Built vs. Bought Hose reels

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I'm looking into making a few hose reels for my welding leads and torches, but I haven't seen very many homemade ones around. I have a few ideas of how I want to make. But I was just wondering if anyone has any pictures or ideas of some that they have built. I feel like I could build a set for about 1/3 of the price of some of the ones at the welding shops. And ideas, info or pictures would be appreciated.  Thanks
Reply:There is much information and opinions about this on weldingweb. I say go ahead and build a set, what's the worst that could happen? Maybe they will be great on the first try, maybe they will need improvements. Either way you will save money and have something to show for your efforts. I still love my lead reels even though I didn't possess the skills and tools that I have now, when I originally built them.
Reply:Yea, that's what I'm thinking as well. I searched for a little while trying to find anything about them on hear but had no luck. I would just like to see or hear how other people built there's. So I may be able to mesh my idea and there ideas to make a quality set.
Reply:Been there done that. Built reels for the leads and bought O/A from Tidwell. Worth the moneysent while goofing off at workLong after the price is forgotten, the quality will remain.Both of my Poppy's 1954 Short Hoods -Third generation to weld with it and teaching a fourthSA 2## - Bought and sold more than I can remember or care to list, 8 in the shop right now
Reply:I know I'm going to buy a nice real for my O/A after looking at them for awhile now, but just can't seam to make sence on forking out 300 bucks on a set of lead reels. I did just find some forms on here where some people made them. I was thinking of using a trailer hub and then using the lug nuts to bolt it so if they needed serviced I could take them apart easily and wouldn't have to deal with buying bearings and what not. But that would be a bit bulky I feel like. So my question is, how do some of you get your reals to spin, and if using bearings did you just press them inside your inner pipe and mount them on a rod coming off the main post of sorts
Reply:I don't use bearings anymore.  First,  the grease causes arcing.  And second, you have to lock them or your lead just unspools by itself.  I go with a tubing/ rod stock sleeve set up. sent while goofing off at workLong after the price is forgotten, the quality will remain.Both of my Poppy's 1954 Short Hoods -Third generation to weld with it and teaching a fourthSA 2## - Bought and sold more than I can remember or care to list, 8 in the shop right now
Reply:There was a nice pictorial on making a welding skid with home made lead reals  a few weeks ago  on the site  check them out as most of your questions are addressed.gxbxc
Reply:flashflood394> The search engine here has quite a few limitations…. it isn’t the greatest. I don’t know if this tip will help you but…. you can usually go to yahoo.com or google.com and type in weldingweb.com + whatever you’re looking for and have much better success finding what you’re looking for. The thread gxbxc mentioned may be this one, http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...ith-lead-reels.--Also too, there’s a nice photo of a DIY hose reel of some sort here in post #12 that I found going off site and searching back to WW using weldingweb.com + hose + reel, http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...ing-hose-reels --I would agree that $300 sounds excessive. I’m not the most creative person so when I want DIY ideas, I use google.com’s image search. Here’s the search results from them for hose + reel, https://www.google.com/search?q=weld...ed=0CAcQ_AUoAg.MM 211Smith Tru Lite O/A set, Thanks Bob!Lincoln AC-225--But you must not change one thing, one pebble, one grain of sand, until you know what good and evil will follow on that act. The world is in balance, in Equilibrium- Ursula K. Le Guin
Reply:I though 3 franklins was slot too. But Tidwell makes quality reels and I've gone the cheap route only to have things fail. sent while goofing off at workLong after the price is forgotten, the quality will remain.Both of my Poppy's 1954 Short Hoods -Third generation to weld with it and teaching a fourthSA 2## - Bought and sold more than I can remember or care to list, 8 in the shop right now
Reply:I made both my lead reels and my hose reels about 28 years ago. They have been on 3 trucks and I haven't changed much on them.The lead reels are on old trailer hubs. I built the reel with a 4" pipe in the middle The reel is simply welded to the flange part of the hub. You can take it apart by taking the spindle nut off and pulling it apart. I removed most of the grease when I built them and have never had to service them. They hold 150' of #2 lead.The hose reel has a 1" pipe axle through the reel with half of one side cut out about 3" long. There is a 4" pipe around it that the hose wraps around. It had a 4"x1" slot cut in it that lines up with the slot in the inner 1". The hoses go through those holes with one hose coming out each side. I used to have it hooked to Kowekee quick disconnects that were clamped down. The bearings in them were the swivels. I had a bicycle sprocket on the axle and a chain that ran down to a smaller sprocket with the handle. They were live reels that way. I had to take that off when I got this truck as there wasn't enough room in the box and I wanted every thing inside this time as leads and hoses last 10 times as long not being in the weather all the time.The first picture shows a lead reel in it's box. It is the ground and is bolted down with no insulation. The hot reel is bolted down with plastic cutting board pieces for insulation and 1/2" plastic gas tubing through the holes to insulate the bolts.The second picture is the hose reel. It swivels out to pull the hose out. I have to plug and unplug it now when I use it. There is a 100' of 1/4" hose on it.