How to DIY Homemade a portable cable reel like Quickwinder (Reel-A-Pail) for 100 ft. 12 gauge cable?

I decided to re-make this video because the old one was horrible, I believe this project can really help all the DIY people out there. I use this cable winder myself a lot, so it has proven to work. It is a really practical project, not just another entertainment video. I hope I can inspire you do DIY.
In this video, I will show you how to make a #Quickwinder (#ReelAPail) using Home Depot bucket, lazy susan, ABS drain pipe and some other hardware. If you ever had 100 feet 12 gauge cable, you know it is very painful to manage that. The local hardware store does not have the retractable cable reel for such length and gauge, even they do it's hand winding and it not handy. This simple project will solve all these problems for you.

[@chefbillyx]

Lower the top a bit so you can add the lid and make the stackable for storage purposes. Great video. 👍

[@CurmudgeonExtraordinaire]

One thing to note is that if you are using a high wattage device on your power cord for an extended period of time, you should unwind the cord from the reel completely, otherwise it can overheat. I saw someone melt a reel of extension cord once when he plugged a large popcorn maker into it for a community fair type endeavor that was in the community center's parking lot. It melted into a monolithic wire and plastic mess, started smoking, and caught fire... He had basically created half of a transformer and wasn't aware that transformers tend to heat up...

[@DIYable]

Totally agree. It's a very good advice. Indeed the same will happen to any professional power cord reels or even UL listed retractable wall mount reels. That's exactly the reason why electrical code don't allow Romex in PVC conduit and need to use T90 (Canada) or THWN (US). For any other readers don't know the number 90, it's temperature rating. Thanks for sharing.

[@CurmudgeonExtraordinaire]

@@DIYable -- I wasn't aware of the Romex in PVC conduit issue... But the few times I've run Romex in conduit, I have used metal conduit and it has been in a short run or 10 ft or less for circuits that did not use much electricity (e.g. outlet to plug electric rotisserie into in outdoor kitchen / BBQ area)...

[@cranexdragon1046]

@@CurmudgeonExtraordinaireyeah romex is not to be placed into conduit unless specific circumstances allow it. Typically this is a no across the board

[@maggiemurray8522]

Following your video I made this bucket for 12 gauge electrical cord. Didn’t use the drill but instead used a long wooden upright handle. Works like a charm. Even impressed the husband. Thank you 🇨🇦

[@eldonjanzen9822]

I really appreciate this video. Well done with the needed details and most importantly; NO MUSIC in the background, thank you!! Just good instructions and to the point! Well done🤗

[@annagraham6204]

Still highly annoying, unless you enjoy DIY tips from Count Dracula.

[@robertthegrape2192]

Yes, no stupid background music! And who gives a crap about the gentleman’s accent, it was easily understandable!

[@catjensen847]

I like that you showed and talked about issues you came upon while making it, time saver. thanks

[@nerddub]

I would recommend for folks building portable versions of this to maybe make a detachable crank handle that stows in or on the bucket to manually wind the reel in for cases where you need your cord or air but don’t have your drill

[@DIYable]

Good suggestion, thanks for your input!

[@pasqualeparente9776]

An Allen key similar to the IKEA type but much larger.

[@andycheung1337]

The corner brackets can be inserted and screwed inside the pipe to prevent the extension cord from rubbing against the metal of the brackets. Another solution is to use silicone caulking, hot glue, or duct tape over the metal brackets and the screws. I think it works better in the long run.

[@tonymak9213]

Not often you see making something actually useful, that doesn't involve tools and equipment normal DIYers don't have access to. In addition, a useful end result. Well done that man, give yourself a gold star.

[@DIYable]

Thanks for the comments!!! Glad it helped!

[@erikandersen4811]

Not going to lie, this is going to be a super helpful upgrade to my shop. $30 project vs $100 hose reel is a lot more doable for the amount of cable I have running around. Thank you!

[@stufields5125]

I like your presentation and I immediately built two. I made a minor change using round pieces of 1 1/2 thick wood inside of the 3" pipe in lieu of the angle pieces. It took more time, but I didn't like the metal edges of the angles in close to the wire. Thanks again for the idea and presentation.

[@littlejackalo5326]

The metal angle brackets won't cause any harm to a cable, especially since the wire is stationary on the spindle.

