84 inch wooden spools

Rows read flange × inside traverse × drum. The heavy 84 in build weighs 281 lb more than the standard one and is rated for twice the cable.

A different kind of reel

An 84 in drum isn't just a bigger 48 in reel. The flange boards are thicker and often triple-laid, the drum staves are heavy timbers, steel arbor plates are bolted to both flanges, and tie rods usually run through the drum to hold the flanges together under load. The 48 in drum diameter suits stiff, heavy cable that mustn't be bent tightly. All of that is why drums last for many trips, and why they're worth repairing.

Where they come from

In Dallas-Fort Worth, 84 in drums come mostly from utility and co-op work: underground distribution feeders, substation exits and long primary runs. Data-centre campuses with their own substations use them too. Fewer come from commercial work, and very few from residential.

Rigging an 84 in drum

• Lifting. A forklift rated for the weight with forks long enough to reach under both flange rims, or a crane with a spreader bar through the arbor hole. Not a single sling around the drum.
• Ground. Firm, level and dry. On soft ground, the narrow flange rims sink and the drum tilts.
• Rolling. Only under control, with a winch or a machine holding it back. A free-rolling 84 in drum can't be stopped by people.
• Chocking. Both sides, every time it's set down.

On the truck

An 84 in drum is about 62 in wide overall, so it goes one across a 102 in deck, and six fit along a 48 ft deck. Standing on a 5 ft deck, it makes a load about 12 ft tall, which is why drums this size sometimes go on a step-deck trailer with a lower deck height. Six heavy builds weigh about 5,500 lb.

Reuse

Sound 84 in drums go back to cable work, often with the same contractors and utilities that emptied them, or to rope suppliers for very long lengths. Weathered ones go to ranches and landscapers. Their boards are some of the best repair stock in the yard when a drum finally reaches the end of its life.

Checking an 84 in drum

The usual faults are rot in the lower staves where the drum has stood in water, cracked outer flange boards from forklift tines, loose arbor plate bolts, and slack tie rods from wood shrinking in the summer heat. Tightening rods and replacing a board or two are routine; soft staves across a large part of the drum mean the drum is finished for cable. Before selling, photograph both flange faces, the arbor plates and the lowest part of the drum, and give the traverse if you can measure it.

Returnable drums

Utilities and some cable makers put deposits on drums this size, because they're expensive to replace. Look for an owner's name, a reel number and words like "return" or "property of" on the flange. If they're there, the drum probably goes back. We'll check with you before treating any marked drum as yours to sell.

Drums are sometimes shipped with steel banding around the lagging; cut bands carefully, because they spring back hard.

Questions