where to buy firehose??

[adam]

I'm trying to find some firehose to use for building laminated bows and was wondering if there was anywhere else to get it besides binghams?? Thanks

Adam

[Curtis Haden]

Adam,

You may still have to buy fittings, but a lot of fire departments just throw it away when they replace.  Make friends with some firemen and ask them to save you some hose.  They can probably cut you out a piece big enough to use for a form, and pressure check it for you too.

[Recurve50 LBS]

I know that fire departments are required to pressure test their hose every year here in NJ. Some times the hose is old and has dry rot cracks in the inner jacket of the hose. You can check with your local fire company to see if they have any old hose laying around they are willing to part ways with. The reqason they may have old hose laying around in the fire house is to train fire fightersthe various ways of rolling hose and the way it gets packed on the engines. Most cloth jacketted hose comes in 50 foot lenghts and comes in sizes ranging from 1" up to 4" ID.

You may also try the places that supply fire hoses to fire departments. The ones around here also supplied hotels with the lighter single jacket 1 1/2" hose found in the areas of fire stair ways of public buildings and high rises.

I hope that this info can help you.

[JAG]

Wish you were closer to Coastal Alabama.  I'm Ast. Ch. for our Dept.  I have a couple pieces that need to find a good home.  Cost way too much to ship.
JAG

[B M A]

JAG - an economical way to send it would go to a Post Office and ask them for a flat rate box.  A large is 12x12x5 and the med is 11x8.5x5 both can hold up to 20 lbs.  The large is $12.95 and the med is $9.80 - this is the cost to mail it.  The box is free.

brock

[recurvericky]

I am not sure how close you are to Olathe, KS, but I bought my hose really cheap at Conrads Fire Equipment Co. (913) 780-5521. One of the guys that works there built bows in the past so menttion that you are using the hose for building bows.

[doeboy]

you can also ask your local Building engineer. In commercial building we do the sme pressure test on out fire hoses and often have to replace them. We just through them away. i would offer one but we just completed our testing 3 months ago and all have been tossed. go find a commercial building and ask around for maintenance.good luck.

[Willow]

Ive got firehose without rubber lining if you could use it. Let me know if your intereseted.

[Paul Collins]

Well, first you call in a fire, and then you go down the your local fire station.  If nobody is around and the doors are left open, I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you cut a section . . .

Or, if you are scared of a felony conviction, you could call Bingham.

[stmpthmpr]

I would only use new hose. As it is, with pressure and heat you only get ten or so bows out of a hose before it takes a set. You begin to see air bubbles on the edges of your lams, or worse under clear glass, as it no longer gives even distribution of pressure all the way to the edges of the form.

As in most everything else, you get what you pay for. Go new. Fire equipment supply or Bingham. Just dont know what the fire equip guys have for minimum orders.

[Morning Star]

I'd check at your local firehouse and ask them who is in charge of their hose repair.  Track that guy down and let him know what you're looking for.  Hoses get damaged, old and new, so you could have both if you're patient.  The more a hose is used, the more plyable the outer jacket is.  I would think a hose that is broken in bit would do a better job of conforming and sealing for a bow mold.  Newer hose (jackets) can be very stiff and ridged.  We just through away some good chuncks for what you are looking for....shouldn't be to hard to tracks some down.

[Ted Fry]

Why risk having the hose leak during glue up? I would only use new hose, best to get that at Binghams along with you fittings, not enough savings to justify leaking hoses.

[Autumnarcher]

Usually when we fail a section of hose, its because a coupling leaks, or there is a hole somewhere that leaks. IF so, we scrap the whole 50 ft length. It doesnt mean the whole length will leak. So you could cut a couple of sections for bow building without any problems. NFPA recommends annual testing of all hose, although not every dept does so. Check around, you shouldnt have too much trouble getting some.

[EricW]

Adam
The place I work at sells it. You can pm me and I could check on monday how much it would cost to ship it to you. Will need to know how much and what size you need.