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Post by tomcatpc on Aug 8, 2014 21:01:37 GMT -8
Hello I lucked out and had one of my Wife's old friends give me some vintage Scuba kit today. We had to go to Wisc. this weekend for a family reunion and stopped by and picked it up tonight. I have not had much time at all to look at them in detail. Other than they are all US Divers Tanks, two have US Divers J-Valves, and the the third with a Dacor K-Valve. Two of them still hold air, the one with the K-Valve unfortunately is empty. Beggars can't be choosers and I'm downright grateful for all the help that has come my way since I first started this journey!!! Also included was a Scubapro Snorkel that might be able to be salvaged, it is getting dry, some going to have a go with silicone grease... The two yellow tanks were connected via Scubapro "Cheater/Suicide Bar"?, hope I got that right? So...there is a possibility of me having a set of doubles in the future LOL!! And to finish the cache off was a cotton weight belt made by "Seacraft". The buckle was bent and would not open, but I got it sorted out. Mark  |
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Post by tomcatpc on Aug 8, 2014 21:02:35 GMT -8
If I can get one of these tanks Hydro'ed and VIS Inspect. passed...I'll be a grateful and happy boy!!!
Mark
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Post by scubadiverbob on Aug 9, 2014 7:56:34 GMT -8
I got one w/o air in it before. After whipping it, had to get it tumbled. Came out nice and I'm still diving it. Good luck on vis./hydros!
The snorkel is a Scubapro shotgun snorkel. I use one and they are great! I never could get use to the dry snorkel I have.
Robert
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Post by nikeajax on Aug 9, 2014 8:55:46 GMT -8
Mark, take them to a fire extinguisher testing facility if you can: they hopefully know what they are doing! A lot of dive shops will fail a perfectly good tank because, one, they are lazy, and two, they want you to buy their new gear, "Oh man, you shouldn't use those, they are so dangerous... you're taking your life in your own hands if you do..." You might remember a short while ago, Don got a bunch-o tanks, and "they" failed a large portion of them because they had rust in them: he later learned that they more likely than not would have passed if they had been tumbled, so go in asking about tumbling tanks!
Jaybird
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Post by tomcatpc on Aug 9, 2014 11:27:11 GMT -8
I'm going to go in with the notion that these will need to be tumbled to start with. I'm just hoping this will not be all that spendy?, probably going to wait until Winter or whenever I have some cash to spare.
Mark
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Post by scubadiverbob on Aug 9, 2014 14:26:46 GMT -8
It really depends on if they need tumbled as to the cost. The one with out air will probably cost more. If you have a whip, or compressor, you should put a couple hundred pounds in it.
Price also varies by location. Where I live prices have went up; because, a couple of hydro stations have shut down, and like MJB Welding bought the equipment from aa place in Sacto; then, found out about all the new gov. regulations, and will never open up shop. What was a bummer, I used to take Aluminium tanks there to get hydro'ed.
I'm guessing, if they just need hydro'ed ... around 40. Tumbled and hydro'ed ... I think the last one I had done was 65 - 70. I really can't remember; it's been a couple of years ago. (... and due to current situations, prices for everything has went up. I don't want to mention political stuff here; it's way to depressing).
I do like the fire station idea! With 1/2" valves, many dive stores will want to sell you brand new AL80's! Be careful!
Robert
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Post by nikeajax on Aug 10, 2014 8:22:45 GMT -8
Mark, try not to take them to a dive shop for the hydro's: 99% of the time they are the middle man, and will mark-up the price exponentially! The two tanks I got from Don cost me $56 for both that included the tumbling...
Jaybird
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Post by tomcatpc on Aug 10, 2014 18:30:56 GMT -8
OK, so I will look for fire extingure places, etc. later this week. Assuming one of them passes...then the next step is to the Dive Shop for the visual inspection? Or do I have to have the Visual inspection done before I take it the the Hydro. people?
The two tanks with the decals still have very little, if none, corrosion on the outer surface. Now one of them has a few iffy spots with surface rust (no major pitting that I can see). If I take a wire brush, etc. and try to clean up the spots/repaint the tank will that look "suspect" to the Hydro/Dive Shop doing the inspections?
