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Post by technidiver on Feb 7, 2019 13:19:37 GMT -8
The title is the shortest summary that I could think of for this thread. A few weeks ago I got a USD DAAM for a fair price. Hoses were decent, mouthpiece decent, and the diaphragm was fixed using silicone lube. Ordered a parts kit from Bryan at VDH, the kit came today.
About half an hour after opening the kit I had a regulator ready to dive. IP checks out, and it's easy to breathe from. No creeps or issues yet with pressure.
The seat was immaculate. It was almost NOS, could've been in this reg. Does that happen often?
It was a DAAM good success today.
TD
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Post by nikeajax on Feb 7, 2019 13:56:21 GMT -8
TD, when you're ready to take this reg into the water, please be sure to wipe the flange of the diaphragm and can's seating area very well: I've heard hey can walkout some times.
Congrats BTW!
JB
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Post by technidiver on Feb 7, 2019 14:28:28 GMT -8
I'll be sure to wipe off any excess silicone that I missed. I did a throrough wipe down of the diaphragm and I can do it again. And I use baby wipes to clean the metal parts. I'm not a huge fan of vinegar anymore personally I don't mind leaving some patina on the outside and using dish soap and baby wipes to clean it.
TD
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Post by vance on Feb 7, 2019 15:34:10 GMT -8
Hey, TD! Nice job! Where are the pics?
As JB said, clean off any residual grease on the rim of the diaphragm. I use rubbing alcohol to wipe down the cans and the sealing edge of the diaphragm. I've had diaphragms suck out of place, although not USD regs. Still. Some food grade silicone spray makes the rubber parts look nice, and, who knows? It might preserve them, if not restore them a bit.
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Post by nikeajax on Feb 7, 2019 15:39:56 GMT -8
I'm not a huge fan of vinegar anymore personally I don't mind leaving some patina on the outside and using dish soap and baby wipes to clean it. TD What's your reasoning behind this? JB
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Post by vance on Feb 7, 2019 16:09:28 GMT -8
I'm not a huge fan of vinegar anymore personally I don't mind leaving some patina on the outside and using dish soap and baby wipes to clean it. TD What's your reasoning behind this? JB I still use vinegar, but limit it to a very short time. Often, if stubborn verdigris is present, the vinegar can remove chrome before the green stuff. I've had good results with putting the parts in the dishwasher, then re-cleaning by hand with soap and water, and a good scrubby pad and brushes. If you're old, and your memory isn't what it used to be, you can ruin stuff by forgetting it's in the vinegar bath..... I never did this, but it could happen!
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Post by technidiver on Feb 7, 2019 16:37:07 GMT -8
Hey, TD! Nice job! Where are the pics? As JB said, clean off any residual grease on the rim of the diaphragm. I use rubbing alcohol to wipe down the cans and the sealing edge of the diaphragm. I've had diaphragms suck out of place, although not USD regs. Still. Some food grade silicone spray makes the rubber parts look nice, and, who knows? It might preserve them, if not restore them a bit. Pics are coming!!! I have a lot to show now, I really think I'll have to make an Instagram page or something. Plus, all of you don't have to follow me or be on the Instagram to see my pictures! I never thought of the alcohol, I do have some alchohol swabs from a first aid kit and I could use one or two to wipe off the edges of the cans. Good idea Phil! TD
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Post by technidiver on Feb 7, 2019 16:40:23 GMT -8
I'm not a huge fan of vinegar anymore personally I don't mind leaving some patina on the outside and using dish soap and baby wipes to clean it. TD What's your reasoning behind this? JB Phil might be able to attest to this as he was the lucky one who got my goldie cans. Many years ago when I acquired the HW Goldie, it was covered in dirt and patina. Now, this was my first DH reg and I had no idea what to do. The cans were soaked in vinegar and it kinda ate away at the metal. Now that's not a huge structural issue, but it did eat away a fair amount of chrome on the inside. Since then, I've been weary of using vinegar on regs, and if I do I use it sparingly!!! TD (Phil do you remember that reg???)
