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Post by SeaRat on Jul 13, 2023 8:21:49 GMT -8
Wow, what a nice discussion. This is what this site is all about. 'Sorry, but I cannot help much in this discussion, but enjoy reading about these adventures.
John
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Post by antique diver on Jul 13, 2023 9:12:13 GMT -8
This might not work for reasons I can't think of (and you may have already explained it), but why don't you simply rotate the copper exhaust fitting so the DBE or DB crosses the center of the cover? I haven't tried it, but suspect that when I'm in horizontal position the exhaust would leak more, being in less water pressure than the diaphragm. It would be easy enough to try out, but it already demonstrates my suspicion when I move left shoulder higher when in swimming position. I have seen a number of photo examples of old conversions with the exhaust where you mention, also with the Seahorse model, but just seems like bad idea to me. Am I missing something?
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cg43
Senior Diver
Posts: 95
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Post by cg43 on Jul 13, 2023 9:57:47 GMT -8
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Post by antique diver on Jul 13, 2023 10:16:51 GMT -8
Wow, what a nice discussion. This is what this site is all about. 'Sorry, but I cannot help much in this discussion, but enjoy reading about these adventures. John John, thanks for your interest. If you want to get the whole looong conversion story beginning with 2018 through present you can see it posted now on the current listings at VDH Forum. www.vintagedoublehose.com/forum/search.php?search_id=active_topics
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Post by antique diver on Jul 15, 2023 14:37:37 GMT -8
The following paragraph by ScubaLawyer came from a different thread, but I am re-posting it here since it is relevant to DIY diving equipment and the adventurous early Scuba divers that would go to great lengths and dangers to get underwater. This is Mark's response to my request to hear more about his Father's diving during WWII. Thank You for the story and great photo Mark! ScubaLawyer wrote: ↑ Mon Dec 10, 2018 8:56 pm Dad always talked about snaking the emergency O2 tanks from the cockpit of his B-24 (not the huge O2 tanks that lined the walls aft of the cockpit and forward of the bombay doors/Norden Bombsight). He talked endlessly about spearfishing the shallow reefs of Waikiki, the walls off Kahuku, and the reefs off Barking Sand Kauai when he was stationed there during WWII. I never thought to ask him what he used for a regulator, if anything. I have a faint recollection of him saying something about using his oxygen mask from the plane and breathing O2 that way. I can only assume he would open the valve, take a hit, and close the valve again - letting exhaust escape around the face seal. That is only my wild speculative guess as I really have no clue. He passed in 2012 at age 90 and all of his Army Air Corps crew are dead as well. Shoulda, woulda, coulda, but didn't. 1944 Muroc Air Field - Dad kneeling 2nd from left.jpg
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Post by nikeajax on Jul 15, 2023 15:04:03 GMT -8
Bill, here I am in 2003 at Castle Air Museum in the tail section of a Lib': "That's me in the tail section of a Consolidated B-24 Liberator. My friend Harry Siemens was the ball-turret gunner during WWII. He had to ditch over Switzerland, and was held in a Swiss POW camp; he and, I believe, seven other escaped. Most of the men he escaped with made it back: the Swiss weren't neutral as most would like you to believe. Harry told me he watched on several occasions Swiss fighters shoot down Allied bombers flying through Switzerland on their way to targets in Germany. Harry, by the way was 6’4”; he told me that they wanted the men to be no more than 5’8” for this position, go figure!"Here I am working on a Super Fort': This was right around the time I met my soon to be wife. They have a Douglas A-26 Invader there too: I made a bet with a guy that I could get into the cockpit without using a ladder, as the original air crews did. He said it couldn't be done: I very wiry: he lost! JB
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Post by antique diver on Jul 22, 2023 6:57:11 GMT -8
Here's the re-adjusted Bendix ready for a solo dive to celebrate my 66th year of diving. My early dives at age 11-12 were all solo, so it seems pretty normal (and peaceful) to be diving alone. Since the last trip I had bored out the HP inlet orifice, tweaked the adjustment a little, and also moved the exhaust valve closer to the reg body. I don't normally dive this rig with a pressure gauge, but gave in this time, hoping to return to my entry point with a bare minimum of air left after a long dive. Coincidentally, the dive turned out to be 66 minutes without me noticing that number until I had returned to my entry point and surfaced with a virtually empty 38. The new adjustments worked out well, providing a comfortable dive. The visibility had improved from 3-4' last week to 8' above the thermocline, but at 21' it was down to about 1' and way too cold without a wetsuit. I probably should just leave well enough alone, but I want to try re-positioning the mounting to get the diaphragm closer to my back for the next test dives. I think I need to flip the configuration over with the "top" against my back. That should place the diaphragm at least 1.5 inches closer to my back. I will also add thermal body protection in hopes of getting a much deeper dive next trip. So, the experiment continues....
