Stretching DC hose to get it on tight fittings

[JDuke]

I have some 6” flex hose that is a very tight fit on the inlet of the super dust deputy.
In the past, I’ve struggled to get the flex hose stretched enough to get it on the SDD.

so today I used a 6” hole saw and cut a disk out of 2x material then cut a 2” hole out of the middle of that. Then I cut the wood donut into 4 quarters.
A little painters tape to hold it back together and it fits right into the end of the 6” flex hose.
An exhaust tubing expansion tool slipped into the middle of the wood donut and run the expansion tool until it breaks the tape and stretched the hose.
The hose easily goes onto the fitting then it’s memory makes it a tight fit. I’m still using a clamp but with such a tight fit I’m not sure it’s necessary.

Hope someone else finds this useful.

Duke

[Gary G™]

If you cut a 6”’ disc then removed 2” from the center and quartered it, you still have 4”—that’s a lot to stretch the hose.
???

[Admiral]

If you cut a 6”’ disc then removed 2” from the center and quartered it, you still have 4”—that’s a lot to stretch the hose.
???

He cut a hole in the center of the 6" disc, then quartered it.

[Admiral]

I have some 6” flex hose that is a very tight fit on the inlet of the super dust deputy.
In the past, I’ve struggled to get the flex hose stretched enough to get it on the SDD.

so today I used a 6” hole saw and cut a disk out of 2x material then cut a 2” hole out of the middle of that. Then I cut the wood donut into 4 quarters.
A little painters tape to hold it back together and it fits right into the end of the 6” flex hose.
An exhaust tubing expansion tool slipped into the middle of the wood donut and run the expansion tool until it breaks the tape and stretched the hose.
The hose easily goes onto the fitting then it’s memory makes it a tight fit. I’m still using a clamp but with such a tight fit I’m not sure it’s necessary.

Hope someone else finds this useful.

Duke

I had the same problem with a hose on a Billy Goat debris loader output tube; used a heat gun to soften the end and expand it just enough.  Worked for me.  But I appreciate your mechanical solution.

[JDuke]

I had the same problem with a hose on a Billy Goat debris loader output tube; used a heat gun to soften the end and expand it just enough.  Worked for me.  But I appreciate your mechanical solution.

I tried that with the 6” hose, but couldn’t get enough of it warm enough to go around the fitting.

[Stwood_]

Great solution. I'll hafta remember that. I've always just lubed the inside of the hose with a dab of white grease

[kurt18947]

That's a very clever solution. Did you have the pipe stretcher? Rent one from an auto parts store?

[JDuke]

I had the stretcher but at $20-30 from harbor freight it’s worth getting one.

[mdhills]

It is frustrating how DC fittings don't seem designed to fit well together.

Warming up the end of the hose in a bowl of hot water has been enough for me to get it over the SDD ports.