Cable Reels for Welding Trailer

[GaryBDavis]

I've seen a few welding trucks outfitted with hand crank cable reels for their welding leads. I've done the basic on-line searches, but don't find that many folks selling them for a decent price. I did find one company that makes them and sells direct on ebay. Still, they run $500 for a pair of them.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[MadReferee]

Go to Harbor Freight and purchase a large capacity heavy duty air hose reel. They work just as well and usually cost less than $50.

If that doesn't fit the bill then buy a cheap one and use it as a design guide to build your own to your specs. If you can weld, you can build your own.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Morning Gary.

I've got a set I made for those jobs where I don't want to move the truck or can't get access. One reel has two hundred feet on it. That's my stinger. The ground has only a hundred feet. I also have some fifty foot pieces I carry for odd situations. They all have Tweco connectors.

I used a set of eight inch boat trailer wheels and axle stubs I had extra laying around. I bolted up some aluminum discs to the faces and backs of the wheels so I could have the capacity.

They're great for putting the cable up but since I didn't build in a brake system not so great dispensing them. When you start pulling on the cable since they're ball bearing'd you end up with a pile of cable below the reel every time.

 

[MikeIA]

Are the reels so expensive because the wire is connected all the time, through a rotary contact in the hub?

I found this company online 10 years ago, but I've never had a project that wouls have required me to call and check prices:

Meridian Labs Rotary Contacts

I've taken wooden electrical spools apart and made them narrower, then used 2" black pipe for the axle.

 

[Mike_C]

<font color="red">
>Go to Harbor Freight and purchase a large capacity heavy duty air hose reel.
</font>

Wouldn't you have the problem of the high current potentially welding the spindle (which is probably brass) such that it would not spin any more? It also may not be electrically conductive from the input fitting to the output fitting, because there may be rubber o-rings and/or poly fittings that insulate the input from the output. Unless you are just talking about using them to wind up the wire where in order to use it you would unwind it entirely then physically connect the cable to the welder, I could see many problems with this setup.

 

[MadReferee]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Wouldn't you have the problem of the high current potentially welding the spindle (which is probably brass) such that it would not spin any more? It also may not be electrically conductive from the input fitting to the output fitting, because there may be rubber o-rings and/or poly fittings that insulate the input from the output. Unless you are just talking about using them to wind up the wire where in order to use it you would unwind it entirely then physically connect the cable to the welder, I could see many problems with this setup. )</font>

I don't quite follow what you are trying to get at and furthermore, I don't see many problems at all. It all depends on how you connect the end that is first on the reel. You don't need to insulate anything at all. I have used a similar setup for my old oxy/ac hoses.

 

[Mike_C]

I meant that a hose reel does not have rotary contacts, such as those that MikeIA is referring to. Like a pull-down trouble light, they have contacts to carry the current while allowing the spool to turn. A hose reel does not have those.

 

[GaryBDavis]

I like the advice for making cable reels, but I think I'm beyond making them for this project. I need to find some good quality ones that aren't too price prohibitive and just buy them. I have to choose my shop challenges and cable reels aren't on today's list.

I'm looking for hand crank reels that have a center conductor rated for 300 amps or so. They need to hold 100' of 1/0 welding cable. Availability of replacement parts would be a good thing.

Of course, if you have cable reels for the welding leads, you need them for the cutting torch and don't forget one for the 120VAC cable. Now, you should really put all these reels in a tool box so they won't get wet and ruined when you drive down the road in the rain. Where will it ever end?

 

[mopacman]

The welding reels I have been around and maintaned over the last thirty five years have required a lot of maintance. They have a slip ring with brushes on them. When you are useing them the brushes set in one place on the slip ring. Under heavy curent the slip ring gets hot and the brushes burn into them. We no longer use them in our shop. We found it best to roll them up by hand.

 

[uhmgawa]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The welding reels I have been around and maintaned over the last thirty five years have required a lot of maintance. They have a slip ring with brushes on them. When you are useing them the brushes set in one place on the slip ring. Under heavy curent the slip ring gets hot and the brushes burn into them. We no longer use them in our shop. We found it best to roll them up by hand. )</font>

If a rotating contact is a "must have" one way
to make it more reliable is to add a cam-clamp
to the reel axle which is relaxed when (un)spooling
and locked shut when welding. Though this will
immobilize the reel when closed, it will allow a
reliable connection to be maintained. The contacts
here would be two large copper/brass "washers"
located on the axle and uniformly "jambed" into
contact when the cam lever is in a closed position.

The alternative is to punt on the rotating contact
and to locate a female dinse connector on an
outer side of the reel close to its periphery.
Connection can be made by a shrouded male
dinse plug. The shroud sleeve functions to
remove any potential excitement when the male
is disconnected and live. The shroud can also
serve to prevent rotation of the reel when engaged
by acting as an obstruction relative to the reel frame.