PURPOSE: To provide a wire collecting device which can densely wind around a bobbin the used wire of a wire electric discharge machine, to collect the wire and discard it together with the bobbin.

CONSTITUTION: A wire winding shaft 20 to which a used empty bobbin 22 as a wire feed is attached is arranged in the downstream area of an electric discharge machining part as seen from the running direction of a wire electrode. When a used wire R approaches the bobbin 22 attached to the wire winding shaft 20, the wire is automatically captured by the bobbin and engaged with the bobbin 22. According to rotation of a bobbin winding part 22b, the wire is wound for collection as uniform distribution is executed by a distributing means. When the winding part 22b of the bobbin is full of the used wire, the used wire R is removed from the winding shaft 20 together with the bobbin 22 to discard them.