Plywood reels
A plywood reel has flanges cut from a single sheet instead of planks. It is light, cheap and common on fibre-optic cable, small control cable and wire sold by distributors. Plywood reels ride along easily, resell to makers in good condition, and are sorted apart from plank reels when they go to recycling.
Where plywood reels come from
Fibre-optic cable is light, and it ships on light reels. As fibre goes into the ground across the region, plywood reels pile up at contractors' yards between jobs. California's middle-mile network alone includes 421 miles in Los Angeles County, and private builders such as Arcadian Infracom are laying hundreds of miles more across Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Each pull leaves empties behind. See fibre and broadband for that work.
Distributors also ship cut lengths of small cable and wire on plywood reels, and electrical contractors collect them at the back of the shop.
How they differ from plank reels
- Flange. One sheet, often three-quarters of an inch thick or less, instead of boards on battens.
- Drum. Often a cardboard or thin wooden tube rather than staves.
- Fastening. Glue, staples or a few screws through the drum ends, sometimes a threaded rod.
- Weight. Noticeably lighter than a plank reel of the same flange size.
- Life. Shorter outdoors: water gets between the plies.
Pickup
Plywood reels are almost always small enough to hand load and almost never a full truck on their own, so they ride along on a run that is already passing. Stack them flat, dry and in one place. Tell us the flange sizes and roughly how many; a crew yard with forty 30 inch plywood reels takes about a fifth of a deck, a ride-along on any lane.
Resale and recycling
Clean plywood reels with flat flanges sell to makers: they make light side tables, wall pieces and display stands, and the smooth face takes paint and stain better than rough planks. They are not much use for heavy cable again. Delaminated, swollen or broken ones go to recycling, sorted apart from solid lumber because plywood contains glue. The resale or recycling guide explains the grading.
Turning a plywood reel into something
Makers like plywood flanges because they are already flat and round. Sand the face with a medium grit, seal the cut edge with a coat of finish so moisture cannot creep between the plies, and fill the arbor hole or use it for a lamp cord or an umbrella pole. Plywood reels make good side tables and planter stands; they are too light for a bar top or a dining table, where a plank reel with a thick flange is better. See spools for tables for the sizes that suit each use.
A note on tube drums
Cardboard drums are not wood. Pull them out if they come apart easily; if not, leave them in and we sort them.
Fibre crews between jobs
A fibre crew's yard fills in bursts: a week of pulls through Huntington Park or along a middle-mile route leaves a pile of light reels, then nothing for a fortnight. That rhythm suits a standing pickup timed to the end of each phase, or a ride-along whenever the pile reaches a few dozen. Tell us the crew's schedule and we will match the run to it.
Words on this page
- Flange
- The round end of a reel; its diameter (24 to 96 inches and up) is how reels are sized, sorted and loaded.
- Drum
- The barrel between the flanges that the cable winds on; its diameter sets how much cable a reel holds.
- Arbor hole
- The centre hole a reel stand's spindle goes through; a torn or oval arbor hole takes a reel out of service.
- One-way reel
- A reel meant to be used once and disposed of; the bulk of what sits in contractor yards.
- Ride along
- A small pickup added to a run that is already going that way, instead of a dedicated truck.
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Plywood reel questions
Are plywood reels returnable?
Seldom. They are built as one-way reels. If one carries an owner's stencil, we treat it as returnable like any other.
Do plywood reels hold up outdoors?
Not for long. The layers swell and separate when they stay wet. Keep them under cover or off the ground if you want to sell them.
How many fit on a truck?
The same as plank reels of the same flange size. They are lighter, but the deck fills by space, not weight.
Can a plywood reel go in the green bin?
No. Plywood is glued and reels carry staples and screws, so they are not yard trimmings. They go to a wood recycler instead.
Do plywood and plank reels travel together?
Yes, on the same deck, sorted by flange size. Plywood stacks are lighter, so they usually ride on top of a plank stack of the same diameter.
Why are some plywood reels painted?
Branding, mostly, and a little weather protection. Paint does not change how a reel loads; heavy paint can narrow its resale to buyers who plan to repaint anyway.