Wire Spooler

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So we needed a new wire spooler for high tensile electric fence, here goes.The basic idea is to have the center collapse when the side is pulled off, so that the spool of wire will slide off easily.My first and second plans didn't work out, had to change designs mid-stream for lack of planning, but it ought to work (i hope) until I can build a better version.Tacked a piece of scrap pipe to my table to bend the rounds.I didn't get them perfectly round the first time, spent some time beating them on the anvil til I was satisfied.
Reply:Cut the inner platesTacked the two plates together and drilled some holes where I'll cut the slots into the plates.Welded the plates to the smaller rounds.
Reply:Cut supports for outer roundWelded them in place.  These will also make a place put some small wires before starting, so when it's spooled it will be easy to tie off the spool.  This didn't work out as planned, I need to make some changes, but it will work for now.Marked out and cut the slots.Cut out the inner spokes and their attachments.
Reply:Welded on the attachment tabs and center hub, bolted the spokes on.Added a spare ball bearing to each side, just for indexing the sides when replacing the outer side during use.
Reply:Here's the beast it's getting bolted to.Ready to go try it out, hopefully it'll work.  Got lots of improvements to make in the next version.
Reply:Looks like a neat project but I will be the first to ask a dumb question. Is this like the machine the wire dept of Lowes/HD has, something to roll the wire into nice coils and then folds for easy removal of the coil?TOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:My dad bought a wire roller on the farm when I was a kid. Was similarly done except for the differential. If you put a slight angle on the flat bars the wire will come right off.Yeah, I know, but it'll be ok!Lincoln Square wave 255Miller Vintage mig30a spoolgunThermal Dynamics Pacmaster 100xl plasmaSmith mc torchEllis 1600 band saw
Reply:Sort of I guess, there's is probably a lot more sophisticated (if it's like the one that Home Depot has), and this one's meant for rolling miles of fence wire.  It should roll about a half mile of 12.5 gauge high tensile wire at a time, then we'll tie the spool together with some baling wire, remove the outer side and hopefully the spool of wire will slide off easily.  Then tie on a new piece and start again.  We've got a couple of miles to fence to go roll up, so I'll find out if it works real soon.
Reply:Originally Posted by welderjMy dad bought a wire roller on the farm when I was a kid. Was similarly done except for the differential. If you put a slight angle on the flat bars the wire will come right off.
Reply:Here is what we had. The wire would pop right off the angled bars.Yeah, I know, but it'll be ok!Lincoln Square wave 255Miller Vintage mig30a spoolgunThermal Dynamics Pacmaster 100xl plasmaSmith mc torchEllis 1600 band saw
Reply:Ah yea, there's a mangled one of those down in one of the barns, was before my time, I'm told it didn't last long at all.  I think it depends a lot on where you're trying to roll wire.  If it's a short stretch and there's a clear path for the wire, there's not a lot of tension involved, then the spool would slide off (and the spooler would stay intact).  If you try and roll 1/4 - 1/2 mile of barbed wire through heavy brush, you need something a little heavier duty, and a 6 foot bar to pry the wire off because it's wrapped so tight.
Reply:Very nice. I need to get busy on a similar project of building a reel (on wheels) to hold a couple hundred feet of 3/8" air hose. Been using a plastic hose reeler from Ace but its falling apart.What gauge is the round tubing?Miller Challenger 172Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC 225/150Miller Maxstar 150 STLVictor 100CVictor JourneymanOxweld OAHarris O/ASmith O/A little torchNo, that's not my car.
Reply:Check out L & C Enterprises.  They might have a product that can help you design yours.  www.lcenterprises-usa.comLast edited by wroughtn_harv; 10-09-2014 at 11:01 PM.life is good
Reply:Double expensive I suppose but this is what we used to use back when I was a young guy doing open wire. Up to a mile of .080, 180 Lbs per mile. We did miles and miles of .080 , .104, .109, .135. Steel, copper, copper coated steel, whatever. They still use them today for small sections of cable. Won't hold a lot of cable tho. http://www.gmptools.com/nf/08136.htm"The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:Cool! Wow! That looks great!Nothing Ever Got Done By Quitting, Never Give Up.
Reply:How will you adjust the speed of the roller? On the one that we had it had a friction drive that you could adjust for the tension you wanted on the wire and to match the speed of the tractor. How will you match the tractor speed with the speed of the roller? Or is your tractor hydrostatic drive?Yeah, I know, but it'll be ok!Lincoln Square wave 255Miller Vintage mig30a spoolgunThermal Dynamics Pacmaster 100xl plasmaSmith mc torchEllis 1600 band saw
Reply:Originally Posted by welderjHow will you adjust the speed of the roller? On the one that we had it had a friction drive that you could adjust for the tension you wanted on the wire and to match the speed of the tractor. How will you match the tractor speed with the speed of the roller? Or is your tractor hydrostatic drive?
Reply:Hello ccs, you've done an excellent job on your spooler from my perspective. If you'd like to check out a slightly different take on something like this I've included a photo of one that I copied and built for a local company many years ago. it's a bit more industrial and designed for wire rope, but the principal is the same. It is designed to "spool" the product allow for banding/wire-tying the product and then releasing it from the spooling device. I hope you can see some of the geometry of the design in the picture. Best regards, Allan Attached Imagesaevald
Reply:Originally Posted by bigbVery nice. I need to get busy on a similar project of building a reel (on wheels) to hold a couple hundred feet of 3/8" air hose. Been using a plastic hose reeler from Ace but its falling apart.What gauge is the round tubing?
Reply:Originally Posted by welderjHow will you adjust the speed of the roller? On the one that we had it had a friction drive that you could adjust for the tension you wanted on the wire and to match the speed of the tractor. How will you match the tractor speed with the speed of the roller? Or is your tractor hydrostatic drive?
Reply:Helluva job with excellent layout of the pattern. Attention to detail clearly shows in the project. Hope it works as desired.SlobPurveyor of intimate unparalleled knowledge of nothing about everything.Oh yeah, also an unabashed internet "Troll" too.....
Reply:Don't you get a lot of trash when you drag the wire? That does explain you design tho.Yeah, I know, but it'll be ok!Lincoln Square wave 255Miller Vintage mig30a spoolgunThermal Dynamics Pacmaster 100xl plasmaSmith mc torchEllis 1600 band saw
Reply:It rarely grabs any trash, unless it's muddy out.  Every now and then you might have to stop and pull off a piece of brush, other than that, comes in clean.  I'd guess you might get more trash in the roll if you drove with the spooler, less time and distance for things to fall off the wire.
Reply:Originally Posted by SlobHelluva job with excellent layout of the pattern. Attention to detail clearly shows in the project. Hope it works as desired.
Reply:Originally Posted by SandyDouble expensive I suppose but this is what we used to use back when I was a young guy doing open wire. Up to a mile of .080, 180 Lbs per mile. We did miles and miles of .080 , .104, .109, .135. Steel, copper, copper coated steel, whatever. They still use them today for small sections of cable. Won't hold a lot of cable tho. http://www.gmptools.com/nf/08136.htmOriginally Posted by wroughtn_harvCheck out L & C Enterprises.  They might have a product that can help you design yours.  www.lcenterprises-usa.com
Reply:Originally Posted by aevaldHello ccs, you've done an excellent job on your spooler from my perspective. If you'd like to check out a slightly different take on something like this I've included a photo of one that I copied and built for a local company many years ago. it's a bit more industrial and designed for wire rope, but the principal is the same. It is designed to "spool" the product allow for banding/wire-tying the product and then releasing it from the spooling device. I hope you can see some of the geometry of the design in the picture. Best regards, Allan