How do you control your air hose?

[lcm1947]

Boy, I have thought and thought how to control an air hose ( Nylon 50 " ) and haven't come up with anything that doesn't end up bigger then my tablesaw . Any ideas out there other then breaking down and buying a reel? I need something small that would mount on a wall. Yeah I know - a reel, but I'm trying to make some of the stuff I need out of wood. Well that and trying to save spending =- again and again and again.

[cabinetman]

I have 25' and 50' lengths of hose. I try to use the shortest length as possible to limit how much hose is laying on the floor to trip over. As for storing, I just loop coil the hose in about a 3' high coil and hang it up when done.



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[LCHIEN]

Boy, I have thought and thought how to control an air hose ( Nylon 50 " ) and haven't come up with anything that doesn't end up bigger then my tablesaw . Any ideas out there other then breaking down and buying a reel? I need something small that would mount on a wall. Yeah I know - a reel, but I'm trying to make some of the stuff I need out of wood. Well that and trying to save spending =- again and again and again.

I made a small stand that's in the middle of my shop.
The stand is a single 2x2 column with 4 legs going out radially at the bottom, each about 10-12 inches long To keep the joinery real simple I just overlapped the legs to the column so each of the 4 legs is screwed to the side.
At the top, about 30" up I put a small box - about 3" x 6" that holds fittings, tire nozzle, spray nozzle, tire press gauge etc.
On two side of the column just below the box I put a 6" long 3/4" dowel pegged into the column at a slight upwards angle of about 5-10 degrees. At the outside end of the dowel I put a 2" diameter circle.

I can hang two hoses on this tree thing and one end of one hose goes to the compressor. The hoses are handy, out of the way when not in use and easy to get off when needed. The circles on the end of the dowel keeps the hose from spilling off. The legs go under nearby tables so it doesn't rally take up much space or footprint (like a reel would).

If you have the hose straight then you have to put a twist in the hose for every loop you put on the hanger - when I take it off I usually let the loops lie in the hose and then it goes back on easier, rather than straightening out the hose. I only take off as much as needed. The loops are maybe 18" across when hanging naturally.

Never seen nylon air hoses, mostly PVC or rubber. Tho the rubber costs more I vastly prefer it because when it gets a little cold the PVC starts to get unmanageably stiff whereas the rubber does not. I'm talking below 55 degrees.

[lcm1947]

Oh my mistake, I assume it's PVC then cause it sure is stiff and unmanageable so I sure don't think it's rubber. Got the hose for a present and didn't know any better about PVC versus rubber until reading about the differences. Had I known I'd sure have taken it back and gotten rubber. Live and learn. Sure wish it'd been rubber though. So both you guys basically just hang it then. That's what I'm doing now but was hoping to just be able to unwind it and wind it up somehow but thanks for replying.

[sacherjj]

I've decided that I'll keep my PVC when I need a lighter hose for using a framing nailer and such, then get a rubber hose for my main hose. I tried to use the PVC at 30 degrees temperature and it was frustrating. As for dealing with the hose, I just got an auto retract reel.

[LCHIEN]

Oh my mistake, I assume it's PVC then cause it sure is stiff and unmanageable so I sure don't think it's rubber. Got the hose for a present and didn't know any better about PVC versus rubber until reading about the differences. Had I known I'd sure have taken it back and gotten rubber. Live and learn. Sure wish it'd been rubber though. So both you guys basically just hang it then. That's what I'm doing now but was hoping to just be able to unwind it and wind it up somehow but thanks for replying.

goodyear rubber hoses pretty cheap at Harbor Freight.

I have a 50 ft PVC I keep when I need to inflate tires at the end of the driveway.

[Stick]

I hang my air hoses and Oxy/acetylene hoses, welder cables, heavy extension cords, booster cables and the like on metal garden hose hangers. They're cheap and can hold a lot of weight. My shops are plumbed for air line, so I don't use rubber hose all that often unless I need to reach outside. Inside I use those nylon hoses that look like a spring.

[Pappy]

In my case, storage is easy. One 50' hose is connected to the compressor. I coil that one and the water filter with a 10' hose on the handle. An extra 50' hose hangs on the other door.

[LinuxRandal]

I have seen a homemade wooden version of a reel, and just a board with a lip board attached, like a water hose reel. That should allow you to raid the scrap bin, and spend no $$$$.

[JimD]

I bought a harbor freight hose reel. I think it was $10, might have been $20. Had a lot of little bolts to install. Works very well. Worth the money and time. I fastened a platform on top of my compressor and the reel is mounted to this board. I can reel up the hose in less than a minute. If it isn't easy and quick to pick up, I do not do it.

Jim

[onedash]

In my case, storage is easy. One 50' hose is connected to the compressor. I coil that one and the water filter with a 10' hose on the handle. An extra 50' hose hangs on the other door.

[ATTACH]3010[/ATTACH]

I have my water filter immediately after the pressure regulator. It never fills up and barely gets any moisture at all. Is it because of the location?

I like the valve and hose on the drain. Been meaning to do that one of these days. I did replace the screw open valve which made it much better but it still shoots rusty water all over when I open it.

[lcm1947]

If I could get a reel for $10.00 I'd do it in a second. Thanks I'll go look at HF right now.

[scorrpio]

HF had a 50' reel on sale for $20, with 30' of rubber hose included. I bought an extra 25' of rubber hose, coupled it to the 30' on the reel. The hose goes on the reel very neatly. I'd say there is room for ~20' more on it. It is a hand-crank, and it has a brake so you can fix it at needed hose length. Overall, I like it.

[Tom Miller]

I really like the 1/4" polyurethane (braid-reinforced) hose. A single 25' hose can reach anywhere in my shop (which is part and part ). The only reels I could find seemed oversized for the job, and many come with hose that I don't need.

So, I just made a simple, fixed spool that I attached to some plumbing by the wall, onto which I can coil the hose. The faces of the spool (1/4" hardboard) are only separated by a hose-width, and the inner diameter is large enough that it only takes 8-10 coils to fully store the hose. The supply end of the hose comes out a hole in the center, and remains attached to the plumbed air.

Regards,
Tom

[lcm1947]

Tom I like your idea and it's something that wouldn't cost anything and would work out just fine. Thanks for the idea. I do think I'll go with that. Thanks everybody else too. Appreicate it.