Making your own LP hoses

[joe8mofo]

So long story short I ordered a 7 ft custom LP hose for regulator use and I received it yesterday and it appears to be at least 30 ft long. Now I really have no interest in using it for surface supply for use in shallow depths, but I can tell them about their mistake and request what I ordered or I can determine where to buy the fittings and a crimper and I now have at least 4 7 ft hoses.

Does anyone know whether it is feasible to make my own LP hoses? If so do you have an idea of where I can buy the fittings and crimper?

 

[redacted]

I know they exist. I picked up a couple fittings with the crimp collars in a box of parts I bought. I suspect any hydraulic shop could do the crimping if you can find the hardware. And there are plenty of dead hoses around where you could harvest fittings if you can find a source for the collars.

I'll be watching for someone to ID a source. If there is a quantity requirement, I'm sure we could find enough folks to do a group buy.

 

[ashber]

Hi, I am a hydraulics hose engineer and have looked into this very subject myself.
the problem you have is that breathing hoses come under life support systems and as such have to confirm to certain standards in the UK hoses have a CE rating.

I have made up several filling and de-canting hoses for a few dive shops but as these are not going to be used to preserve life under water its not a problem.

there's a lot of considerations to take into account when making hoses, the ferrule (the crimped sleeve) is designed in conjunction with the hose and fitting being used and the crimp spec- (dimension the ferrule is squeezed down to) is specific to the components, different types of hose need different types of ferrule and fitting in order to achieve a correct match.

hoses should not be re-ended for the above reason as the hose will not have been designed for those fitting ect- and therefore the crimp dimensions would be nothing more than a guess and prone to coming apart under pressure.

A hydraulic hose company would be the place to go such as the one I work for has over 90 depots in the UK however I am certain that as soon as you mention what the hose is for they will refuse to help.

I have attempted to find a supplier that can provide the fittings and ferrules but as of yet have had little luck.


Rgds Lee.

 

[jar546]

I made hydraulic hoses for very high pressures with specialized dies, fittings and manual swaggers along with electric presses.

For how often you need to make a hose, why would you want to spend the money?

I don't think it is worth the risk.

 

[Couv]

When I was a commercial diver, we used fitting similar to the ones for sale here: Scuba Diving Reusable Regulator Fittings - eBay (item 260492929843 end time Apr-10-11 22:28:31 PDT) on the ends of our umbilical hoses. Some were designed where you needed a special mandrel, others were designed to be installed with a couple of open end wrenches.

I would be interested in a few of these if we could get a group buy so the shipping doesn't kill us.

Jar546, having the EXACT length hose you want can make a big difference in comfort.

Couv

 

[spectrum]

I made hydraulic hoses for very high pressures with specialized dies, fittings and manual swaggers along with electric presses.

For how often you need to make a hose, why would you want to spend the money?

I don't think it is worth the risk.

The point of DIY is often the journey as much as the product or cost.

 

[redacted]

I made hydraulic hoses for very high pressures with specialized dies, fittings and manual swaggers along with electric presses.

For how often you need to make a hose, why would you want to spend the money?

I don't think it is worth the risk.

What risk?

I don't think this is so much a matter of making hose as a matter of modifying existing hose. I have quite a few hoses, many new, that are just too long to use. Shortening such a hose should be quite affordable since the connectors are reusable and just the crimping collar would have to be replaced. I have had hoses for surface use fabricated by local hydraulic shops but I have not run into any yet that have crimp collars made of suitable material for UW use. I do have just a couple suitable collars and they look fairly simple - probably less than $1 each. If a standard hydraulic shop crimper can do the deed, that would probably run $5 to $10 tops. What am I missing?

 

[scubafanatic]

The point of DIY is often the journey as much as the product or cost.

...and too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing ! Why not grow one's own rubber trees or mine/smelt one's own iron/brass while we're at it ? Ever heard of the point of diminishing returns ?

 

[Couv]

...and too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing ! Why not grow one's own rubber trees or mine/smelt one's own iron/brass while we're at it ? Ever heard of the point of diminishing returns ?

What part of DIY don't you understand? Perhaps I should rephrase that. What part of DIY DO you understand? What I don't understand is how someone can come into this section with that attitude.

 

[jar546]

I don't believe it is worth the risk unless you also have the capability to properly test the hose and are significantly competent to ensure that your cuts and fabrication method are extremely clean. No one wants to have a stray piece of thread/material floating through the system jamming up or blocking a functional port on a regulator.

If, however, DIY is your thing and you will not be fabricating for others, then spend the money on the equipment and supplies and manufacture hoses for yourself all day long. There is nothing wrong with DIY if you have the time, boredom and money to do it.

I, personally, would rather order custom length hoses that will last me years at a significantly lower cost than the tools and materials. I like the liability transfer too.