Thread: This fire hose strop idea didn't work

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Just a random idea ....
To clean the hose maybe clamp one end shut then put a pressure washer in the other end?
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except fire hoses are meant to hold water under high pressure without leaking...

this is the latest fun. Lots of room to go!

1>5 inches OD on the conduit. ID on the hose.

Originally Posted by tintin

except fire hoses are meant to hold water under high pressure without leaking...

OOOP's!

I looked in the DIY section of the forum and saw where someone had made a denim strop. Is this useful for everyday or would it be special purpose (like loading with a paste)?

Leather is an everyday strop. Denim would work as a secondary for cleaning or for paste. But as a stand alone strop Id say no as you need more pulling on the edge to smooth the edge out. Even a belt will work. One very important part of a strop is it being clean. That is the issue with the used strops. All the cleaning. Mainly with pourse material as getting all the fine particals out of it can be tough. This is why i always recommend a strop cover/sock.

Denim as a strop substrate works, for a paddle strop, but for a hanging strop you still have the seam to deal with for a flat stropping surface.

Canvas because of it is interlocking weave can be cut and will hold an edge with minimal fraying. Flax firehose is used because flax is abrasive by itself. Properly washed, it makes an excellent strop. The problem is most all fire hose has been stored for years unused and fine dust has crept into the weave and must be washed out of the weave and fibers.

As a strop substrate Denim works well pasted. You can buy woven seamless cotton strapping from any fabric store very inexpensively, where you will not need to deal with the seam. You can also buy nylon and Polyester strapping which also works very well for pasted strops.

I prefer Polyester Canvas that is sold as a fabric for outdoor furniture, it usually sells for about $10 a yard and often on sale. A yard will make a dozen or so strops, that can be pasted or used unpasted.

Actually, yes they are meant to hold water under pressure. I had to oversee pressure testing of every fire hose on the ship, before I retired, annually.

From CFRs

46 CFR § 107.257 - Testing of fire hose.

§ 107.257 Testing of fire hose.
Each fire hose must be subjected to a test pressure equivalent to the maximum pressure to which it may be subjected during operation. However, each fire hose must be subjected to a pressure of at least 100 p.s.i.

I believe shore based systems used by fire departments must test their attack hoses at 300psi. I would have to look that up.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Denim as a strop substrate works, for a paddle strop, but for a hanging strop you still have the seam to deal with for a flat stropping surface.

Canvas because of it is interlocking weave can be cut and will hold an edge with minimal fraying. Flax firehose is used because flax is abrasive by itself. Properly washed, it makes an excellent strop. The problem is most all fire hose has been stored for years unused and fine dust has crept into the weave and must be washed out of the weave and fibers.

As a strop substrate Denim works well pasted. You can buy woven seamless cotton strapping from any fabric store very inexpensively, where you will not need to deal with the seam. You can also buy nylon and Polyester strapping which also works very well for pasted strops.

I prefer Polyester Canvas that is sold as a fabric for outdoor furniture, it usually sells for about $10 a yard and often on sale. A yard will make a dozen or so strops, that can be pasted or used unpasted.

New or used, wash hose first, yeah. New hoses will not get dusty because they are each packed individually in cardboard boxes, but the surface will be very hard and slick without washing and/or brushing. Used hoses, no telling what environments they have seen or what sort of particulate contaminants they contain.

My strop project has been on hold recently.

Everything else has been blamed on Covid so I will use that!

Many different things can be used for a strop.

The fire pump in our main building runs at 250 psi.

The hoses have been pulled long ago.

We just competed last week our 5 year test on volume and pressure at the high points. It passed fine. Our highest sprinklered area is 7 stories.