[@williambranham6249]

I'm dealing with this problem now. Thank you very helpful!

[@darrellblair5818]

I liked the hell out of this idea. I already use a 5 gal bucket and manually roll my cord inside. It comes out great, but coiling it back takes time. Your system is fantastic. Guess what? I'm going to use your idea. THANKS.

[@DIYable]

Glad you like it.

[@salforeman771]

Very nice I have a bucket flat piece of wood on the bottom a tube and manually go around around around great I'm halfway there thanks for great video I didn't know there was a video like this I hear this will help me finish my project that I started three years ago thank you so much I enjoyed it

[@BubbasDad]

I like your workmate. Been using one for over 40 years. Still a great tool.

[@DIYable]

Great to hear!

[@ibfgarage9365]

Pretty cool idea...might have to build one. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@Jack-Surreal_Panes]

I used one of those carousel you use in a cabinet or on a kitchen table that you can put salt pepper ketchup etc... worked pretty well

[@weekendwarrior9570]

Excellent video and process. Thank you for sharing. I have a mile of string that I want to put on a reel. This is an excellent solution. Bless you. I'm going to use bearing instead of wheels to smooth out the rotations a bit. Thanks again.

[@Coconutoilcrazy]

Best tutorial of the decade!

[@DIYable]

Glad you like it

[@johnbarnett2804]

I made this, I cut out and put the lid on it. Just cut out the rim. that's all you need to keep it from falling out if the bucket falls over in the van. Also I put a square piece of plywood about 14 inches square on the bottom to stand on wail reeling it up. Harbor Freight has Rollers that work perfect under the wooden reel. 5/8 in. Roller Ball Bearing . Only $0.99. I also sprayed the bottom of the bucket with a silicone spray. Makes the roller glide even better for unreeling it. I made one for a 100'ft extension cord. and one for a 50'ft air hose. I tried to scale it down to a smaller bucket for a 50'ft cord but this doesn't scale down very well. You have to hold the bucket wail cranking it wail also tiring to guide the extension cord so it winds up evenly on the reel. So it works good just get the rollers from Harbor Freight and add something to stand on and you'll be happy with it.

[@jamesallen6007]

Excellent video, in all aspects. I like projects like this, because they are like me, nice and simple! 🇬🇧😷👍

[@dieuhoquang1]

Brilliant! Thanks for sharing.

[@rkerby6375]

Amazing and cool! Well done!

[@BrotherLoveRevivals]

Thanks for the video. Very cool and practical.

[@TORAH-613]

Much needed diy project

[@joeyg283]

You are a smart man sir

[@jeffcmo1957]

Looks like i know what folks are getting for Christmas.

[@SergioOkuma]

I like you voice and you way to show how you do those things.. Congratulations amazing job .

[@DIYable]

So nice of you!!!

[@Nobody_Nowhere_Never]

I have been trying to think of something like this for a decade. Thank you for making the world better. Also, the narration is super cool.

[@claytonsadventures7607]

What a great idea!

[@mmadchef808]

Next level….this is awesome 👍🏻

[@dandesouto6076]

Wonderful idea 💡

[@mykolashatkovskyi8817]

Awesome video - thank you!

[@bryansmith5980]

Cool Idea. I am going to make one or two of these.

[@DIYable]

Go for it! It's fun weekend project to do!

[@BlankSlate1111]

Cool idea SIR!

[@JDCANALESTX]

Such a great idea,Thank you for sharing .

[@DIYable]

You are so welcome!

[@mikedtubey]

Perfect!!! Thanks for the share!!!

[@thomasr1051]

This is so great. Thank you

[@livingwould8047]

That is cool I'm definitely making me like 4 of those

[@robertcasey7312]

Thanks for the great video.

[@mikewebster9500]

I may need one of these

[@mikeeaton9822]

Now I have to build one. Thanks

[@DIYable]

You should!!! Glad it helped

[@mesafirstkids]

I think I’m going to make a smaller version of this for under my workbench using a 4” pvc as the bucket. It should do fine for a 10-15’ extension cord. Great job, Thank you.

[@doctordutch]

I love. I'll have to make one one day

[@dwight9045]

Thank you very much for sharing, I personally love it. I probably will make it just a little lower to be able to ensure I can put a lid on the top of it and protect the plug. Still, I absolutely love it.

