Wire rope reels

How it is built

Wire rope is heavy for its diameter, so its reels have thicker flanges, tighter-spaced staves and steel arbor bushings or plates. Many are bolted. Rope sometimes leaves grease or lubricant on the drum, which affects reuse and recycling.

Who empties them

Crane and rigging companies, steel mills, ports and terminals, elevator contractors and heavy industry, especially along the lakefront in the Calumet and Northwest Indiana.

Where they go

Some rope suppliers take their reels back; check the tag. Unclaimed reels in sound condition are bought; greasy or broken ones are recycled through a stream that can handle the residue.

Rope, grease and weight

Wire rope is made of twisted steel strands, often lubricated inside and out to slow corrosion and wear. When it comes off the reel, some of that lubricant stays behind on the drum and flanges. That grease protects the wood from water somewhat, but it complicates both reuse and recycling: cable jackets and clean wood processing don't want it.

Rope is also far denser than cable of the same diameter, so a rope reel carries more weight per inch of flange. Its staves are thicker and closer together, its flanges heavier, and its arbor reinforced with steel. Empty, a rope reel can outweigh a cable reel of identical size by a wide margin.

For anyone moving rope reels, the rule is forks and gloves: never try to roll a heavy rope reel by hand, and watch for broken wires, which are sharp enough to cut through a work glove.

Why rope reels rarely become furniture

Hobbyists sometimes ask for rope reels because they look sturdy. The lubricant soaked into the drum and staves keeps bleeding through finishes for months, smells of petroleum indoors, and marks clothing. Sanding spreads it rather than removing it. We steer table buyers toward clean nailed or plywood cable reels instead, which take stain and varnish predictably.

Spotting one in a yard

Very thick flanges for the size, close-spaced heavy staves, a steel bushing or plate at the arbor, and often grease stains on the drum. Rope suppliers' names are usually stencilled or tagged on the flange.

Handling

• Wear gloves: broken rope wires and grease are common.
• Check for leftover rope ends nailed to the drum.
• Store them on edge, away from drains, so grease doesn't run off.
• Keep suppliers' tagged reels apart for return.

Who uses them in Chicagoland

Crane rental and rigging firms, steel mills and terminals in the Calumet and Northwest Indiana, and elevator and hoist contractors in the city.

Rope reels around the lakefront

The lakefront from the Calumet to Gary has cranes, hoists, docks and mills that all run on wire rope. Riggers there swap rope on a schedule, and the empties arrive at their yards greasy and heavy. We collect them when the supplier doesn't, and keep the greasy ones separate for processing.

Rope reel sizes

Rope reels run from small 24-inch reels of hoist rope for elevators and winches up to 96-inch reels of crane and mooring rope. Their traverse tends to be narrow relative to the flange, and their drums are sized to the rope's minimum bending ratio, which for steel rope is a multiple of its diameter set by the rope maker.

1. 1. Buyback Sound one-way reels, paid for.
2. 2. Maker take-back Returnable reels, routed home.
3. 3. Recycling Past reuse, broken down.
4. 4. Resupply Checked reels to new owners.

Questions

Do rope suppliers take back reels?

Some do. Check the reel tag and ask the supplier before selling.

Can greasy rope reels be recycled?

Yes, through a stream that handles the residue. Tell us about grease when you send photos.

Why are wire rope reels so heavy?

Steel rope is dense and pulls hard, so the reels have thicker flanges, more staves and steel arbor fittings.

Can a wire rope reel be reused for cable?

Often, if it is clean enough. Grease on the drum can damage some cable jackets, so wipe it or use the reel for rope again.

Where do crane companies send empty rope reels?

Back to the rope supplier if it takes them; otherwise to buyback or recycling.

Reel words on this page

Flange

The round side discs that hold the cable in. Flange diameter, edge to edge, is the size a reel is known by.

Drum (barrel)

The cylinder between the flanges that the cable winds around.

Traverse

The inside width between the flanges: how wide a layer of cable can be.

Arbor hole

The centre hole a spindle, shaft or payoff bar passes through.

Drive hole

A smaller hole off-centre in the flange that a drive pin uses to turn the reel.

Lagging / staves

The boards nailed around the drum, and the protective boards sometimes nailed across the flanges over finished cable.

Nailed vs bolted

Nailed reels are held together with nails and built for one trip; bolted reels have through-bolts and steel plates for many.

Returnable reel

A reel its maker expects back, usually stencilled or tagged to say so.

One-way reel

A reel nobody is collecting. Once empty, it belongs to whoever holds it.

Reel tag

The label or plate carrying the maker, the reel number and sometimes the return terms.

Payoff

The stand or trailer a reel turns on while cable is pulled off it.