PURPOSE: To readily wind up or rewind an extremely long wire in a method of winding the wire by forming a winding drum elliptical in cross section and in endless loop state rotatably driven by a motor.

CONSTITUTION: In a method of winding a wire on a winding drum with collar plates at both sides, the drum is so formed as to be elliptical in cross section and in endless loop state rotatably driven by a motor 4. In this case, collar plates 1 as retainers of the wire to be wound at bothe sides of the drum are also elliptical in cross section. Thus, the drum 2 is so formed as to connect iron or core rubber tracks in chain state. When winding the wire, the initial end of the wire is bound at one of the tracks of the drum 2, and the drum 2 is rotated via a drive shaft 3 driven by the motor 4 to thereby rotate the drum 2 and accurdingly sequentially wind the wire upon rotating of the drum 2.