retract hose reels off of a lawn care truck. They were big enough, but too complex, I trashed 'em.

[DesertRider33]

An idea I had to eliminate the whole rotating/sliding electrical contact dilema was to use any kind of hose reel that will hold the cables and leave the inside end of the cable sticking out the side with a Tweco connector on it. Roll the cable out with it disconnected (so the reel can turn), then connect the the cable to a short section of cable (also with Tweco's) to the machine and it's ready to weld with. Disconnect, roll it back up, and it's ready to travel.

[tanglediver]

I'm with DR33.

[denrep]

Originally Posted by DesertRider33

...leave the inside end of the cable sticking out the side with a Tweco connector on it.

That's the method I went with.

On the outside of the reel, there wasn't much clearance for a twistlock to clear the bracket.

When the twistlock was mounted to the hub, it shortened cable capacity by a wrap or two, -which adds up- and made for a messy wind up.

I thought about making the twistlock more compact, by bolting a male lug to the reel, using insulated washers.

If you fab your reels from scratch, maybe you could leave room for a complete twistlock inside of the hub.

Or do you really want a different system than the twistlocks?


Good Luck

[Black Wolf]

Send a PM to Coalsmoke. He has posted up pics in the past on other forums of home made cable reels that will do what you want. Basically same set up as has been discussed, just in more detail.

[Black Wolf]

Not what you are asking for, but something to drool over. These are the nicest cable reels I have ever seen or used. Very common up here on portable units. I also use them in the shop. Just received 2 new sets of horizontal Shell-Ryn cable reels last night for my new Lincoln welders.

Aluma-Reel made in Somerset, Manitoba by Mainstream Welding.

http://alumareel.com/

Shell-Ryn made in Brooks, Alberta by Shell-Ryn Machining.

http://shellryn.com/

[denrep]

Instead of a sliding contact; How about an insulated axle, or brass bushings at the hub center, maybe a set screw, for contact?

[Oldtimer]

A friend of mine that owns a big machine and fab shop dreamed these up and I used a set of them for fifteen years without a minutes problem. They were sized ro hold 125' of cable. The center spool was 2" line pipe and the end plates were 10" dia. circles of 10 ga. plate. The center axle was 3/4" cold rolled with a crank handle bent on it and apiece of 3/4" pipe over it for a roller grip. This was mounted in a frame. The bottom frame was welded to the bed bed of my truck and was for the ground. The other was bolted on top of it with nylon insulators between them. You could mount them any you want in a shop setup.

The secret was in the contact mechanism he had designed. He machined flanged aluminum bushings for the spool axle to turn in and they were the electrical contact between the frame and spool. They didn't arc and they didn't wear out. The bushing was 1 1/2" in dia. and the flange was 2 1/2 " in dia. It was drilled for 4 #10 stove bolts to hold them in the frame. The bushings and end plate were lathe turned and the 2" pipe was faced in the lathe also. They were tacked up in a jig and ran true with no wobble when welded out. These were the best, most trouble free cable spools I ever used.

He told me he had no idea why the aluminum bushings worked so well but that did and that was good enough forme. The bushings weremachined from 6061 alloy. I don't know whether that was a factot r or not.

[Oldtimer]

My typing stinks this morning. I need more COFFEE!

[DesertRider33]

That is amazing to me the bushings didn't weld themselves together with use.

Wow, those Aluma Reels are reely the cat's meow!

[tapwelder]

A quick disconnect would also allow you to bypass your reels and use shorter leads.

Aren't you suppose to completely unreel you line any time you use leads on a reel? Thought I heard something about magnetic flux?

[denrep]

Usmcgremlin, Mind if I share your thread?

I need a reel solution too.

Here are some pictures of my aborted reel project. Maybe I'll try again.

I was hoping for lightweight reels that could be carried by hand, and would be free standing. Maybe with an "A" shaped mount, that could be spiked into the ground, for use with extension leads. It would be nice if it was possible also to take the cable completely off the reel.

I would rather start with something that's half built. The black reel is all steel, made for air hose. It's a pretty good start for $25.00, but I couldn't come up with a simple insulated connector solution.

Home center air reels:
Attachment 17834
Attachment 17833


This was the sprayer reel:
Attachment 17835

[nick]

I saw a set made from small trailer axles and hubs . The reel bolted to the hub and the current went thru the wheel bearings but I am not sure how well they work Also Bills welder repair has reels for sale.

[usmcgremlin]

Denrep no problem thats why we are here to share ideas

[Oldtimer]

DesertRider-steel shaft, aluminum bushing, no problem with arc.

Tarwelder-just roll off the amount of lead you need, no problems.

[TozziWelding]

I have been brainstorming a set for a while now. I think I am just gonna go with a pipe in a pipe for an axle. The worst thing that is gonna happen is I won't like them and cut them up. From what I have seen simple is good, don't over engineer them.

[banshee35]

here's a pic of mine, i used trailer axle spindles and hubs( turned the wheel mounting flange off w/ a lathe) 10" sides with a 3" pipe center spool. holds 100' lead, 100' of 3/16" torch hose and probably 200' of extension cord, but I only have 100' on it now. took a day to build.





Just another solution.
I forgot to add, my leads are always hot when machine is running.

[denrep]

Banshee35 - That's nice. Thanks for the post.

My needs a little different than Usmcgremlin's, so I want to be careful not to cheat him out of his thread.

I'm not after permanently mounted working reels, but rather portable reels for the easier storage and pay-out of extension leads. I would rather that the cable still had a Tweco on each end, and could be used with or without the reel.

Today I bought some more air hose reels. Thought I better get back on this project, because with the upcoming warmer weather, I wouldn't want trouble with exposed copper evaporating.

[usmcgremlin]

its funny that u mention evaporating copper..... i had 100' of 2/0 evaporate about 2 months ago off of my SA-200 pissed me off !!!!!!!!!!!! i was ready to kill. so i bought a 2008 miller trailblazer and some more leads to make me feel better...lol
after i figure out the reel situation i plan to make a cage to lock them up at night.

[denrep]

Usmcgremlin, sounds like you need storage reels too!
At least until the 2009 Millers come out!

I returned to the home center, and bought more air reels, to use as portable cable storage.

Two different styles; so far, reels like the on the left seem to work better.
Because they are ready to use without any modification; just stuff about a foot of cable in the reel hub, as a "tail", wind the rest up.

The reel on the right, has no easy way to connect to the "tail".
Attachment 17933
I still plan on making some sort of a handle, and an "A" bracket, so they will stand upright when placed on the ground.

[usmcgremlin]

i like the one on the left as well but i am still fighting with ideas in my head

[Mega Arc 5040DD]

Originally Posted by banshee35

here's a pic of mine, i used trailer axle spindles and hubs( turned the wheel mounting flange off w/ a lathe) 10" sides with a 3" pipe center spool. holds 100' lead, 100' of 3/16" torch hose and probably 200' of extension cord, but I only have 100' on it now. took a day to build.





Just another solution.
I forgot to add, my leads are always hot when machine is running.

I know I realy missed the boat on the post but I thought I would ask anyways and hopefully get and answer.

When you used the trailer hubs why did you turn down the face I was thinking about bolting the reel on just like a tire wood. And it the power runnig through the axle bearings or is there some kind of bushing or brushes or something? I have a bunch of trailer hubs laying around and thought about using them to make my reels but I want my cables to be live all the time and can't figure out a good way. How did you make yours work?

Thank you.

[Suzanne]

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