Original DH Hoses

[artc]

Aloha everyone. After my double hose regulator rebuilds, I am now left with several pairs of the original hoses. Some were cracked and gooey, so they got thrown away. But, the rest are in decent shape although they all have a set. My question is; what do you DH owners do with your old hoses? Toss them? Keep them as spares? And is there any way to remove the set? 

[nikeajax]

Hi Art! I'd say keep them you never know when one of your good ones will get damaged, especially on a dive: who knows, someone may really get super compulsive and need to slash one because they'd seen too much Sea Hunt!

To straighten original neoprene hoses you use something like a broomstick and thread it through. Goop it up with silicone grease or spray then use a blow dryer to get it warm, let that sit for a month or so.

JB

[scubalawyer]

Jun 26, 2022 11:00:18 GMT -8 artc said:

Aloha everyone. After my double hose regulator rebuilds, I am now left with several pairs of the original hoses. Some were cracked and gooey, so they got thrown away. But, the rest are in decent shape although they all have a set. My question is; what do you DH owners do with your old hoses? Toss them? Keep them as spares? And is there any way to remove the set? 

With two exceptions I personally just toss old hoses that have taken a set. The 1st was to create a cut-away in an exhaust hose for our Sea Hunt knife fight reenactments. The 2nd was to use an old hose and mouthpiece to attach a DH reg to my magnahelic.

[tomcatpc]

I only have one set of original hoses. Those are a set of blue hoses from a late 50's Healthways SCUBA. One of them has a small split on the end, but I refuse to throw them in the rubbish bin!!! They are cached away in a tote. Just wanted to hang onto them!
Mark

[vance]

I am also compelled to keep them, esp. if there are no new ones available like Sportsways or Dacor hoses. I've tried the broomstick method with ok results. But once they're stiff, they don't limber up much, and you never get the set out completely.

[nikeajax]

Something else you might try is Methyl salicylate, AKA oil of wintergreen:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methyl_salicylate

My thought is to broomstick them, but spray the outsides only with this substance. It can and will revitalize the plasticity: all of the applications I've seen though, are in things like automotive uses, and they usually submerge the item. The part will swell, but once it off-gasses it will shrink down to correct size. I think you'll need a few applications.

The old Healthways Divair mouthpieces were flavored with this stuff. One of these days I want to use some on my Cressi fins.

Just a thought

JB

[antique diver]

Jun 27, 2022 11:56:19 GMT -8 nikeajax said:

Something else you might try is Methyl salicylate, AKA oil of wintergreen:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methyl_salicylate

My thought is to broomstick them, but spray the outsides only with this substance. It can and will revitalize the plasticity: all of the applications I've seen though, are in things like automotive uses, and they usually submerge the item. The part will swell, but once it off-gasses it will shrink down to correct size. I think you'll need a few applications.

The old Healthways Divair mouthpieces were flavored with this stuff. One of these days I want to use some on my Cressi fins.

Just a thought

JB

Flavored fins?
In case you put your foot in your mouth? (duh... I've been known to do that on occasion)

[vance]

Jun 27, 2022 11:56:19 GMT -8 nikeajax said:

Something else you might try is Methyl salicylate, AKA oil of wintergreen:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methyl_salicylate

My thought is to broomstick them, but spray the outsides only with this substance. It can and will revitalize the plasticity: all of the applications I've seen though, are in things like automotive uses, and they usually submerge the item. The part will swell, but once it off-gasses it will shrink down to correct size. I think you'll need a few applications.

The old Healthways Divair mouthpieces were flavored with this stuff. One of these days I want to use some on my Cressi fins.

Just a thought

JB

I think you meant greeny gray DivAir hoses were wintergreen flavored.

[nikeajax]

Jun 27, 2022 14:14:27 GMT -8 vance said:

I think you meant greeny gray DivAir hoses were wintergreen flavored.

Hmmmm, perhaps that's why they were flavored/scented, to soften them?

JB

[SeaRat]

Aqualung Regulator-1 by John Ratliff, on Flickr

I still have, and occasionally use, the original hoses from my DX Overpressure Breathing regulator. They were much thicker then subsequent hoses, and are still usable after some 60+ years. They were too short for what I wanted. But paired with the Professional Mouthpiece from La Spiro, they work well.

That regulator now sports newer hoses from SCBAs:

IMG_1256 by John Ratliff, on Flickr

John

[tomcatpc]

Just forgot...I think the hoses I have on my US Divers DA Navy Approved Reg have original* hoses? I hardly ever dive that beast, because it is not exactly the funnest to dive! Ha! Having said that, I might take it out for a shallow dive to burn up the last 800 psi in a tank later this Summer?
Mark

*The hoses are not original to this reg, but I bought them off of another person and they are not modern reproductions.

[snark3]

One of my DA Aquamasters still wears it's original "High Convolution" "Super Stretch" hoses. They are still in good shape and are 60 +/- years old

[vance]

I've had a couple of OverPressures that had perfectly fine original hoses and duckbills. I also have had a couple of Spiro Mistrals with similar original hoses and duckbills that were in great shape as well. Something is different about that rubber, but I don't know what it is...

[nikeajax]

Kinda like the way black-HW hoses are always in good condition, but those yellow or blue ones

JB

[vance]

The yellow ones were clay based. Don't really know what that means, but it doesn't sound good? No idea about the blue ones.