Alright, so I'd been kicking around this idea for a while, you know? Seeing all those high-powered hydrojet machines, thinking, "I could probably rig something up." Not for anything super heavy-duty, mind you, but I had this annoying patch of old, caked-on moss on the patio that just wouldn't budge with a regular hose.

Getting Started - The Scavenging Phase

So, first thing I did was rummage through the shed. Found an old pressure washer pump that was supposedly busted. Took it apart, fiddled with the seals, and what do you know, it coughed back to life. Not pretty, but it was making pressure. That was step one sorted, or so I thought.

Then came the nozzle. I figured any old small hole would do. Wrong. My first few attempts were laughable. One just dribbled. Another sprayed water everywhere but in a jet. It was more like a sprinkler for a very confused, very small patch of grass.

The "Aha!" (or "Oh, Duh") Moments

I spent a good afternoon just swapping bits of pipe and trying different things I'd bent into shape to act as nozzles. It was messy. I got soaked. The dog thought it was a great new game. Me, not so much.

It turns out, the shape and the precision of that tiny hole at the end makes all the difference. Who knew? Well, probably a lot of people, but I was learning it the hard way. I remembered seeing some videos ages ago where guys were making custom nozzles for things. So, I dug out some old brass fittings I had in a coffee can.

• Drilled a super tiny hole in one. Better, but still not great.
• Tried tapering the inside of another piece leading to the hole. Getting warmer.
• Then I played around with the length of the "jet" tube itself.

Honestly, it was a lot of trial and error. Lots of "nope, that's worse" moments. I nearly gave up and just bought one of those cheap electric things, but I'm stubborn.

Making it (Sort of) Work

Eventually, after a bunch of tries, I got a setup that actually produced a decent, sharp stream. It wasn't going to strip paint off a car, not by a long shot. But for that stubborn moss? Bingo. It started to lift it, slowly but surely. I had to get right up on it, and it took a while, but it worked.

I cobbled together a handle from an old broomstick and some hose clamps. Looked ridiculous, but it meant I didn't have to crouch down the whole time. Safety glasses were a must, by the way. Little bits of grit flying everywhere.

What I Reckon Now

So, yeah, my hydrojet machine. It's not something you'd see in a store. It's ugly, it's loud (that old pump, I tell ya), and it's probably not the most efficient. But I made it. From bits and pieces, mostly. And it did the job I wanted it for.

The biggest thing I learned? It's not just about raw power. It's about how you control and direct that power. That little nozzle, that's where the magic, or the frustration, happens. You see these fancy units, and you think it's all complex pumps and motors. And sure, that's part of it. But getting that water to come out just right? That's a whole other game. It was a fun little project, though. Kept me busy for a weekend, and my patio's a bit cleaner. Can't complain too much about that.