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Post by artc on May 10, 2022 18:05:40 GMT -8
There's a pretty corroded one of these up now on eBay at the starting price of $10/$17.97. Second stage looks beat , but the first might clean up. www.ebay.com/itm/294689878004Well, I bought the Deep Star II and yes, it was covered in corrosion and generally in pretty rough shape. First thing I did was to hook the regulator to a tank and check the IP. Not surprisingly, it leaked badly. Separating the cap from the body was a major challenge. I didn’t want to soak it in vinegar water because I was worried that I might damage the plastic piston. So, I put the regulator in a vise with protective jaws. With the vise holding the cap, I screwed a threaded rod in the body lp port and tapped the threaded rod with brass hammer. I tapped and tapped and tapped. I must have spent fifteen to twenty minutes hitting the rod until the body started unscrewing from cap. Yay, separation without damaging anything. all the metal parts received a vinegar water bath. Most of the parts cleaned up well. The ambient chamber was heavily corroded. The soaking removed most of the verdigris, but I had use a scotch pad to remove the heaviest of the corrosion. I then finished polishing the chamber with 6000 and 8000 grit micro mesh to get a smooth wall. Clean with Dawn and warm water and then rinse and dry with compressed air. Assembly was pretty straightforward. New o rings and back up ring. Reverse the hp seat and put everything back together. The first stage looks great cosmetically. I put the newly rebuilt regulator back on the tank and ip locked up 128 psi at 2000psi tank pressure. life is good. So, why would I bother with a basket case regulator with a rather bad reputation and mediocre performance? Well, I wanted the challenge and a chance to add to my vintage USD collection. Plus, it was cheap. Regulators are like baseball cards, you have to have them all, LOL. As luck would have it, the first stage looks good and breathes halfway decent, same as the Deep Star I and Aquarius. Will I actually dive with it? Maybe, for hull cleaning and inspection. |
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Post by vance on May 21, 2022 16:35:12 GMT -8
I pulled this post from the Buy and Sell area, thinking it might make an interesting thread. My response to the post is tongue in cheek, but it might really say something about what/why we collect. Here's what I responded with:
(You are) On the road to ruin for 3 reasons in ascending order:
"So, why would I bother with a basket case regulator with a rather bad reputation and mediocre performance? #3 Well, I wanted the challenge #2 and a chance to add to my vintage USD collection. #1 Plus, it was cheap.
#1 is why I have so many Dacor and Healthways DH regulators! I guess that's also why I have ANY SH regs... However, I will pay a pretty penny for an interesting/rare/really nice reg, but mostly, I buy bargains.
What are your reasons for buying what you buy?
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Post by vance on May 21, 2022 16:58:14 GMT -8
The other reason I buy the broke stuff is that I seem to need to fix them all and get them back in the water. It isn't necessarily the challenge. Maybe, it's just that they need fixing?
There was an old video game (back when we were enthralled by what would be now considered incredibly boring stuff) called "Injured Engine". You had to diagnose its problems and fix it.
Loved it.
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Post by artc on May 21, 2022 18:02:13 GMT -8
Hi Vance,
It’s an addiction I tell ya. I was so pleased with the Titan II I bought on eBay, I found a MR 12 II (bullseye model) for $19. It was covered in dirt and had a broken spg, but it locked up at 135psi and turned out to be an amazing breather. So far, I’ve cleaned it up, put on a new mouthpiece and filter, and reversed the second stage seat. The second stage diaphragm is soft and supple as is the silicone exhaust valve, so there’s no need to to replace them. Lastly, I put on a Sea-Vue gauge and now it works like a champ. I’ll be rebuilding the first stage soon, but for now it’s good to go. I now see why many folks on this board rave about MR12’s. They are great breathing regulators and parts are readily available. Yes, I’m hooked.
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Post by herman on May 22, 2022 5:10:02 GMT -8
I have finally gotten over the addiction..way too many regs of all kinds HOWEVER if any of you see an Airflo second stage for a reasonable price I am interested. I have the compelete set including special pressure gauge, tank valve and tank, the only thing I am missing is the second stage. Some were sold with the Scuba Star first stage so I a hoping to grab one of those but so far everyone who has one thinks it's the much more desirable oddball piston reg (which I have). I'm not willing to pay high prices for a simple second stage.
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Post by nikeajax on May 22, 2022 10:54:11 GMT -8
So, about seven years ago my wife and I went to a junk sale, where you could fill a box for 5bux! Somehow I knew that day before going that I was going to find a piece of old Healthways gear. As I remember calculating it, I think it worked out to 50 cents: I found this blue Scuba Star second stage, it didn't have the first stage attached, but I was totally stoked because I'd always wanted a blue one...  It took a while, but I finally got a correct, flat-faced, purge button:  Jaybird |
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Post by vance on May 22, 2022 18:18:11 GMT -8
I have finally gotten over the addiction. Way too many regs of all kinds...... I'm not willing to pay high prices for a simple second stage. I think I'm over the addiction as well. I no longer have to bid on/buy every regulator that is or might be a deal. Recently, I've passed on a lot of regs that I would've bought/bid on in the past. I certainly don't need more equipment, but I do still look at favorites and potential bargains. I'm much more disciplined about the bottom line, these days. Now, parts are more what I'm after. |
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Post by snark3 on May 23, 2022 2:03:29 GMT -8
I too am more selective about what I'm buying. I'm not buying unless it's a good deal on a Snark 3 or something Sportsways. The only other things I'm looking for are 1) the small tank I mentioned in the buy/sell/trade section and a housing for a USD ABS system. I have the manifold and modern tanks no housing.
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Post by tomcatpc on May 23, 2022 7:30:20 GMT -8
I have just "ended up" with a few regs that I did not really go out of my way to find. They just "showed up". There are a couple I am looking for in the future, but I need to concentrate on actually going diving more with what I do have. Then we can move on to more fun toys.,
Mark
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Post by tomcatpc on May 23, 2022 7:36:24 GMT -8
Having said that...I just posted in the wanted section about finding a US Divers Conshelf VI from the mid-late 1960's. Ha!
Mark
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Post by herman on May 23, 2022 13:46:45 GMT -8
I too am more selective about what I'm buying. I'm not buying unless it's a good deal on a Snark 3 or something Sportsways. The only other things I'm looking for are 1) the small tank I mentioned in the buy/sell/trade section and a housing for a USD ABS system. I have the manifold and modern tanks no housing. Do you have the BC that went with it?? I have a housing w/tanks and manifold but no BC. Shipping would be a high but if you want all of what I have, drop me a PM or email |
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