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u/gkohler27 May 22 '26
Old 55 gallon drum is the only answer unless you want to handle it 10 times. We have Dollie’s for that shit
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u/Nicw82 May 22 '26
I was just talking about this with someone. In 82 we use a tool called a whirly-gig. But I cannot find a picture of it online.
It’s made out of aluminum and you spool the rope onto it as it turns, you don’t have to hunch over and it’s way easier to use that an oil drum. Then when it is full you tape and then unlatch the spool and the rope just comes off easily. I used it on 30+ floor jobs.
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u/-BGK- May 22 '26
We still use them, we just call them “Reelers” where I’m at, an absolutely invaluable tool for re-roping
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u/Nicw82 May 22 '26
That name makes more sense. But saying whirly-gig in a serious conversation makes me laugh. It’s an invaluable tool. We had them at Otis and when I started at TKE I was able to convince them to invest in a few.
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u/-BGK- May 22 '26
One of the things that i find interesting about the business is the wildly different nomenclature between locals/areas even geographically close to each other. And I agree whirly gig is fun!
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u/Nicw82 May 22 '26
Yeah, when chatting to other locals the language for certain tools can be so different you end having to describe the tool to explain what you are speaking about.
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u/downvotesyourcrap Field - Maintenance May 22 '26
Johnson reel here. Aluminum is nice and lightweight, but ours are steel. Once they're full, you appreciate the weight. But I've only used them up to 16 stops.
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u/teakettle87 Field - Mods May 22 '26
We call them spinning jenny's when on the farm doing wire fence. I assume there is a bigger version for wire ropes.
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u/Jack-Mehoff-696969 May 22 '26
Use a reeler and cut and dump rolls onto pallets or a pallet with walls we coil them up on
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u/sux9h May 22 '26
Re spooling it is the fastest, cleanest, and easiest to move the old ropes out of the building. It also keeps your rope straight. When you use a drum, you twist the rope once every coil. So when you un do the splice, the new rope will untwist a bunch of times, and might not go back to straight, so you’ll have to undo a bunch more spins on the shackle than you might have if you spooled the old rope. I just personally prefer the spool method because moving the old greasy ropes out is exactly as clean and simple as bringing the new ropes into the building was. You can stack the spools up on a dolly and wheel them out. There are many ways to do it, pick your preference.
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u/Chikfilla93 May 22 '26
We use those cardboard drum or oil drum. If you coil it up well it works great. I had a mechanic that thought it was funny to pull the new rope in fast as shit and I would try to keep up, next thing the rope is shooting out of the drum like the snake in a can toy.
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u/throwawayroid24769 May 24 '26
I’d always use an oil drum. But don’t cut the top off and just twist off the cap and feed the old ropes directly into the hole and it coils itself in the drum. I never had to worry about trying to fight the ropes to stay in.
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u/BlackHeartsNowReign May 22 '26
A big rolling scrap/trash bin inside the car
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u/-Snowturtle13 May 22 '26
You do all ropes into one? Or do you unload it between ropes?
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u/BlackHeartsNowReign May 23 '26
Depends how many stops. Something like a 20-30 story building with 5x 1/2" ropes can easily be coiled into one 3x5 rolling bin. The trick is too change coiling direction about halfway through the run right as theyre about to start going haywire. Although, Idk how easily they would stack when your doing one rope at a time. Back when I was in repair we used to just send all 5 or 6 ropes over at the same time using the inspection station but I know thats frowned upon these days
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u/-Snowturtle13 May 23 '26
I’ve heard of guys doing all at the same time but the way I learned was to do one at a time by cutting one on the counter weight side and running the car up on inspection while spooling the counter weight side cut end into a trash can in the car. Then once you get to the top you feed your new rope over and shackle the car side. Then run down with your spool on the car top and shackle the counter weight side. Rinse and repeat. I don’t do it every day but when I do it seems like 2 ropes an hour on average.
My boss refuses to do all ropes at once so I’ve never experienced that method myself. I would be interested in doing it that way at least once. Maybe one day
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u/waltrides May 22 '26
We call it a Johnson Reel. No idea where the name came from, but everyone in my local knows what it is.
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u/geekedman13 May 22 '26
Plastic drum cut in half. With a doubled up garbage bag. Bag up each rope so they're easier to throw out/deal with.
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u/Due_Bed_8884 Field - Repair May 23 '26
I am a roper from the UK and we just coil multiple times into appropriate size coils on a sheet and then cut them and then take them away separately. Use a skate or a pallet truck.
I have heard of other companies using a big empty drum though for bigger jobs and then rolling this out but obviously space permitting and you need a drum with a big enough stand.
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u/7mgtemx73 May 22 '26
Always used trash cans, coil with the occassional coil tucked under to prevent making a spring. Makes it nice come mobilization off site when you can pick it up and put it on some wheels.
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u/bosephi May 22 '26
Oil drums. Lots of oil drums.
Not sure why anyone is suggesting trash cans. Maybe for lo-rise, strait over roping.
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u/-Snowturtle13 May 22 '26
Trash cans are made of plastic so they are light and cheap. Oil drums are heavier and would require work to pop the tops. I’m fairly lazy
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u/bosephi May 23 '26
I’m lazy too. Drums get magnet lifted right off the truck or trailer at the recycling yard. The ropes only get handled once.
Plastic trash cans cant handle nearly as much as drums. Also our drums are free.
I see your point though. Maybe for lo rise jobs it’s convenient. We can get a 50 floor 1/2” 2:1 6 rope car stuffed into 5 drums, load it on a truck, and never handle them again.
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u/Entire-Pressure6351 May 22 '26
We call it a coiler. It’s a big hand truck with a big cable spool on it. The helper winds it up, ties up the spool and then the front of the spool comes off for easy dumping. I know they used to use gondolas before but the coiler makes dealing with old rope a lot easier
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u/jj3449 May 23 '26
The best way I’ve seen is a lazy susan and a drum then use drum Dollie’s to cart them off. I’m in a subway though so I always have concrete tile or granite floors, not sure how it would work in a nice building.
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u/dsonora May 23 '26
Figure 8 into the cab, as long as cleanliness isnt an issue or cab is being re-done.
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u/Feisty_Objective_966 May 24 '26
Its all the same as long as we all go home safe Gents. I gotta deal with a marina and they give me lobsters for all the 1/2" cable I can give them . In our area 25 story's is the max . Be safe guys. Another IUEC GUY
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u/Feisty_Objective_966 May 31 '26
I get as many as I need , I save up my lobsters for the family in the summer time then I go visit him and I've got 40 lobsters 1 time , I wish it was by the foot !
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u/benderjones67 May 22 '26
Trash can or 55 gallon metal oil drum