I bought a box of 100 feet (30.5 m) 12 AWG cable (12/3) from Costco for other DIY projects, but I had a problem organizing the long and heavy cable. Looking up on the Internet, there are products out there to solve the exact problem (Reel-A-Pail/Quick Winder) but they are not cheap. Honestly speaking it’s not that difficult and fun to build one. I also made a video showing it in action, enjoy!

 
Parts List

  • Home Depot 19 L (5 Gallon) bucket – $4 CAD
  • 10″ Lazy Susan (I had it long time ago)
  • 3″ ABS drain pipe (leftover from DIY projects)
  • Wood from old book shelves (free)
  • 30+ years old sander attachment for drill

Here is complete video:

Comments

  1. Google “Bluecell 10 Inch Heavy Duty Rotating Swivel Steel Ball Bearings Stand for Monitor/TV/Turntable/Lazy Susan” you can find it for $10 at Amazon.com US. I had it long time ago sitting in my basement for ages, I didn’t buy it for this project.

  2. I love this idea and I am in the process of making it. Instead of glue I’ve decided to use l brackets to attach the pipe and make it stronger. I didn’t have a lazy Susan so I’m cutting old boards I have laying around and got the bearings from rona or Home Depot
    Thanx for the instructions

  3. This is my first DIY project so I have a couple of questions:
    What type current drill attachment can I use?
    Would using the 10” Lazy Susan provide an accurate pattern for the drawing the circle on the wood?
    What type current wood should I use?
    What type glue did you use?

    1. – Google for “Drill Mount Sanding Disc”
      – Not really, because top portion of the bucket has larger diameter, you need a pair of compasses for the circle
      – Any wood I got it from old bookshelves
      – The glue I used “Amazing GOOP” (Marine, Household or Automotive any will do)

      1. A string attached to a pencil/pen threaded through a hole in the board will make a fine circle if you don’t have a compass.

  4. I love this project & I have been trying to figure out how to make this for a while. I started using the 5 gallon bucket for a while for my 100’ cord for working in the yard, but since I’m also disabled & have a number of medical issues, I’ve been trying to figure out how to make or add something to the bucket to help retract the cord back into the bucket so the cord can stay untangled. Thanks so much for giving me the solution, & I pretty much have all the materials. The one thing which would be a huge help is if you could post or send me some written instructions, or your pictures with a bit clearer writing. Unfortunately, I can’t make out a lot of the instructions written on the pictures as they are blurry & I’ve never cared to much for watching videos. Just let me know & I’ll keep watch on this site for an answer.

  5. I wanted a line reel for crab fishing and this works great. The one modification I made was to screw down a hook and loop pad to the top so the drill pad can be installed to the drill before sticking it to the pad. It works great!

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