Horizontal Spools

It may be dangerous to generalize, but spools provide the smoothest operation of any descender class. This is one reason that spools were the preferred lowering device for the ascending races at the NSS convention each year, at least when spool owners ran the event. Their disadvantages offset their advantages, and they are seldom used for caving. The biggest problem is their weight, and to a lesser extent, their size. They are also incremental friction devices at best, since one can only change friction by changing the number of loops that the rope makes around the spool. Some designs allow this to be done on rope, others do not.

Some spools are susceptible to having the rope come off if the user is not careful. I've marked the worst offenders with a warning icon.

ID	Device ↓	Description	Acquired	Weight ↓	Height ↓	Width ↓	Thickness ↓	Std. volume ↓
579	Cuddington Spool	Chrome-plated steel spool, guide coils.	John E. Weinel, Inc., 2000	1272	225	129	92	2679
1268	Drum	Bronze spool, fixed & pivoting side plates, pivoting guide arm with screw lock.	Julian Turner, 2010	699	157	106	72	1210
418	Forrest Rope Rider	Al tube on steel frame, Al rope retention pin.	John E. Weinel, Inc., 1985	412	219	122	39	1042
419	Forrest Rope Rider Jr.	Al tube on steel frame, Al rope retention pin.	John E. Weinel, Inc., 1985	300	170	76	39	504
420	Garre A. Conner	Al spool and 3 Al bollards mounted on Al back plate. Noncommercial.	John E. Weinel, Inc., 1985	719	300	91	57	1556
550	Lewis Spool	Steel tube /w welded steel bar eye arm and rope guides. Noncommercial.	Warren Lewis, 1998	1462	272	114	142	4403
1240	Steinke Spool	Steel spool, 1 welded and 1 rotating bolted arm, wide flange, no guides.	Ted Steinke, 2009	849	214	103	79	1730
3228	Storrick Helical Spool	Al spool, helical rope groove, 9.5mm. 1018 frame	Gary Storrick, 2022	667	222	76	51	865
424	Storrick Rappel Hammer, Version A	Galvanized pipes welded in "T" shape, with end plate rope guides. Noncommercial.	Gary Storrick, 1991	1957	250	160	110	4400
1071	Storrick Rappel Hammer, Version B	Hammer shaped, 1018 steel Noncommercial.	Gary Storrick, 2007	2263	340	82	75	2105
3089	Storrick Rappel Hammer, Version C	Hammer shaped, 7075 Al.	Gary Storrick, 2021	1652	289	138	60	2404
3090	Storrick Rappel Hammer, Version D	Hammer shaped, 7075 Al.	Gary Storrick, 2021	597	270	87	48	1130
3057	Storrick Rappelling Log	Catalpa spool bolted between channel-iron sides, lap link eyes.	Gary Storrick, 2021	1023	198	185	70	2542
427	Storrick Spool	SS spool, SS arm /w eye, SS guide coils, rope retention bolt. Noncommercial.	Robert W. Storrick	1261	169	108	121	2205
3048	Storrick Tapered Spool	12L14 spool, 1018 arms, chain link tie-ins.	Gary Storrick, 2021	1829	159	88	82	1152
1137	University of Virginia Rappelling Log	Wood spool bolted between angle-iron sides, cold shut eyes.	Dwight Deal, 2007	1927	304	204	78	4851
1281	Unknown	Al spool, 2 guide pins, 2 arms, cold shut tie-ins.	J. W. Jackson, 2011	803	177	113	82	1639
3309	Vertical Supply Keychain Rappel Tube UNSAFE! Decorative use only.	Steel tube sliding on steel shaft /w eye & rope guide, two horizontal pin guides	Bassett Metal Studios, 2023	36	77	27	38	79
423	Vertical Supply Rappel Tube, Version A	SS tube sliding on SS shaft /w eye & rope guide, two vertical pin guides, cooling sponge.	Vertical Supply, 1993	498	145	112	59	958
3310	Vertical Supply Rappel Tube, Version B	SS tube sliding on SS shaft /w eye & rope guide, two vertical pin guides, cooling sponge	Bassett Metal Studios, 2023	475	149	102	58	874
422 3300	Vertical Supply Rappel Tube Prototype, Version A	SS tube sliding on SS shaft /w eye & rope guide, two horizontal pin guides.	Vertical Supply, 1994 Bassett Metal Studios, 2023	438	168	84	100	1411
3301	Vertical Supply Rappel Tube Prototype, Version B	Al tube sliding on SS shaft /w eye & rope guide, two vertical pin guides	Bassett Metal Studios, 2023	333	151	103	69	1078
3302	Vertical Supply Rappel Tube Prototype, Version C	SS tube sliding on SS shaft /w eye & rope guide, two vertical pin guides	Bassett Metal Studios, 2023	502	157	103	67	1088
3303	Vertical Supply Rappel Tube Prototype, Version D	SS tube, SS shaft /w eye & rope guide, two vertical pin guides	Bassett Metal Studios, 2023	483	164	100	58	958
3304	Vertical Supply Rappel Tube Prototype, Version E	SS tube, SS shaft /w eye & rope guide, two vertical pin guides	Bassett Metal Studios, 2023	437	135	83	67	750
3347	Vertical Supply Rappel Tube Prototype, Version F	SS tube, SS shaft /w eye & rope guide, two vertical pin guides	Ed Sira, 2023	494	168	102	59	1007