[@littlejackalo5326]

What do you think it's going to happen to the plug?

[@mandelaaffected5059]

@@littlejackalo5326 Water, sawdust, etc. I assume.

[@mrglsjr]

You never know when it's in the back of the work truck.

[@ALSomthin]

I like it I think I will make a few for gifts.

[@steventhehistorian]

This is so awesome.

[@robertb8280]

Really great. I am going to build one.

[@DIYable]

Go for it!

[@Struthio_Camelus]

Thank you @DIYable - I'm reel-ly going into production mode.

[@joseescalante9009]

Great Idea thanks

[@mp3625]

Fun project

[@WillPower311]

Great Stuff!!!

[@MrJamesTimmons]

Great idea and thanks for sharing. The voice is simultaneously annoying and comforting which is confusing but your guidance and methodology is clear and direct. I will meditate and reflect on subscribing.

[@brettm1118]

That'd be perfect for Christmas lights!

[@DIYable]

I have a new video "How to easily troubleshoot and fix broken LED Christmas light?" you may find it helpful too.. Just FYI... kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKbYmHqsgZ57Y7s

[@robertvanderbaan3722]

Great rv idea

[@karenstein6112]

Excellent!

[@LesterMoore]

Brilliant.

[@ISOSAILING]

My god a diy video that's actuary worth making!! i did laugh when you said lazy Susan had balls though haha

[@MyStein1]

That's Great man!!

[@DIYable]

Don't let your neighbors see it or they will get jealous LOL

[@MyStein1]

Lol!!

[@PWlangford1]

Very cool.

[@chuckrohrer8119]

Great idea

[@DIYable]

Thank you! 😊

[@JustShawnie]

Genius! Thank you

[@adamf1498]

Super convenient. Only problem is it will take up a lot more space than plain old coiled up cords and hoses. If that isn’t an issue then this is amazing

[@Sctronic209]

Very handy

[@brandonsavoie5588]

Thank you so much and ive been trying to find these types of videos and anyone else here have any ideas how to do this similarly but have 2 seperate cords going in 2 seperate direction's. The directions would be like the bottom of the bucket and then a side of the bucket. ive been working on a fun little project and its similar to this but been struggling to create the jig i need.

[@Rudimentary007]

Damn nice concept 👍👍

[@DIYable]

Glad you like it!!

[@carsandconcerts]

Awesome!!!👍👍👍

[@Retrocowboy100]

THAT IS FANTASTIC. I DJ wedding and events and this would help my set up/tear down time. You should sell these on ebay, I'd buy one.

[@DIYable]

Drop the beat DJ!!!

[@gliddenplumbing2156]

Inconceivable! Thank you Fesic.

[@MAGAMAN]

Inst4ead of that plastic lazy susan, but a lazy susan turntable which is just a metal bracket with bearings in it. It will work much better than that amazon plastic thing you used. The friction from her wood on the top will eventually wear through the bucket, so wrapping it in something like UHMW or PTFE will allow the wood to spin much easier and prevent wear. Of course you could just build the whole thing out of wood using 4 pieces of 2x4 and lazy susan turntables on both ends and get an even smoother reel and unlimited size.

[@KayNinjaPrime4]

Awesome!!!

[@genuinemagic777]

Good one 🤗

[@DIYable]

Thanks 🤗

[@danielstartek9729]

Nice wideo.

[@aquariusdawning]

that's awesome.

[@DIYable]

Glad you like it :)

[@keikun6969original]

You beautiful bastard. You have just made my job so much easier...

[@AlphaTroniks]

👌👌 perfect idea

[@DIYable]

Try it! It is pretty good!

[@dvolada81]

pure genius

[@bogdanpashchenko2142]

I lost it at the decoupling part. I believe this video also follows KISS principle, though. Nice one, thanks!

