How to Clamp Braided Stainless Steel Hose and Fitting

Over the years I’ve done my share of AN hose assembly projects. These jobs can be a piece of cake or a major pain in the neck. As most of you know already, the biggest hurdle to cross is inserting the hose into the socket. If you don’t get a clean cut on your braided stainless steel hose it can be a nightmare getting it into the the fitting. That’s why I invented the AN Hose Assembly Tool to funnel the frayed ends into the nut.

Once you get the hose into the socket and installed all the way to the threads, most of the ugly stuff is behind you. However, there is one more potential obstacle that can be just as frustrating. When you go to screw the fitting into the nut, the AN hose can push out of the end you just installed it into.

Recently, I discovered a way to clamp braided stainless steel hose with AN vise jaw inserts. Place the inserts so that they are sticking half way out of the vise. As you can see in the photo, both the fitting and the hose are secured tightly. You probably don’t need to mark the hose anymore, but it’s never a bad idea just to be safe.