# -----Fabricating wire spool racks



## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

Dale un poco de las ruedas, excepto la espalda. :thumbsup:


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## Josue (Apr 25, 2010)

Bkessler said:


> Dale un poco de las ruedas, excepto la espalda. :thumbsup:


This is what you said:
give him a bit of the wheels, except the back (biology):laughing:
google translator eh? :laughing:

Is your idea adding wheels in the front???

Wheels are a good idea, thanks!



P.S. thanks for trying to write in Spanish.:thumbsup:


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

Will you store the rack empty?

I installed eye bolts on a hand truck. I also bought one of those hand truck style wire racks.

If storage space is an issue, maybe start with a folding hand truck and modify it to accept spindles/spools.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

Josue said:


> This is what you said:
> give him a bit of the wheels, except the back (biology):laughing:
> google translator eh? :laughing:
> 
> ...


That's funny, I typed in "give it wheels", save your back.:laughing:

I meant however you make it, make sure you can roll it fully loaded where it needs to go. So you you don't f up your back.


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## Josue (Apr 25, 2010)

Bkessler said:


> That's funny, I typed in "give it wheels", save your back.:laughing:
> 
> I meant however you make it, make sure you can roll it fully loaded where it needs to go. So you you don't f up your back.


:laughing::laughing::lol:

Yes, good resistant wheels are important....some cheap wheels will bend.


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## Josue (Apr 25, 2010)

220/221 said:


> Will you store the rack empty?


Not always......that would be tedious. 
I'll probably keep the spools that I use the most, handy in the rack.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

Start with a hand truck with solid tires.

If the back portion of the truck is open enough to take a couple of spools down the center, just attach some HD two hole straps and slide 1/2" EMT thru them. Extend the EMT out far enough to handle a spool on each side and you will have 4 spols per axle. 

Atach a short piece of 3"-4" PVC vertically somewhere to store the unused axles. 

Attach a trough toward the top for tape, wire markers etc. Intermatic timer boxes may be a little small but they have lids.

Here's the one I bought, in the background.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

220/221 said:


> Start with a hand truck with solid tires.
> 
> If the back portion of the truck is open enough to take a couple of spools down the center, just attach some HD two hole straps and slide 1/2" EMT thru them. Extend the EMT out far enough to handle a spool on each side and you will have 4 spols per axle.
> 
> ...



Sounds good, you are the king of organizing. :thumbsup:


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

BBQ said:


> Sounds good, you are the king of organizing. :thumbsup:


 
Because I am so damn lazy.


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

220/221 said:


> Start with a hand truck with solid tires.
> 
> If the back portion of the truck is open enough to take a couple of spools down the center, just attach some HD two hole straps and slide 1/2" EMT thru them. Extend the EMT out far enough to handle a spool on each side and you will have 4 spols per axle.
> 
> ...


What is the device bolted to the 2X4?


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

It's either the elusive wire stretcher,

or a wire stripper.


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

Bkessler said:


> It's either the elusive wire stretcher,
> 
> or a wire stripper.


:laughing: :laughing:


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

LARMGUY said:


> What is the device bolted to the 2X4?


 









And it's a 4x4


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

220/221 said:


> Start with a hand truck with solid tires.
> 
> If the back portion of the truck is open enough to take a couple of spools down the center, just attach some HD two hole straps and slide 1/2" EMT thru them. Extend the EMT out far enough to handle a spool on each side and you will have 4 spols per axle.
> 
> ...


I think I need to go back to the drawing board with the ones I'm building, my design is lame and boring compared to that.


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## ohmega (Apr 19, 2010)

220/221 Where did you get that wire stripper, and how much?


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Josue said:


> I am planning about welding a wire spool rack.....
> 
> 
> It needs to carry AWG 12 black/red/white/green AWG 14 yellow/black/white
> ...


Why weld when you can simply assemble?










Standard-issue 2-wheel cart, Standard-issue wire racks.:whistling2:​


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

Bkessler said:


> It's either the elusive wire stretcher,
> 
> or a wire stripper.


What gauge is the smallest it will strip? Where do you get one?

I use a bunch of 14, 16, and 18 Low voltage.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

480sparky said:


> Why weld when you can simply assemble?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Lets see.

Welding = fun

Air tires = bad

His rack holds four reels across that does not

Other than that :whistling2:


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

ken that is to easy - i may build that this weekend - crap it's Christmas - maybe the weekend after.... Thank you for that idea.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

BBQ said:


> Lets see.
> 
> Welding = fun
> 
> ...


Who says they're air tires?

The pix only shows three spools of 10... it will hold eight if needed, or 16 spools of 12/14.

What's so special about 'four reels across'? Is that in the NEC, or is it a local amendment for Assachewshîts?:laughing:


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

BBQ said:


> Lets see.
> 
> 
> His rack holds four reels across that does not


 
It holds 4 #12 spools :thumbsup:

I really like that idea. You can pull the racks off if necessary.

I'd mount them lower though so the fukker doesn't tip over.

Also, those racks tend to bend, They didn't make them quite sturdy enough. But still, the concept is great.

The wire stripper came from an old ad in EC magazine. I think it was 200-300 bucks. I've only used it down to #8. It may go smaller????? I know it goes bigger. I wrestled some 500 MCM thru it yesterday.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

480sparky said:


> Who says they're air tires?


