2007 - Volume #31, Issue #3, Page #35
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2-Wheeled Wire Unroller
He started with the 14-in. wheels and front spindles off a 1973 Ford Pinto, welding a piece of metal tubing between the spindles to serve as the axle. There's a trailer ball hitch on front. The reel is held inside a rectangular metal frame that bolts to the axle.
A homemade brake is used to adjust tension on the reel so the wire doesn't unwind too fast and get tangled up. The brake consists of a double V-belt and a long metal handle attached to a pair of pulleys, one for each belt. Both belts ride on a double-groove pulley that's attached to the axle. Car brake pads weld to each end of the handle. Pushing on the handle allows the reel to rotate faster; pulling on the handle slows the reel down.
The spool can be easily removed from the trailer, making it possible to load the reel and trailer separately into the back of a pickup.
"I came up with the idea because we had a very wet spring last year and there was no way to unroll wire with a pickup without getting stuck," says Hittle. "The top end of the handle has a spring on it that's attached to a chain. I hook the chain on a hook to keep the belt tight. Then I use the brake handle to adjust the reel speed."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Robert Hittle, 1731 Road P, Liberal, Kansas 67901 (ph 620 624-3112).
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