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Post by technidiver on Feb 7, 2019 16:42:15 GMT -8
What's your reasoning behind this? JB I still use vinegar, but limit it to a very short time. Often, if stubborn verdigris is present, the vinegar can remove chrome before the green stuff. I've had good results with putting the parts in the dishwasher, then re-cleaning by hand with soap and water, and a good scrubby pad and brushes. If you're old, and your memory isn't what it used to be, you can ruin stuff by forgetting it's in the vinegar bath..... I never did this, but it could happen! And ummm, don't forget to mention lemon juice!! It eats at chrome like I eat pizza! It works wonders on removing anything!! TD
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Post by nikeajax on Feb 7, 2019 16:54:03 GMT -8
My weapon of choice is fresh lemon juice and a toothbrush, but that's only when it's bad, and I don't let it sit too long, but that my method, and I always neutralize with baking soda, then water...
JB
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Post by vance on Feb 7, 2019 17:17:30 GMT -8
What's your reasoning behind this? JB Phil might be able to attest to this as he was the lucky one who got my goldie cans. Many years ago when I acquired the HW Goldie, it was covered in dirt and patina. Now, this was my first DH reg and I had no idea what to do. The cans were soaked in vinegar and it kinda ate away at the metal. Now that's not a huge structural issue, but it did eat away a fair amount of chrome on the inside. Since then, I've been weary of using vinegar on regs, and if I do I use it sparingly!!! TD (Phil do you remember that reg???) Rest assured, that the "eat away" was due to bad corrosion. The "damage" that was done was just cleaning up the verdigris. I still have one can half + the valve. It might get used someday! I mixed and matched another GL that had a top bad can with your bottom can and sold it. The valve is still in my Faux '62 Deluxe. You can salvage very corroded cans by cleaning them up and by using good maintenance procedures. Regs that have very little chrome left can be dived without any problem. They just need to be rinsed and maintained!
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Post by nikeajax on Feb 7, 2019 18:02:00 GMT -8
So, TD, what vintage is your regulator?
JB
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Post by technidiver on Feb 7, 2019 18:42:14 GMT -8
My weapon of choice is fresh lemon juice and a toothbrush, but that's only when it's bad, and I don't let it sit too long, but that my method, and I always neutralize with baking soda, then water... JB I remember you recommended me to use this secret weapon; LEMON JUICE. I used it, and it worked. I think I let it sit for too long. It works wonders tho, that's a special trick from Jays Book of secrets. TD
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Post by technidiver on Feb 7, 2019 18:43:18 GMT -8
Phil might be able to attest to this as he was the lucky one who got my goldie cans. Many years ago when I acquired the HW Goldie, it was covered in dirt and patina. Now, this was my first DH reg and I had no idea what to do. The cans were soaked in vinegar and it kinda ate away at the metal. Now that's not a huge structural issue, but it did eat away a fair amount of chrome on the inside. Since then, I've been weary of using vinegar on regs, and if I do I use it sparingly!!! TD (Phil do you remember that reg???) Rest assured, that the "eat away" was due to bad corrosion. The "damage" that was done was just cleaning up the verdigris. I still have one can half + the valve. It might get used someday! I mixed and matched another GL that had a top bad can with your bottom can and sold it. The valve is still in my Faux '62 Deluxe. You can salvage very corroded cans by cleaning them up and by using good maintenance procedures. Regs that have very little chrome left can be dived without any problem. They just need to be rinsed and maintained! Still, I cringe when I think of seeing that brass. I over did it when I cleaned that one, like really over did it. Perhaps I might have to take part of that GL back some day. TD
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Post by technidiver on Feb 7, 2019 18:45:41 GMT -8
So, TD, what vintage is your regulator? JB This DAAM happens to be a 1962-1963 model I believe due to the serial number. It's not as old as the one I received from Phil which to my knowledge is the first version in 1958. A very late 1958 due to the hookah port. Still, quite a few years older than me. TD
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