How to Make a Garden Hose Holder
A garden hose holder not only provides an easy and convenient storage space but also ensures your hose remains kink-free. Learn how to make a garden hose holder in this video by This Old House:
Using a miter saw, cut 1×6 and 2×2 boards to length to create the sides, front, back and lid of the box. Each wall of the box is made from three stacked boards, each connected to vertical 2×2’s at the corners.
To create the sides, place two 2×2’s parallel on the work surface. Apply glue to their top edge, and then layer the 1×6 boards on top, adjusting the 2×2’s to set flush with the ends of the 1×6 boards. Drill pilot holes, and then drive screws through the 1×6 boards and into each 2×2. Once complete, add the 1×6 boards to the adjacent face of one assembled side and then to the other. Attach the final side with glue and screws. To create a hole for the hose to come through the box, drill two holes in the front of the box. Mark a line between them, and then finish the cut using a jigsaw.
To create the lid, lay the pieces side by side with their smooth side down on the work surface and the thinner board positioned at one end. Apply glue between the edges of the boards and then sandwich them together with clamps. Lay the ribbed support boards perpendicular to the lid pieces and then attach them with glue and screws. Connect the lid to the box using 3-inch hinges attached to the top edge of the box and underside of the lid.
To finish the assembly of the box, mark the center of the side walls, and then using a forstner bit or hole saw, cut a 1-5/8 inch hole in the center of each side wall. If desired, drill a hole in the base of each 2×2 and thread a foot in at each corner to add some additional height.
To assemble the reel that will set inside the box, first drill a hole through the center of the 1×6 sides of the reel. Apply glue to the ends of the remaining 2×2 boards and position them between the sides, sliding the PVC pipe between them as a spacer. Drive screws through the sides and into the 2×2 boards. Now place a cap on the pipe to determine the placement lengthwise in the opening, using a scrap block to act as the thickness of the sidewall. Drive a set screw through the 2×2 and into the wall of the pipe to keep it from spinning. Next, drill a hole near the opposite end of the pipe just inside the sidewall of the reel to fit the elbow attachment. Remove the set screw and the pipe from the assembled reel. To attach a utility handle to the pipe, first bore a hole in the center of the PVC cap so that a bolt can go through the hole in the utility handle and the PVC cap. Apply glue to the connections to make them even stronger and then tighten the locking nut onto the bolt.
Dry fit the reel and pipe in the box. Place the cap on the pipe and drill the set screw through the cap and into the pipe to keep it from spinning. Remove the pipe, tape off the handle and spray it with paint. Now install the reel inside the box. Slide the PVC pipe through the walls in the box and the reel, and insert a set screw through the 2×2 reel and into the pipe to lock in all the parts.
To install the fittings, separate the two parts of the quick connection fitting. Thread one end onto the short hose that will run from the hose box to the spigot. Next, guide the 45-degree connector into the hole in the pipe. From the end of the pipe thread the remaining side of the quick connection fitting onto the 45-degree connector, and then reconnect the two parts of the quick connection fitting.
Finally, thread the end of the hose through the hole in the front of the box. Tighten the connection at the end of the hose onto the 45-degree fitting, and then turn the handle to reel the hose into the box.