[@AllenReinecke]

Just finished making mine. I repurposed a Lowes 5 gall bucket (it had a split bottom!), 1/2" plywood and I welded a 14mm hex headed bolt to a plate and screwed that assy onto the top to rotate the drum with my drill. A brushed drill is more controllable. My Dewalt brushless drill goes from alnost nothing to full speed with just a small extra press of the trigger. Nearly took my wrist off! Finally able to quickly stow a 100 ft 12 AWG extension cord. 150ft is too much. Used the same lazy susan off Amazon for about $9! I cut the side of the bucket with an angle grinder and thin cut-off disc after drilling four 1/2" holes in the corners. Cut easily and very safely like a hot knife through butter! Thought about using marbles or ball bearings for rollers, but they would bunch up unless held in relative position to each other. I did place the curved bucket cutout in the bottom (curve up in center) and that worked pretty well, but collapsed with the weight of the cord. Thanks for the video idea!

[@DIYable]

Thanks for sharing your experience!!!

[@bayouboy6615]

this is cool

[@407pit]

Is this Count Chocula or Count Von Count😆? Thanks for your video sir it was very informative 👍

[@rmccarrillo1759]

Hahahahahahahaha!!!!

[@ashzole]

(in the style of Count Chocula) “I vant to vater and reel vour lawn! ahh ahh ahh ahhh”

[@Jenuin]

Well I’m building four of these. Two for my air hoses and two for my cables. Work & Home versions.

[@shopcatt643]

Me too!

[@craigyarmulasr1845]

Great idea. I know what I'm doing next weekend. Stay safe my Friend

[@davidsteinfeld9123]

can think it will be a bit to rough for a cordless drill however very nice idea i do have a question about the insides of your contraption about how long a cord can it acomadat will it work for lets say 100ft cord

[@redroseaus]

How nice! Thanks for sharing 😊

[@DIYable]

My pleasure 😊

[@cheydowdy9334]

Just a idea, you could add two flip down down stops to the front to stop the movement when unwinding. Thanks for the video, it's a great idea

[@DIYable]

That's a great idea!

[@rosscat1226]

Has anyone used pull starter recoil spring?

[@rogergordillo1168]

Can u pls post an example of the stop

[@pduranize]

perfecto

[@ScrappyTheKnell]

@DIYable - You might lose a tiny bit of space, but have you considered using a small amount of self-leveling concrete on the bottom instead of the plywood to give it a bit of weight so you don't need the ties or the 2x4 to keep it still?

[@eddiefoy3701]

Needs the lid (Really just the rim plus a little bit) to hold the spool in/keep from falling out.

[@DIYable]

Not a bad suggestion!!!

[@timm2020]

So Arnold is now making KZbin videos!! lol

[@alonzoquinones8976]

Great, great, great

[@edilenelimagorda9325]

Maravilhoso!

[@joshuamittie791]

Cut a nine inch ring of plywood half inch wide thick and center in bottom and throw in a few marbles and save 10 on the Susan

[@mykolashatkovskyi8817]

I'll deffinetly try it out! Thanx!

[@AztecWarrior69]

Why not just throw in a 89 cent bag of marbles. No need for a ring at all.

[@MrXstacey]

Thanks for this. The problem I’m trying to solve, is I’m a cable installer seeking a redesign for deploying cable reels with minimal cargo space. This unlocked some great ideas for me. End of comment for most. My geeky thought, picture taking a hand cart/dolly, lay it down. Create a lazy Susan from the larger cable reel ends, put that down on the back of the dolly. Put a centre post in the lazy Susan to put a reel on. Telescoping handle, inline skate wheels, hoping to condense folded size to around 2’x2’x6” use centre post to anchor structure by driving it in the ground. I need to transport 1000’ of rg11 cable to the site, and deploy it. I see space saving options that don’t help with transport, and transportation options that take up too much space. I think I can solve this now :)

[@charlescho]

Can a garden hose also be used with this? If so, how long of a hose could you use?

[@ProjectAnubisUSA]

Awesome👍🏻🇺🇸

[@DIYable]

Thanks 👍

[@ghambino1]

This beats buying a retractable hose compressor for 129.00 which i wont pay it. Thanks for the video

[@DIYable]

Glad it helped you saving some money

[@efrainberrios8494]

Great!...🤗

[@DIYable]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@davidroman1654]

Bought a bucket and a water hose winder. Use the hose winder and it works great and I still have a good new bucket.

[@rogergordillo1168]

Can u post a link for winder

[@LiveTravelandLove]

I would like to see that mounted on a wall❤

[@thetruthseeker-hk2kq]

Try mounting a piece of rubber on the bottom might stop it from sliding