I'm guessing that at least one person has taken an old tank and restored the outer so it looked like it did when new? I'd love to repaint the beat up tank and get a reproduction Aqua-Lung Decal for it.
Thanks
Mark
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Post by scubadiverbob on Aug 10, 2014 22:48:04 GMT -8
I never have painted my tanks ... they are steel 72's and Andrew's HP 50 and all are galvanized; but, I know that you have to use the correct type of paint. Tanks expand when filled, and contract when they go down to 500 psi. This can create cracking in the paint and they will look worse than if you hadn't painted them if you use the wrong type of paint. There are others here who have painted tanks who can let you in on what type of paint to use. If I were you, I'd wait until after they are tumbled and hydro'ed to do anything to them.
There is a wire whip that is made for whipping tanks (it will get the bottom of the tank and the top along with the sides). May not be worth it to buy one, unless you have quite a few tanks. It wouldn't hurt to take the valve off the one with no air in it, turn it upside down, and tap it on wood. Some of the rust may come out. If you have a small pin light, tie it to a string and drop it inside, and see what it looks like (unless you have eddy current testing done, that's what dive shops do then charge you up to $14.00 to put a sticker on them if they are clean; hope this doesn't make you feel sorta ripped off ... ) Most places will do a visual inspection after tumbling a tank. They have to in order to make sure it doesn't need more tumbling. Then they hydro the tank. After hydro, they should also re-inspect the insides again. Well, at least that's what I did at Aqualung Diving Center; but, that was a few years ago. Things have changed since then. If a tank failed, we drilled holes in it. Sometimes, people would weld the holes shut; so, now tanks are stamped "condemned".
Also, unless you can somehow talk them into not taking stickers off the tank, if they have to tumble it, the stickers might come off. Just letting you know.
Robert
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Post by scubadiverbob on Aug 10, 2014 22:53:44 GMT -8
Sent you a PM ....
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Post by nikeajax on Aug 11, 2014 7:53:33 GMT -8
Mark, first hydro, then visual. You may want to leave them as is, because most shops won't touch them if they see you've painted them... Besides, with old crusty tanks, you get more of an old-pro look,
"Gosh, I heard Mark used to dive with Albert Falco!"
"Yeah, well I heard he saved his life once: they were at 450 feet and..."
Jaybird
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Post by cnotthoff on Aug 11, 2014 15:17:20 GMT -8
Oh well, you might as well hear from of one of those horrible people who charges $$ to make sure tanks are safe. BTW, I don't care if they are safe for you to use. Most cylinders explode while they are being filled. I'm concerned about my safety.
Bob, you should feel more than sorta ripped off, if a shop charges you to do an eddy current test on a steel cylinder (some do). That test only works for aluminum cylinders, and is only required for certain aluminum cylinders.
Mark, I hope your tanks test out ok. Those models are likely to have an epoxy lining inside that can hide damage underneath. Any qualified scuba cylinder inspector should be familiar with all aspects of those cylinders.
Good Dives,
Charlie
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Post by tomcatpc on Aug 11, 2014 16:46:40 GMT -8
Is it really worth the trouble? More and more it sounds like it is better just to save up and buy a brand new tank? Can at least the valves and boots be salvaged?
Why do you not care about my safety...? I care about others, I don't like to see bad things happen.
Mark
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Post by cnotthoff on Aug 11, 2014 16:58:21 GMT -8
Sorry Mark, I really do care about all divers' safety.
Just today, I had to listen to another diver whine about our requirement for an evidence-of-inspection sticker to fill a tank. I might have had a chip on my shoulder.
Many divers enjoy diving with vintage tanks. If they've been properly cared for, scuba cylinders can have a very long lifetime. I service many cylinders from the 50's and 60's.
Good Dives,
Charlie
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Post by nikeajax on Aug 11, 2014 17:08:51 GMT -8
Mark, they are most probably still good, Charlie was just messin' with ya: his response was pointed at me, not you  BTW, when I found out how much a new tank is I just about coughed up a lung, "Whoa--Nelly!" Jaybird |
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BTW, when I found out how much a new tank is I just about coughed up a lung, "Whoa--Nelly!"