A breakdown spool comprising: a substantially hollow barrel having a longitudinal axis, a barrel wall surrounding the longitudinal axis and forming an annular winding surface, and an insertion section formed on each axial end of the barrel wall; a pair of similarly formed flange members, each flange member having a support surface, a central recess positioned within the support surface, the central recess formed for receiving the insertion section of the barrel, the central recess having an outer peripheral wall, the outer peripheral wall having an inside diameter closely dimensioned with an outside diameter of the annular winding surface of the barrel wall; the insertion sections of the barrel and the central recess of each flange member having first and second engagement elements for releasably securing the flange members to the axial ends of the barrel, the first and second engagement elements having different structural forms; characterized in that the insertion sections of the barrel and the central recess of each flange member have interconnecting alignment elements to fix the relative position of the axial end of the barrel with respect to the central recess of the flange members and to align the respective first and second engagement elements on the insertion section and the outer peripheral wall around the perimeter of the central recess, wherein the first and second engagement elements on one axial end of the barrel and on one flange member being engaged upon connection of the alignment elements during axial introduction of the insertion section of the one axial end of the barrel into the central recess of the one flange member, and wherein the first engagement elements are separately released from the second engagement elements and further release the connection of the alignment elements, and upon release of the first engagement elements the second engagement elements are released by rotation of the flange member about the barrel axis with respect to the axial end of the barrel followed by an axial separation of the flange member and barrel end. a substantially hollow barrel having a longitudinal axis, a barrel wall surrounding the longitudinal axis and forming an annular winding surface, and an insertion section formed on each axial end of the barrel wall; a pair of similarly formed flange members, each flange member having a support surface, a central recess positioned within the support surface, the central recess formed for receiving the insertion section of the barrel, the central recess having an outer peripheral wall, the outer peripheral wall having an inside diameter closely dimensioned with an outside diameter of the annular winding surface of the barrel wall; the insertion sections of the barrel and the central recess of each flange member having first and second engagement elements for releasably securing the flange members to the axial ends of the barrel, the first and second engagement elements having different structural forms; characterized in that the insertion sections of the barrel and the central recess of each flange member have interconnecting alignment elements to fix the relative position of the axial end of the barrel with respect to the central recess of the flange members and to align the respective first and second engagement elements on the insertion section and the outer peripheral wall around the perimeter of the central recess, wherein the first and second engagement elements on one axial end of the barrel and on one flange member being engaged upon connection of the alignment elements during axial introduction of the insertion section of the one axial end of the barrel into the central recess of the one flange member, and wherein the first engagement elements are separately released from the second engagement elements and further release the connection of the alignment elements, and upon release of the first engagement elements the second engagement elements are released by rotation of the flange member about the barrel axis with respect to the axial end of the barrel followed by an axial separation of the flange member and barrel end.