Hose Hitching Hint When a connection of palyrinylchloride hose to an outlet must withstand substantial pressure, a micro-gear hose clamp (a metal band, with perforations, tightened by turning a screw) is oiten employed. While capable of exerting considerable pressure, such hose clamps may cut into the hose and actually cause a leak. The likelihood of this frustrating eventuality can easily be significantly diminished. All that is required is ordinary fiber-glass reinforced strapping tape. Alength of this tape (enough to go around the tube about three times) is folded nearly in half so that a short length of sticky tape remains a t one end. If the sides of the tape do not coincide perfectly, the tape can be trimmed with a scissors so that no sticky surface is exposed,in the folded part. The sticky part is then used to fasten the tape to the end of the hose and the rest of the tape is wrapped around the hose to act a s flexible, yet sturdy, barrier between the hose and the clamp.
Ben Ruekberg University of Rhode Island Kingston, Rhode lsland 02881
168
Journal of Chemical Education
