how to make a plastic hose straight?

[paulkish]

Seems like the thinner a plastic hose the harder it is to get it to lay straight.
I've learned how uncoiling or rolling out a hose instead of just stretching it out helps.

But how do you get a plastic hose or 1/4" plastic tubing to lay straight?

 

[flattop1]

Without fasteners its gonna be hard .
Only thing i can say would be a heat gun .

 

[paulkish]

Heat gun just gave me an idea.

How about maybe using a small heating pad to help pull it straight?

 

[OVALTECH1]

and work with its natural bend or recoil to help ya as well.

 

[OVALTECH1]

we use huge heating pads for conduit it works great.

 

[OVALTECH1]

these come to mind as well ...

 

[OldsSS1]

ROFL

 

[SCA]

I put my vinyl hose in a toaster oven to heat it then lay it out flat while it's still hot. Not perfect but it helps a lot. If you get it too hot bad things can happen, probably not a good idea inside the house. Might try a big pot of hot water next time.

 

[paulkish]

After searching on the web all I see common for a suggestion is to put the plastic tubing into boiling water.

I see a need after you roll out plastic tubing for a small portable tubing heater straightner.
Wheels are churning now for a way to make one cheap.
I'm seeing one, not electric cord operated but battery or propane operated.
I'm seeing heating a clamp over clamshell with a water pouch or something to retain heat, being heated in both clamps you can run along the length of tubing after unrolling and laying it out.

After being ill needing to run a plastic hose to three living areas in my home and constantly needing to unwind them and straighten out the bends in the tubing, this is something needed.

I'm thinking you could also straighten rolled-out cable like ethernet cable with it.
Just need a portable energy source to heat element which would loosely clamp and run down its length.

edit: Now thinking about heated rollers instead of some sort of loose clamping.

 

[paulkish]

I put my vinyl hose in a toaster oven to heat it then lay it out flat while it's still hot. Not perfect but it helps a lot. If you get it too hot bad things can happen, probably not a good idea inside the house. Might try a big pot of hot water next time.

maybe a few seconds in a microwave?

Also just found food-grade plastic tubing.

 

[Chipg56]

How about a piece of round stock and a heat gun?

 

[paulkish]

How about a piece of round stock and a heat gun?

Maybe, i've been wondering what to use the old woven asbestos for ...

 

[callen]

Paul, Have you tried hooking both ends together and soaking it in the kitchen sink full of hot water?

 

[paulkish]

Paul, Have you tried hooking both ends together and soaking it in the kitchen sink full of hot water?

no