Found fire hose.

I posted about this in another place when I found it but the process needed a different place.

So I was at a light and looked over and saw on the edge this fire hose.
Attachment 347592

It's an inch and a half hose which winds up being 3 inches wide when flat and 50 feet long. It must have fallen off someone's truck. It has obviously been used and was very dirty but the texture was not ripped, worn or tattered.

The first thing I did was throw it out on the lawn and spray it with the garden hose. Then I put it on the driveway which is on a slope and folded one end over and stretched it out down the concrete. Then stuck the hose in the high end and let it fill up. It got really stiff then so I sprayed it well while inflated.

After that it spent a couple of days in my two person jacuzzi tub loose so I could do the wine making/grape treading thing with my feet a few times. Sorry, no pictures of me doing an I Love Lucy.

Next step was to put it in a wash tub on the porch and fill it with water for a soak.
Attachment 347594

First few soaks were just water but then I started with laundry soap.
Attachment 347595
Attachment 347596

This is after about 5 soaks overnight and some manual agitation, dump, rinse repeat. It is still a little dark but getting clearer with every cycle. Once I get the water to soak out to clear I have more methods to get it all cleaned up and usable.

Tune in next episode to see what comes next

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

I posted about this in another place when I found it but the process needed a different place.

So I was at a light and looked over and saw on the edge this fire hose.
Attachment 347592

It's an inch and a half hose which winds up being 3 inches wide when flat and 50 feet long. It must have fallen off someone's truck. It has obviously been used and was very dirty but the texture was not ripped, worn or tattered.

The first thing I did was throw it out on the lawn and spray it with the garden hose. Then I put it on the driveway which is on a slope and folded one end over and stretched it out down the concrete. Then stuck the hose in the high end and let it fill up. It got really stiff then so I sprayed it well while inflated.

After that it spent a couple of days in my two person jacuzzi tub loose so I could do the wine making/grape treading thing with my feet a few times. Sorry, no pictures of me doing an I Love Lucy.

Next step was to put it in a wash tub on the porch and fill it with water for a soak.
Attachment 347594

First few soaks were just water but then I started with laundry soap.
Attachment 347595
Attachment 347596

This is after about 5 soaks overnight and some manual agitation, dump, rinse repeat. It is still a little dark but getting clearer with every cycle. Once I get the water to soak out to clear I have more methods to get it all cleaned up and usable.

Tune in next episode to see what comes next

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Very nice!!
I suppose it is unlined and flax linen to boot? Does it have a year as well?
You hit the jackpot.
If you ever need to hide 2 feet of it just let me know:)
I'm watchin'

Yep, unlined and flax. It's a nice tight even weave. Much tighter than the other fire hose strop I already had. I couldn't find a year but maybe once it's cleaner and all stretched out again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

Yep, unlined and flax. It's a nice tight even weave. Much tighter than the other fire hose strop I already had. I couldn't find a year but maybe once it's cleaner and all stretched out again.

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Rub it in!!!

.
.
Nice find!
I will be watching to learn the process you use for cleaning etc.
A number of years ago I tried cleaning a piece like that and my mistake was to let it dry without having a heavy weight on the end to keep it from bunching up.

Good stuff Paul. I'm watching the process for sure.

This week on Paul's Firehose Follies:....(dramatic intro music plays)

After wash, rinse, repeat, wash, rinse, repeat until the rinse water was no longer cloudy...
Attachment 347735

Paul stretches the hose out on an incline and plugs one end with a tennis ball and the other end with the garden hose to expand the hose and create a flow (although slow and almost negligible) through the pores in the fabric.
Attachment 347736

Then, using a scrub brush and a weak solution of water and Dawn dish detergent, he scrubs the hose from the bottom toward the top.
Attachment 347737

This is very tedious work and Paul toils with the heavy, water bloated hose, diligently turning the hose over and back, over and back to get all the diameter while working his way up the slope.

As you can see it cleans up quite well and Paul is pleased with the progress.
Attachment 347738
:rock:.....:rock:.....:rock:

Even so, this work is taxing and Paul's arms and shoulders are getting tired. Plus it is getting dark and Paul is beginning to feel the need for a cold, adult beverage so he wraps it up for the night but not before getting 2/5 - 1/2 of the 50 feet finished with the initial scrubbing.
Attachment 347739
:beer2:.....:beer2:.....:beer2:

Will Paul get the rest of the fire hose clean?????

Will he get his cold, adult beverage?????



Stay tuned for more on next week's episode of ....Paul's Firehose Follies:....(dramatic exit music plays)

From handling that hose my hands were all abraded. It polished the skin to shiny?
Attachment 347744

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

From handling that hose my hands were all abraded. It polished the skin to shiny?
Attachment 347744

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Okay your skin turned out nice. What about the fire hose?

Boy Paul, i appreciate the work you are going to. I think I would have started with a 3 foot piece. Are you planning on making a strop with it?

Works like a 50' pumice stone!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Johntoad57

Okay your skin turned out nice. What about the fire hose?

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So far it is cleaning up better than I'd hoped. I had other obligations today but plan to finish the initial scrub this weekend. Stay tuned!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tintin

Boy Paul, i appreciate the work you are going to. I think I would have started with a 3 foot piece. Are you planning on making a strop with it?

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Yes. A really long one.:roflmao

Actually I was planning on making as many as I can get out of it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stoneandstrop

Works like a 50' pumice stone!!

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Exactly. This was a good demonstration of why we.use flax linen for razor strops.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

Yes. A really long one.:roflmao

Actually I was planning on making as many as I can get out of it.

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You would have to peel a horse like an orange to get a 50' piece of leather:)
One lap on each side and you're done!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tintin

Boy Paul, i appreciate the work you are going to. I think I would have started with a 3 foot piece. Are you planning on making a strop with it?

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Thanks for that Tintin. I don't want to tip my hand but we do actually think alike. Stay tuned! More to come!

I’m sure your with will appreciate that your hands are smooth. Perhaps it’s a good time for a romantic walk holding hands.

Attachment 347755
...

I'm starting to think this so called..fell off the truck story don't jive. I think it was more like this...

Paul was driving down the street, just as I was this morning, when he looked over his shoulder and got an eyeful of the same thing I just did.

Attachment 347762

Mmhm, that's my story. :angel:

I was waiting for that. Believe what you want but it was sitting on the edge of the road. No hidrant or construction in sight. As God is my witness.
Attachment 347764

But I appreciate you calling me a thief Mike. Thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

Attachment 347755
...

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Yea like two carp in the east river going after the same piece of corn!

Just out of good humor, Paul. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity.

I got a big piece of double lined, flax fire hose laying around somewhere. Figure the inside is pristine.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

Thanks for that Tintin. I don't want to tip my hand but we do actually think alike. Stay tuned! More to come!

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So how is this hose coming along;)