Metal tank band questions

[Bob DBF]

PM DaleC here on Scubaboard, somewhere on a thread I can't find now, he has a discussion and pictures of one he made.


Bob

 

[Bison Ravi]

Thanks Bob, I found the thread http://scubaboard.com/forums/vintage-equipment-diving/433107-hawaiian-pack-project.html and his website: Hawaiian Pack Project - manfish.ca    The Adventure of Grassroots Canadian Diving .

His backpack is really nice!

 

[simonbeans]

If it is sarcastic, well I'm not really going for any particular look

Pre-1980 "Vintage" SCUBA Gear, including Double Hose Regulators, Conshelfs, Voit, Aquamaster, Horsecollar BC's and other classic pieces of gear. Sea Hunt, Jacques Cousteau and the early history of this great sport.

I understand your thread and I empathize with your question. However this forum section is as indicated here for pre-1980 gear. Seems as of late true vintage diving is going the way of the Passenger Pigeon. And the discussions also trend toward how to modernize the use of vintage gear. At one time we used to talk about using the gear as it was during a specified time period. But now many like to add radial tires to their conestoga wagon. Although you are not going for a specific look, some of us here, having acquired this dedicated forum section, would like to discuss vintage equipment as it was not as it could be with modern innovations.

 

[Bison Ravi]

IMHO, modernizing vintage gear is the only way vintage diving will survive outside of history books and museums. Perfect example is the new argonaut double hose. Also, it's pretty difficult to dive 100% vintage all the time.

For me, using the best from any period is the way to go.If I'm not mistaken, you even sell a vintage travel harness with scubapro nylon cambands on your own website.

I tried to ask this question is the equipment/BC section but didn't receive many answers. Most people nowadays have never seen a backplate/wing BC, even less a vintage backpack, hawaiian pack or metal bands.

In any case, I don't want to ruffle feathers, so if a moderator believes this should be moved to another section so be it.

 

[simonbeans]

Yes I do sell a "travel" harness that uses Scubapro style bands. But my website is A&D Adventures and although I make and sell vintage harness and supply repro double hose regulator labels, there is always some other stuff for sale. Many people wanted (at one time) a harness for Al 80s. I only carried bands for 6.9"diameter tanks. So Luis and i came up with this travel harness. It isn't my favorite and I only sell a couple each year.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

If it is sarcastic, well I'm not really going for any particular look

Pre-1980 "Vintage" SCUBA Gear, including Double Hose Regulators, Conshelfs, Voit, Aquamaster, Horsecollar BC's and other classic pieces of gear. Sea Hunt, Jacques Cousteau and the early history of this great sport.

I understand your thread and I empathize with your question. However this forum section is as indicated here for pre-1980 gear. Seems as of late true vintage diving is going the way of the Passenger Pigeon. And the discussions also trend toward how to modernize the use of vintage gear. At one time we used to talk about using the gear as it was during a specified time period. But now many like to add radial tires to their conestoga wagon. Although you are not going for a specific look, some of us here, having acquired this dedicated forum section, would like to discuss vintage equipment as it was not as it could be with modern innovations.

The problem is there's no forum for modern minimalists, so the vintage forum is the most likely place that these things will get discussed. Minimalism most closely resembles vintage diving except the gear is modern, all other vintage principles apply, and vintage divers are the closest relatives we have.
We could ask the administrators if we could have our own forum but I'm afraid pure minimalist diving isn't really an official subset of diving yet like DIR or CCR or Tech. We certainly don't belong in Basic Scuba Discussions because that's more for standard LDS gear divers. Where are we supposed to go?
We're homeless, we're rogue at this point without place to call our own, wandering the streets of the internet all night talking to ourselves.

One thing to think about though, True time period vintage will one day die out just because of the limitations of gear availability and supply.
Minimalism will never die out because it can use all the most modern gear, it can keep up with the times.

BTW, the new Argonaut isn't vintage, either is a Pheonix, unless you go by Nemrods tongue in cheek rules of "Vintage is anything 6 weeks old or older - todays date minus 6 weeks".

 

[DaleC]

My ears are burning.

Here's a video of my Hawaiian pack build. It has the D rings at the end of the hoops.

[video=youtube;g1RSmIvAOEc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1RSmIvAOEc[/video]

And a recent dive with it.
[video=youtube;BfOkJlCBSUY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfOkJlCBSUY[/video]

I would look either for an old ABS packpack that has a metal band you can convert or use a camband, if you just want function. You can also use large hose clamps or even thick metal wire for that early era look, but it pretty well secures the tank to the pack and makes swapping out a hassle. I have one ABS pack that has a DIY band made of 2" SS with holes drilled in the bent ends - just thread a bolt/nut through to secure. Just watch out for corrosion caused by electrolysis when mating different metals.

How about HVAC strapping. I have both single and double bands of this. They are galvanized and don't rust. There go some now:

[video=youtube;YGp5R-4m3Rw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGp5R-4m3Rw[/video]

Post pictures of your project

 

[captain]

Simply use half of a doubles band with a bolt and wing nut.

 

[Bob DBF]

Where are we supposed to go?
We're homeless, we're rogue at this point without place to call our own, wandering the streets of the internet all night talking to ourselves.

One thing to think about though, True time period vintage will one day die out just because of the limitations of gear availability and supply.
Minimalism will never die out because it can use all the most modern gear.

Don't forget that we are running out of old guys as well.

So far the only divers I have run across, other than a few old pharts like myself, that did give my old gear any respect have been the few minimalist divers I have run across. The way I look at it, in 20 years the only ones that might be interested in vintage gear will be historians, and there doesn't seem to be much interest in that either, DIY, and minimalist. Let's face it, the poodle jacket crowd just looks to their next holiday and the Tech crowd sincerely believes they are not recreational divers, and gives nary a thought or respect to the divers before them that did the same dives on vintage gear, or any other gear, that was used before the name they acquired in '91.

I like anyone turning up with some interest on this forum as it seems like a ghost town at times already. I believe that the concepts of vintage diving are important as well as the gear. And if someone can keep the concept alive by making "new vintage" gear more power to them, they will probably get more pertinent information and encouragement here, than elsewhere.





Bob
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that's all i have to say about that - Forrest Gump

 

[DaleC]

And they will relate the current experience of trying to create and dive that gear, which is as interesting to some as the gear itself.

I've been thinking of building a shallow water diving helmet for a while now, mainly because William Beebe insists we all try one once in our lives. Totally impractical, more risky than scuba and a lot of work for not much reward, but I am intrigued by the process that many undertook in the past to get themselves under water. Perhaps what we can call a tactile journey of rediscovery. Limiting that experience to only diving helmets used in a specific period would almost ensure such a process not be undertaken.