Obviously I do you putz. :laughing:


I thought you read the post. :whistling2:


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

220/221 said:


> It holds 4 #12 spools :thumbsup:
> 
> I really like that idea. You can pull the racks off if necessary.
> 
> ...


I thought it was 10 wire on that rack also. Weld a U or a big ring at the top to put the wire thru would be another improvement. Other than that I am gonna make me one...

well since you edited your post... I thought I had seen that stripper before....


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

Check out Rack-A-Tiers. I do not know the cost, but they work well.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

The first one I made used this exact truck. I drilled the right and left vertical tubing and installed big/long eye bolts to offset the conduit axles (so they didn't hit the venter vertical tube).

The bad part was, if I wanted to use it as a hand truck, the eye bolts were in the way. In fact, that's why it's no longer in service. I needed a hand truck, removed the bolts and never replaced them. I bet I still have the bolts but the hand truck is....????? I think the axle was weak on this truck and it ended up in the dumpster.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

220/221 said:


> The first one I made used this exact truck. I drilled the right and left vertical tubing and installed big/long eye bolts to offset the conduit axles (so they didn't hit the venter vertical tube).
> 
> The bad part was, if I wanted to use it as a hand truck, the eye bolts were in the way. In fact, that's why it's no longer in service. I needed a hand truck, removed the bolts and never replaced them. I bet I still have the bolts but the hand truck is....????? I think the axle was weak on this truck and it ended up in the dumpster.



No bolts or any other fasteners needed here. The 'legs' of the racks slip in one side, then the other, between the uprights of the cart. They're 'weaved' between the outer uprights and the middle one. The horizontal bands keep them from sliding down.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

480sparky said:


> No bolts or any other fasteners needed here. The 'legs' of the racks slip in one side, then the other, between the uprights of the cart. They're 'weaved' between the outer uprights and the middle one. The horizontal bands keep them from sliding down.


 
I like it. Is it still in operation? Did the rack spindles get bent? Maybe mine do because we tend to set them down roughly, loaded with wire.

You could bungee a milk crate to the bottom for extra spools


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

220/221 said:


> I like it. Is it still in operation? Did the rack spindles get bent? Maybe mine do because we tend to set them down roughly, loaded with wire.
> 
> You could bungee a milk crate to the bottom for extra spools



Two of 'em still going strong after 7 years.

We know the racks bend, so we baby them.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Here is another option, obviously it won't hold 7 spools at once but make more than 1 and you are good to go. If you use the right crates you can stack them too.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

Old schol crate!!

It will hold MORE than seven spools with the right accessories (longer EMT)

I've been trying for years to come up with a crate/wire rack where the axles didn't protrude and were easy to remove/replace.

That would be GOLD.


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## Marcus (Mar 30, 2010)

Don't you guys use cable that has all the cores in one sheath? What a pain in the arse.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

220/221 said:


> It will hold MORE than seven spools with the right accessories (longer EMT)


I'm doing a couple to hold MTW for control panel work that I'm putting longer EMT on. I may redo the THWN ones the same way.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Marcus said:


> Don't you guys use cable that has all the cores in one sheath? What a pain in the arse.


Not normally in conduit.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

Marcus said:


> Don't you guys use cable that has all the cores in one sheath? What a pain in the arse.


 
It depends on the instalation. I'd say that more than half of the electrical systems are cable as opposed to conduit. Both have their places.


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

I don't like the hand truck ones. To easy to yank over. I need something that can take some pulling without tipping over.

Suppose you could just lay it on it's back also.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

nitro71 said:


> I don't like the hand truck ones. To easy to yank over. I need something that can take some pulling without tipping over.
> 
> Suppose you could just lay it on it's back also.


 Thats how i do it.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

nitro71 said:


> .............Suppose you could just lay it on it's back also.


Yeah, that's kinda what most smart people would do. :laughing:


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## Josue (Apr 25, 2010)

Jlarson said:


> Here is another option, obviously it won't hold 7 spools at once but make more than 1 and you are good to go. If you use the right crates you can stack them too.


Thats the one we are currently using. We have walmart plastic boxes.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

He aquí un carro de alambre interesante, se puede poner varios rollos de # 12 de.

Lets do this again.:laughing:


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## Josue (Apr 25, 2010)

Bkessler said:


> He aquí un carro de alambre interesante, se puede poner varios rollos de # 12 de.
> 
> Lets do this again.:laughing:


That is good Spanish, congratulations!!
Keep it up:thumbsup:


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Josue said:


> That is good Spanish, congratulations!!
> Keep it up:thumbsup:


 




Incluye una radio en el diseño de la cesta de alambre. Que mantiene a los trabajadores en rápido movimiento. Trabajadores rápido significa más cables en el conducto. Más de cable en el conducto significa más dinero en el bolsillo, que le ayuda a obtener todos los dulces amar a tu pequeño corazón puede tomar.


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

All I remember from high school spanish is, Besa mi culu : )


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## Josue (Apr 25, 2010)

mcclary's electrical said:


> Incluye una radio en el diseño de la cesta de alambre. Que mantiene a los trabajadores en rápido movimiento. Trabajadores rápido significa más cables en el conducto. Más de cable en el conducto significa más dinero en el bolsillo, que le ayuda a obtener todos los dulces amar a tu pequeño corazón puede tomar.


 :laughing::laughing:
That Spanish is very trditional.:laughing:


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