A Handle on Your Hose? For what? I have bought a lot of hoses over the years, some good some not so good. One feature I really like is a handle on the female end that lets you grip it with your whole hand rather than just your finger tips. This makes it easy to connect it tight, and get it apart without resorting to tools. The pictures show both a commercial one and a home made version.

Step 1: Tool and Materials

In my case I made the handle for a short hose I made entirely from scrap materials, so that is what I will describe.

Scrap Hose Length ( about 3 feet for what I wanted )

Male and Female Hose connectors from salvage

Wire for clamps

Tape

1 inch well pipe for the handle

Knife ( cutting hose )

Pliers and diagonal cutters

Clamp it type tool ( see for example: )

Torch or Heat Gun

Vise

Wood Mallet

others as needed.

Step 2: Make It 1: Expand the Well Pipe

The handle is made from 1 inch well pipe. I have used 2 different weighs of pipe, both work ok. The thicker the pipe wall the harder to work with but the more substantial the result. In any case the pipe is too small to go over the female connector. It needs to be expanded. The first pictures show how a screw driver with a tapered handle can be driven into the well pipe with a wooden mallet. Still the pipe needs to be heated ( I used a heat gun, a propane torch should also do the job ). When you think you have expanded it about the right amount let it cool and remove the screw driver. Repeat until you can get it over the connector.

Step 3: Fit the Handle

You will need to hold the female connector firmly. The fpictures show a fixture ( or jig ? ) show one made with some plumbing parts. Clamp the fixture and the connector in a vise as in the first picture. You then fit the handle over the female connector and try to force it on. If you have expanded it enough you will at least be able to start ( if not back up a step ) . You will need to apply heat and perhaps use the mallet again to get it over the connector. Let it cool and remove the handle. If you can not get it off use some heat again.

Step 4: Assemble

Slip the handle over the hose while at least one end has no connector ( if you are applying the handle to an existing hose you have to remove one of the connectors. Use a wire clamp on the female connector ( as in Great, Easy and Cheap Hose Repair for the Garden and Elsewhere ). The clamp must be compact enough for the handle to fit over it. Force the handle into place. Then clamp it in place with a 2 turn wire clamp ( instead of the usual 4, this is so it is narrow enough for the rotating part of the fitting ). Without this clamp the handle will slip on the fitting when turned. Cover with tape and it is finished. The final picture shows the assembled hose, connected to itself for no particular reason.