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Post by SeaRat on Jul 22, 2023 7:18:37 GMT -8
Wonderful to hear. I too was a solo diver as a kid, as there were no "buddy" divers around. We formed the Salem Junior Aqua Club in the early 1960s, which was an offshoot of the Salem Aqua Club, so after about 3 years of solo diving, I had buddies. I was initially diving my Healthways Scuba regulator, using a 38 cubic foot tank. Here is a description of some of my early dives from my memoir.
Enjoy,
John
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Post by antique diver on Jul 26, 2023 9:57:09 GMT -8
I keep thinking there is better use of my time than making hot-rod vintage breathing devices. So I'm gonna quit that... but not today Odds and ends of tempting parts keep turning up as I try and try to clean up my shop and barn. Take these items for example: Now what could I possibly do with these parts that I ran into last week? It just doesn't seem right to leave them stashed away forever, and even worse to throw anything away. Any suggestions?
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Post by nikeajax on Jul 26, 2023 10:34:04 GMT -8
Bill, can you make that yoke work on one of these regs? That red-brass would look totally boss with it!
JB
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Post by antique diver on Jul 26, 2023 12:32:18 GMT -8
Bill, can you make that yoke work on one of these regs? That red-brass would look totally boss with it! JB YES!The earlier two converted Bendix units utilized CGA-346 threaded air connections to the tank valve, which were more 40's and even very early 50's correct for the times. I couldn't think of a good solid way to attach those regs directly to the tank valves, so they ended up mounted to the back plate. Similar to mount shown in the Popular Science article (with an improvement) as well as seen in some vintage photos of divers using them. That seemed appropriate for my plan to reproduce something that could have been used in the 40's. That still works pretty well, and I'm keeping one unit in that configuration along with all the old vintage straps and hardware found at an amazing military surplus store in Fort Worth. There are several drawbacks to that early configuration. First inconvenience was the extra time involved in changing tanks. Next would be the shortage of tanks with the CGA-346 air valve. I have two, and that's two more than any other diver I know. Those inconveniences are relatively minor when compared to the final reason for wanting to convert one of my units to a "modern" yoke mount. In the early configs the diaphragm was placed outward from the back plat, an extra two+ inches away from my back. That causes more inhalation resistance. So in the new yoke version the diaphragm side is turned two inches toward me, and should result in improved performance. Another plus is that it should fit onto almost anyone's tank who happened to be with me who would be bold enough to dive with the beast. I'm approaching the final touches, and will put up photos tonight or tomorrow if time permits.
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Post by nikeajax on Jul 26, 2023 13:31:06 GMT -8
Your yoke-screw: was reminding me of: So what is it off of then? Is it a USD/AL? I like it, whatever it is JB
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Post by nikeajax on Jul 26, 2023 13:38:38 GMT -8
BTW, this is exactly the PITA-gear that floats my boat: it's so much more interesting/challenging than most!
JB
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Post by antique diver on Jul 26, 2023 14:15:38 GMT -8
BTW, this is exactly the PITA-gear that floats my boat: it's so much more interesting/challenging than most! JB Thanks for your interest! It's the kind of fun stuff that keeps me in the 90-100 degree shop for hours during the day, plus up late at night. There is a definite difference in this yoke and screw than is on my Arpin. The Arpin threads are different. The yoke is definitely USD. I removed the satin chrome on the yoke manually, then "aged" the bare brass in a boiling copper sulfate solution. I can't ID the screw. It was separate from the yoke in a box-o-junk from the old Scuba Point at Possum Kingdom Lake, and was never plated. Aged tone was nature's gift. Just finished bench testing this new version, and find it satisfying so far. Will post some photos later. Hopefully tonight.
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Post by vance on Jul 26, 2023 16:40:01 GMT -8
I keep thinking there is better use of my time than making hot-rod vintage breathing devices. What!!!? I don't understand....
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