Figure 4-8. - Throwing a back turn to make wire lie down.

HANDLING AND CARE OF WIRE ROPE

To render safe, dependable service over a maximum period of time, wire rope must have the care and upkeep necessary to keep it in good condition. In this section, we'll discuss various ways of caring for and handling wire rope. Not only should you study these procedures carefully, you should also practice them on your job to help you do a better job now. In the long run, the life of the wire rope will be longer and more useful.

Coiling and Uncoiling

Once a new reel has been opened, it may be either coiled or faked down like line. The proper direction of coiling is counterclockwise for left-laid wire rope and clockwise for right-laid rope. Because of the general toughness and resilience of wire, however, it occasionally tends to resist being coiled down. When this occurs, it is useless to fight the wire by forcing down a stubborn turn; it will only spring up again. But if it is thrown in a back turn, as shown in figure 4-8, it will lie down properly. A wire rope, when faked down, will run right off like line; but when wound in a coil, it must always be unwound.

Wire rope tends to kink during uncoiling or unreeling, especially if it has been in service for a long time. A kink can cause a weak spot in the rope, which will wear out quicker than the rest of the rope. A good method for unreeling wire rope is to run a pipe or rod through the center and mount the reel on drum jacks or other supports so the reel is off the ground or deck (figure 4-9.) In this way, the reel will turn as the rope is unwound, and the rotation of the reel will help keep the rope straight. During unreeling, pull the rope straight forward, as shown in figure 4-9, and try to avoid hurrying the operation. As a safeguard against kinking, never unreel wire rope from a stationary reel.

To uncoil a small coil of wire rope, simply stand the coil on edge and roll it along the ground or deck like a wheel or hoop, as illustrated in figure 4-9. Never lay the coil flat on the deck or ground and uncoil it by pulling on the end because such practice can kink or twist the rope.

To rewind wire rope back onto a reel or a drum, you may have difficulty unless you remember that it tends to roll in the direction opposite the lay. For example, a right-laid wire rope tends to roll to the left.

Figure 4-9. - Unreeling wire rope (left) and uncoiling wire rope (right).