DA Aquamaster Rebuild

[artc]

I’m getting addicted to DA Aquamaster’s. I just picked up another one and finished rebuilding it today.  No modifications, just a good cleaning, replacement of all rubber parts and seats and tuning the beast. My greatest take away from the rebuild is that the cleaning and the proper tools are indispensable to a successful project. Especially, a vise, Herman’s can holder and a dented ring tool. Even with all those , I still had to tap the tool with a brass hammer to free the ring. And it really was just a tap, tap, tap and not heavy blows that was key to not breaking stuff. 

I know rebuilding a DAAM is pretty basic compared to what many of you do with exotic fabrications of rare hard to find DH regulators, but I’m satisfied to stick with USD equipment. I use everything I rebuild and expect them to work as they were intended. Now, maybe a Mistral will be next. How do they compare with DAAM’s and RAM’s? 

[SeaRat]

Below are the tools Art is talking about:

Aquamaster & tools001 by John Ratliff, on Flickr

Here’s an article an the U.S. Divers Company Mistral:

SDM Mistral Article by John Ratliff, on Flickr

You asked how the Mistral compares to the DA Aquamaster. Well, here’s the USN Experimental Diving Unit’s evaluation of the Mistral.

USD Mistral (new cover) by John Ratliff, on Flickr

It passed and was approved for use by the U.S. Navy (it actually out-performed the DA Aquamaster, especially at depth).

John

[artc]

Thanks John!

[tomcatpc]

I have a late-50's Mistral and I thought it was easy to rebuild. It is great to dive as well. Pretty simple overall. I have one Aquamaster that I recently had to address a leaky HP Seat. I think I got it sorted out and will test it this Summer. I don't have enough dive time with my Aquamaster yet to form an opinion. I do love diving my Mistral though! Now that I have a Healthways SCUBA and a Dacor R-3 waiting in the wings, not sure how much bottom time the US Divers regs will see in the future?
Mark

[snark3]

I have 5 DAAM's. 2 with cyclone 1st, Duck Bill eliminator and HPR second stage. 2 have Phoenix 1sts with DBE and HPR's and one is rebuilt in stock configuration. One still wears its original hoses, I forget what they called them but they were only available 1 or 2 years

[SeaRat]

[quote author="snark3" source="/post/53954/thread" timestamp="1651343310"]I have 5 DAAM's. 2 with cyclone 1st, Duck Bill eliminator and HPR second stage. 2 have Phoenix 1sts with DBE and HPR's and one is rebuilt in stock configuration. One still wears its original hoses, I forget what they called them but they were only available 1 or 2 years[/quote]
I think you are talking about the “Superstretch hoses.” I have a regulator, my Trieste II, with those hoses.

John

[snark3]

John- you're right they were high stretch and what they called High convolutions. I believe they were only used in 1961 and maybe early 62

[nikeajax]

Apr 30, 2022 10:28:30 GMT -8 snark3 said:

I have 5 DAAM's. 2 with cyclone 1st, Duck Bill eliminator and HPR second stage. 2 have Phoenix 1sts with DBE and HPR's and one is rebuilt in stock configuration. One still wears its original hoses, I forget what they called them but they were only available 1 or 2 years

The most of any DH I have are two Dacor C3's and two Healthways Scuba model-A's, but I think I might have four Scuba Stars... I geek out on too many things, so I need to keep numbers relatively low, "OH MAN! That's so cool, I gotta have one..."

JB

[tomcatpc]

Took this one for a half-hour dive today. It seems to be working just fine. I will take it out more this Summer.
Mark

287318580_5590760590975841_2877727138504256926_n by Mark Lodge, on Flickr

[SeaRat]

Jun 16, 2022 15:29:19 GMT -8 tomcatpc said:

Took this one for a half-hour dive today. It seems to be working just fine. I will take it out more this Summer.
Mark

287318580_5590760590975841_2877727138504256926_n by Mark Lodge, on Flickr

It looks great!

John

[nikeajax]

Very fun buddy! With those tree in the background I kinda expect Natty Bumpo to jump out from them...



JB

[vance]

I've had a DAAM sitting on my workbench for a while, unfinished. It's an older, no serial # model with a stubbed casting (no hookah port) so IP adjustment is an issue. I know how to fudge it, but would rather set it properly so this one got back burnered for that and because it's a DA.

Not that interesting.

I had a slow day today due to just returning from a trip last night, so some puttering was in the cards. What better time than today to make an adapter?

These have 27tpi threads, not the 24tpi threads of Titan II/Trieste second stages, so I had to configure and check a new combination of change gears on the lathe. Other than that, it's cake.





This is an overall pretty nice DA, but has weird drippy stains on the box chrome.  It'll go up for sale when I get around to it.

[tomcatpc]

This contraption was thrown into the water with me attached to it, it performed just fine!
Mark

292547398_5662732587111974_2252570686316740592_n by Mark Lodge, on Flickr

[vance]

These things keep finding me. I'm in the middle of rebuilding a super nice Made in France DA. It is either NOS or little used.





I might follow Mark's example with the yellow hoseloop. I prefer the look of the black mp with yellow hoses, but I have a yellow one that needs to be used.