cable reel

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has any one ever made a cable reel. i'm interested in making one,but i need an idea on how to make the connectionsthanks Daryl
Reply:I don't know... I suppose it would be pretty simple for a stick welder, but it would be alot of hassle to build one for a tig, and likely impossible for a mig. It would be nice to have though,keep us posted!
Reply:Cheap, easy option is to use a quick disconnect that can be shoved into the hub for coiling and uncoiling.  Then, pull it out of the hub and connect it to a short cable that leads to the machine.Otherwise, it's probably better to just buy one that already has the brushes engineered to be reliable.  That's the part that makes the good ones so expensive.Don't forget that you never want to use the cable while it's coiled.  You need to uncoil ALL of it to use it anyway, so another even easier option is just to wrap it up over its own end and you'll find it again when you uncoil it.
Reply:Originally Posted by MAC702Don't forget that you never want to use the cable while it's coiled.
Reply:Without getting too technical:When welding with DC, yes, you will create a large electromagnet, which will consume power among other hazards.When welding with AC, you will create a large inductor, which will also consume power.
Reply:I see, thanks. That has never even crossed my mind before.