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Post by vance on Nov 30, 2021 17:04:56 GMT -8
There is only so much travel, I find. It's pretty limited on this diluter. My other one has more.
It sounds like you have made it so (mostly) the whole enchilada is available now. If you were to make it 1/16" higher...?
Your diaphragm is a thing of beauty, though.
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Post by antique diver on Nov 30, 2021 17:36:27 GMT -8
There is only so much travel, I find. It's pretty limited on this diluter. My other one has more. It sounds like you have made it so (mostly) the whole enchilada is available now. If you were to make it 1/16" higher...? Your diaphragm is a thing of beauty, though. Thanks Phil. You can do this. Final shaping of the retaining groove is now underway. The diaphragm has been trimmed a little and the outer rim coated with same silicone again, then held into place in the mold's groove with a tight fitting oring. This shape closely matches the one on the regulator body. Diaphragm shape should retain its shape in after a day or two, allowing it to fit snugly on the regulator. The original diaphragm was held in place with wraps of thread, but Swimjim had the great idea in 2018 of trying to retain it with an oring as seen here. It's tight and hard to maneuver into place but it stays put.This same method has been used on this reg with no problem for three years of activity. Thanks Swimjim! The machine screw you see is used to adjust the center height of the backing plate under the diaphragm matrix, and allows simple changes in shape of subsequent versions if necessary. About the height, this one sits about 1/4" higher than my previous version, and bench testing (with diaph held on with rubber band) shows that I am now getting full movement of the second stage lever, resulting in a tremendous increase in air flow. Hoping it works well underwater, and looks like I will be slipping into a dry suit to check it out sometime in December.
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Post by vance on Dec 1, 2021 11:46:46 GMT -8
I did a couple of things to the diluter today. I cut the cage off this cover and milled it flat. An extra cover or plug needs to be fitted here b/c this port is no longer used. It might be a potential exhaust port, but it doesn't look promising. Then I turned down the end of a bit of 1/4" stainless tubing to fit in the second stage opening. I think this should work well. I need to attach this one to a tank and see if it explodes.
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Post by nikeajax on Dec 3, 2021 17:04:17 GMT -8
If you click through to this image: www.airwar.ru/image/idop/bww1/gothag5/gothag5-15.jpgyou can see what German bomber crews used in WW-I: the aircraft is a Gotha G.V (5): they were high altitude bombers: 16K feet max operating altitude! Just thought it was kinda cool is all JB
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Post by vance on Dec 10, 2021 18:58:04 GMT -8
Wow.
At 7Pm tonight, I finally received the PVC fittings from Lowes. There wasn't a one to be found in CA, so I ordered it last week. Finally got here.
I'll get it machined tomorrow, and maybe will start a first attempt at a diaphragm, if I can get a bit of nylon material. I have a tube of the silicone somewhere....
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Post by vance on Dec 11, 2021 17:52:59 GMT -8
B/C my lathe is small, I don't have a tool holder short enough to clear the bit with this part. I think I only need to cut a groove for the o'ring (Bill T did more cuts than that), but I can't do it with things as they are.
I'll need to make a new, shorter tool holder, or, most likely, cut down a commercial one. If I cut down a commercial tool holder, I suppose I'll always have one that will clear larger work. They're relatively inexpensive, so WTH(eck).
I want to incorporate the o'ring into the diaphragm, but am not sure that will work. If I fold the excess back over the o'ring and smear it up with the flowable silicone?
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Post by antique diver on Dec 11, 2021 20:57:09 GMT -8
B/C my lathe is small, I don't have a tool holder short enough to clear the bit with this part. I think I only need to cut a groove for the o'ring (Bill T did more cuts than that), but I can't do it with things as they are. I'll need to make a new, shorter tool holder, or, most likely, cut down a commercial one. If I cut down a commercial tool holder, I suppose I'll always have one that will clear larger work. They're relatively inexpensive, so WTH(eck). I want to incorporate the o'ring into the diaphragm, but am not sure that will work. If I fold the excess back over the o'ring and smear it up with the flowable silicone? I'm confessing a change of plan on that oring vs thread wraps. I know that I was just discussing how well that had worked out for the past 3 years, but now I going to have to eat my words. It seems that I had forgotten just how much trouble it really is to get the diaphragm to stay in place while I try with only two hands to place the oring. I have been getting in and out of the contraption a lot as I try different diaphragms and plates and adjustments, and have resorted back to using thread wraps. Found that dental floss works quite well, and is a dang lot faster and easier than wrestling the oring. Phil, you might come up with a good way to permanently combine the oring and diaphragm, and I hope you will still experiment with that and let me know if you find a good way.
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Post by vance on Dec 12, 2021 9:38:28 GMT -8
There seems to be enough clearance for the cover to fit over the diaphragm, o'ring, and another layer of cloth around the rim to secure the o'ring. Dunno if it is going to, or if the silicone is strong enough to survive putting on-taking off a bunch of times.
One step at a time, I guess. I have to machine the mold before worrying about that.
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Post by nikeajax on Dec 12, 2021 9:48:36 GMT -8
Is it that there is only so much clearance between the can/housing? What if you made a metal clamp? My thought is that you curl/turn the ends, and it's held together by a U-shaped, er-ah, staple? that slips into the curled ends? Just a thought JB
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Post by nikeajax on Dec 12, 2021 11:26:08 GMT -8
Hmmmm? You could also use a piece of wire, again fold the ends back, but use a wide flat retainer clip that slips into the ends of the wire...
JB
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Post by vance on Dec 12, 2021 15:57:37 GMT -8
A hardened wire clamp might work, but you'd need to cut a slot in the cover for the screw and clamp ends to stick out. Or something. This is the flange: The diaphragm attaches on the inner part, and the cover over the machined section of the OD.
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Post by nikeajax on Dec 12, 2021 16:35:57 GMT -8
PY, my idea is that you wouldn't use a screw, like the HW's, but something more reminiscent of a blade-fuse: that would lock the ends in place. I'd be kinda nervous with an o-ring that could get fatigued and break. Jus' tryin' ta brainstorm wit' you guys is all... JB
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Post by vance on Dec 12, 2021 17:01:45 GMT -8
One issue with the integrated o'ring would be any fatigue and/or deteriorization. Silicone o'rings should be fine for ages, so I will avoid neoprene.
However you lock the ends of the clamp, it'll have to stick out some. Dental floss/thread might be the best way to go. That's how the originals were attached.
But then, would you have to take your diluter reg to the dentist for cleaning?
Sorry. That was just an homage to Bill T's comment about using drano to clean my plumbing aisle mouthpiece! Good one...heh.
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Post by SeaRat on Dec 12, 2021 17:40:15 GMT -8
Just so everyone will know, I use my "Thumbs Up" sign to simply show that I have read the post. I have no expertise here, and so will defer to others about both the safety and the engineering of these diluter regulators. I would be very cautious once things are completed, and dive them first in a pool with a bailout bottle available instantly. 'Same goes for any open water testing.
John
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Post by vance on Dec 12, 2021 17:57:26 GMT -8
Thanks, John, for your sensible warnings/comments. Someone needs to keep us in line!
However, I am completely aware of the limitations of this conversion, and that the regulator is not an open water option for general use.
This is a recreation of one of the first-ever aqualungs with some tweaks that the OGs didn't have. It works well enough to dive casually under controlled conditions with back up.
Bill T has proven that already. Performance may improve as we experiment, to the point that it is a decent regulator that rivals others in its class. I'm hopeful that it will.
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