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Post by VintageDiverMN on Nov 10, 2004 6:38:42 GMT -8
What is the best way to store your vintage double hose regulators when their not going to be used until next Spring? I take the hoses and the duckbills off mine and wash the rubber parts in warm soapy water, and leave off until ready to use again. Any other ideas?
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Post by TENNESSEE DIVER on Nov 12, 2004 11:14:12 GMT -8
Get pharmacy type talc from the drug store (unsented, do not use regular sented talc, or baby powder, it works on the rubber) and powder down the non return valves and the duckbill. Do not remove the nonreturn valves from the wagon wheels,(to much chance of pulling the rubber loose from the valve face). Spin the valve tip in the wagon wheels to get powder between the rubber and plastic. I also powder the out side of the hoses. Besure to hang the hoses in a vertical position after a good washing in warm soapy water and a good rinse in fresh water. Just before I hang them, I spin each of them in a circle to sling the water from the inside. Powder, after an overnight or day or two drying. I have had duck bills and non return valves last for years this way. But I did this after each dive, when there was to be a time span till the next dive. Don't use very much talc, just enough to make a white coverage over the rubber, I usually put a small amount on and rub and add more when needed. After reassembly for the next dive, Besure to dip hoses in water when starting the dive and blow the water through before inhaling after the storage. This worked for Newman and me for near 40 years of diving. I am sure there are other methods that work also. On the duck bill, and valves in the wagon wheels, I packed them in a sandwich bag w/ the talc added for storage. Hang in a cool dry dark place, (closet, or dive locker) until needed. I used a coat hanger and spring type pins, used to hang washing, on each hose and attached the sandwich bag to one side. Hope this helps, old method but it works,-best to all Ron Miller
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Post by BLT on Nov 12, 2004 11:38:09 GMT -8
Here is a question/thinking out loud...
I use Talc on my drysuit seals etc. but I have also heard that much of the talc available has Asbestos in it. That makes me question whether I want to powder my hoses with it then breathe thru them. I did read the step where you rinse the talc out, but whenever I finish my dives in my drysuit, I still find some white talc residue on it. This leads me to believe that some of the talc sticks to the rubber and is available to go airborne as it dries. I would also ASSUME that during a dive, the hoses can dry out somewhat to allow the dust to be inhaled.
Am I way off base here or what?
Any thoughts or corrections?
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Post by VintageDiverMN on Nov 13, 2004 6:33:50 GMT -8
Instead of using Talc, has anyone tried using Corn Starch? I think that I will try it on one of my duckbills this Winter, will let you know how it turns out next Spring.
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Post by seakrakken on Nov 13, 2004 9:41:48 GMT -8
WARNING! Do Not use corn starch! It is vunerable to and even promotes Fungus growth! Do what TENNESSEE DIVER Says and use plain unscented talc. It being a mineral is not prone to promoting fungus growth. Talc is closely related to asbestos speaking from a mineral standpoint but, it lacks the same agravating properties of asbestos. Asbestos under a microscope looks very jagged and has lots of hooks and barbs. Talc does not. Asbestos is a wonderfull insolator but, talc is not. Talc is considered safe for humans. That being said about talc I have used food grade silicone lubricant for my rubber goods. It helps to prevent the rubber from loosing its pliability and elasticity and can even help restore some of that vitality to the rubber which it may have already lost. Heat, Ozone and Ultra Violet Rays are the enemies of rubber. Heat will degrade rubber by baking out all of the various solvents out of it which will leave you with a hardened shrunkin piece of scrap. Ozone will directly attack the material itself and break it down in to powder. Ultra Violet (Sun) will bleach it and also bake out all of the rubber's solvents.
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Post by VintageDiverMN on Nov 13, 2004 11:50:25 GMT -8
Where can you get food grade silicone?
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Post by seakrakken on Nov 13, 2004 19:16:45 GMT -8
Depends on where you live. Try this: DAVE'S BUTCHER SUPPLY, INC.
380 Huntingdon Rd. P.O. Box 452, Yukon, PA 15698
Phone: 877-279-4936
Fax: 724-722-3787
Email: contact@davesbutchersupply.com
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Post by cstmwrks on Dec 9, 2004 19:54:27 GMT -8
I have not done a search on the net but ZIPSLIP is a brand of silicone lube products for the food industry.
One may do well with : food grade silicone as a search
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Post by cstmwrks on Dec 9, 2004 19:56:38 GMT -8
Oh, remember AQUA CRAFT ?? well zipslip was the brand of silicone products they carried. Still got a tube of it that is 25 years old.
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Post by Ron Hearn on Mar 4, 2005 8:30:01 GMT -8
Hi
I use food grade clear silicone lubricator, conditioner from Dow Corning, I beleave this is the same silicone sold in many different packages for different conpanies applications.
Ron
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Post by John C Ratliff on Apr 3, 2005 0:33:57 GMT -8
I got a syring of silicone (not with a needle ;D) from a Scubapro dive shop for my AIR I regulator first stage (to give it freeze protection). I only used half of it two years ago, and still have a substantial amount that I use on all sorts of regulator rubber products.
SeaRat
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