Bulk wire storage

[graymond]

I am in the process of reorganizing the garage and I am finding that I need to store my spools of automotive wire in a more accessible fashion than in a box.

I thought about using a peg board and long pegs for each gauge.

Does anyone have a better idea?

Ray

 

[MFolks]

If you can find a metal storage cabinet tall and deep enough & then run steel rods to hang the wire from. This way will keep dirt off the wires. Maybe something along the line of what women do for sewing machine thread spools.

If you want portability, look at getting or making a roll around cart, so it could be close to the car for ease of wiring.

 

[boiler7904]

Depending on how many spools you have and what size they are, there are a few ideas here that could easily replicated at home

Wire Spool Storage Ideas

I have a portable Carlon wire caddy that hangs on the wall when I'm not wiring something around the house. It holds up to 8 500 ft spools.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

I'm using a hand truck/dolly that I welded up a rack to hold the wire that is zip tied to the cart. I'm adding more rows for more storage, as well as tool, ziptie, and connector storage. It lets me roll the wire rack out to the job, and also can hold a patio umbrella for shade/rain as needed.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=213847&highlight=mobile+wire+station

 

[92GreenYJ]

I haven't done this yet, but my plan is to take the top deep drawer of my cabinet under my electrical bench. Drill some holes in each side and run dowel rods thru the drawer. Then place my spools on thei dowel rods to allow for easy access and dispensing.

 

[metaleltr]

Create a larger spool, mount all the spools on this larger spool, now you have a spool of spools!

 

[kendogg]

Use conduit and a couple pieces of wood and put them on a nice usable rack that you can just slide under the woorkbench when not in use.

 

[lilredex]

Hang From the ceiling on a couple of conduits or rods....up out of the way yet accessible.


windows 7 screen shot

 

[bullfrog123]

These look like they could be handy. Label em and stack em in a cabinet. Easy to see and take with you to the job. You could also make these out of some cheap plastic storage tubs. Would keep the wire clean too. http://www.adafruit.com/products/1311

 

[astroracer]

Here are few pics of the wire spool I made to hold all of the wire I use while wiring the van.

This is pretty simple as it's only a heavy cardboard tube with dividers made from heavy cardbooard and hotglued in place... A scrap of 5/4 deck board made the base.

I put hooks in this and it hangs right over my wiring bench so the wire is easy to reach and stays out of the way.
When not being used I bag it and store it in a cabinet.
Mark

 

[graymond]

Thanks guys. Some really great ideas. Time to get out there and do something!!

ray

 

[92GreenYJ]

Not to hijack or anything but since we are on the subject, has anyone found a source online for EMPTY plastic wire spools? When I go to do my project mentioned above I would like to try and transfer some of my non spooled wire onto spools for this. Would also be nice to have spools all the same size.

 

[lilredex]

Not to hijack or anything but since we are on the subject, has anyone found a source online for EMPTY plastic wire spools? When I go to do my project mentioned above I would like to try and transfer some of my non spooled wire onto spools for this. Would also be nice to have spools all the same size.

If you or your friends use wire feed welders......the 2# refills have suitable spools and are free.

 

[teamextreme]

Not to hijack or anything but since we are on the subject, has anyone found a source online for EMPTY plastic wire spools? When I go to do my project mentioned above I would like to try and transfer some of my non spooled wire onto spools for this. Would also be nice to have spools all the same size.

Or make friends with a commercial electrican and have him save all the old spools. Or see if you can scavenge were they toss out old wire spools on a construction site (commercial not residential)

 

[92GreenYJ]

If you or your friends use wire feed welders......the 2# refills have suitable spools and are free.

I have a wire feed. But I generally buy the bigger spools

 

[Responder]

I'm using a hand truck/dolly that I welded up a rack to hold the wire that is zip tied to the cart. I'm adding more rows for more storage, as well as tool, ziptie, and connector storage. It lets me roll the wire rack out to the job, and also can hold a patio umbrella for shade/rain as needed.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=213847&highlight=mobile+wire+station

Now THAT is a wire cart!!