Simple and Sturdy Wire Spools From CPVC Pipe and Foam Board

On an electronics workbench, one often needs a few different wires of different types, and colors. Storing them on spools makes it easy to organise them, so that they don't float around and create a tangly mess. In this instructable, I will show you how to make some using some easily available materials, that you might even salvage from scrap.

• PVC foam board, preferably 5mm thick (available at places where they print large hoardings etc. where you might get it as scrap too. Also available at craft stores under different local names. Here, it is called sunboard)
• CPVC pipe (available at plumber/hardware store)
• Craft knife (or hole saw for quicker work)
• Nail / toothpick / skewer (or drill for quicker work)
• CPVC glue (available at plumbing store)
• Pipe cutter / saw

Decide on the diameter of your spool. (I chose 60mm... rather arbitrarily). You need to make discs such that the inner diameter of the disc is a tight fit on the pipe.

If you plan to use a craft knife, draw the circles out using a template, or a compass. Then follow along the curve with a craft knife. Heating the knife with a flame will make the job easier, but is not strictly necessary. You will not be able to cut the entire depth of the material in one pass. Make gentle cuts over multiple passes. Any imperfections can be sanded down later if needed

If you have a hole saw, cutting discs with it is fairly easy. Cut the outer diameter first, so that the hole created by the centre drill bit can be used for centering the hole while cutting the inner diameter.

Drill two additional small holes (2-3mm dia for single core breadboard wires) towards the edge. These will act as wire retainers later

Use a pipe cutter or a saw to chop the pipe up to the right lengths (i chose 70mm, again arbitrarily).

The CPVC glue is a solvent based glue that binds to both the CPVC pipe and the foam board. the nice thing about it is that it gives you adequate time to fool around to get it to the right position (~1min) and then it hardens quite quickly. Apply the glue on both ends of the pipe. slide the discs on both ends. Wipe off excess. And let it dry for a 5 minutes.

Wind up the wire on the spool. Put the free end of the wire through the small holes we drilled earlier. this will prevent the wire from unwinding itself.