Should I refinish my SP R109?

[g1138]

I got a Scubapro R109 off ebay and found that it really wasn't up to the pictures or description.
The chrome finish is kinda gone on some spots and what's worse is that those spots are either brown or green.
There's also some greening inside the mouth piece orifice (on the metal)

Should I be worried about this reg deteriorating even more if I don't refinish it?
Any suggestions or tips for cleaning it, refinishing it, or doing anything to it, would be greatly appreciated. =]
Thanks in advance
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w220/Nova1138/PICT0002.jpg
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w220/Nova1138/PICT0003.jpg
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w220/Nova1138/PICT0004.jpg

PS the pics are so big I'm not putting them in this thread X_X

 

[aquaregia]

The brown's a lovely color. Get rid of the verdigris with 50% vinegar, but take off the silicone first. Do you have the puck-style poppet or the cap-style poppet? Give me a buzz if you wanna come over to take it apart or anything. Welcome to the 109 club.

 

[elmer fudd]

I wouldn't pay to refinish it myself, for the simple reason that you can buy another R109 in better condition for much less than the cost of a refinish. There's a woman that's selling one right now on this very board. Hers looks a little rough, but if you look around you'll find some nice ones.

 

[superstar]

My local chrome buisness wants $50 for a reg.

 

[g1138]

Guess that settles it =]
I'll just take away the green and get it serviced.

 

[Greg Barlow]

I find it hard to imagine that a shop could properly refinish a regulator for that price. Naval brass parts need to have a 3-layer finish applied (after removal of the original 3-layers). Copper is used as a base coat, next is nickel, and finally, chrome. Anything less than that will result in a sub-par finish.

As a comparison, to have a vintage double hose reg properly refinished will cost about three times that much.

If the shop will use the 3-layer plating process, along with proper polishing of the surfaces, then you are getting an excellent deal.

Here are some photographs of a refinished reg that was done by a true master. The gentleman is a mechanical engineer who specializes in high-tech metal finishes. His "hobby" is restoring vintage regs for fellow collectors. IMO, his end product is much better than the original finish.

Greg Barlow
Former Science Editor for Rodale's Scuba Diving Magazine

 

[g1138]

Wow greg, that looks amazing.
Bet it wasn't that shiny when it first came out on the production line

 

[aquaregia]

If you've got the old-style poppet we can try to put in an order for the newer one, or we could upgrade it to balanced. Would anyone else be interested in duro poppets or balance upgrades if I could get a batch in? I'm not going to balance mine because I like punching out my own seats.

 

[elmer fudd]

If you've got the old-style poppet we can try to put in an order for the newer one, or we could upgrade it to balanced. Would anyone else be interested in duro poppets or balance upgrades if I could get a batch in? I'm not going to balance mine because I like punching out my own seats.

Absolutely! I've got 5 R109's and I'd love to find an affordable source of parts for them.

Speaking of which, I just picked up a free Mk5/R109 today. A guy on Craigslist had "old scuba gear" in the free section. The BC wasn't much, but the regulator was spectacular. A Mk5 with multiple low pressure ports. The chrome and the hoses are like new and there aren't even any scratches on the gauges. It looks like something that was bought new, taken out once or twice and then put away 30 years ago. I hooked it to a tank and opened up the adjustment a bit and seems to breathe as well as my Mk25/G250V.

 

[aquaregia]

Jealous!