DIY Single Tank Adapter?

[Mr. Sunday]

Can anyone tell me if they know an easy way to make a single tank adapter? I have a few thoughts, but would like to see what other ideas are out there. They seem very expensive at the LDS and online for what they are.
Thanks

 

[JimC]

Depends on what kind of tools you have access to.

Some of the the methods I considered were:

-Buy some U-Channel from a hardware store and drill some holes.
-Get an old stop sign, cut it into strips and weld it into a U shape.
-Buy some 2-3inch PCV, cut it in 1/2 and melt the middle down flat.
-Buy 2 lengths of 1/2 inch PCV, drill holes and run webbing between them like a ladder. Bolt webbing to BP creating a "soft" STA. For added weight, fill PCV with lead shot.

I finaly settled on calling in a favor and getting a chunck of 1/8th inch AL cut and bent at a shop.

 

[oxyhacker]

Here's one I threw together for a trip to the carribbean, which has worked out pretty well.

It's made from a scrap of 4"x1"x1/4" aluminum channel (the blue color is Dyken layout blue). All I had to do was cut the slots (with a drill and a saber saw, easy in alu) and drill holes for the bolts. The bolts are SS (well, ought to be SS) carriage bolts, with the holes filed out a little square and the bolts hammered in so they won't turn. After a while they work loose, but the straps keep them from falling out. Not sure if you can make it out in the photo, but there's half sections of vinyl tubing glued to the edges to protect the tank. It may have actually been 2'X4" channel, or something, and I cut down the sides a bit, can't remember. Note the early Halcyon cinch straps - they were actually the cheapest ones I could find when I bought them! - with the noslip strip in exactly the wrong place to be of any use.

How practical this design is depends on the availability of a suitable piece of channel - I just happened to have one around. But welding and fabrication shops will often have scrap on hand they'll sell for a reasonable price.

I was a bit concerned that the bare alu wouldn't hold up in salt water, but there's been no prob so far however I don't do a lot of saltwater single tank diving. If it starts corroding badly then I'll think about painting it or having it hard coated. Or just make another when this one falls apart

I'm a great fan of PVC, but not for an appication like this. Tanks are heavy, and a pain when they come loose. And those cinch straps put a lot of very localized stresses on the adaptor.

kgdiver once bubbled...
Can anyone tell me if they know an easy way to make a single tank adapter? I have a few thoughts, but would like to see what other ideas are out there. They seem very expensive at the LDS and online for what they are.
Thanks

 

[dmdalton]

oxyhacker once bubbled...
Here's one I threw together for a trip to the carribbean, which has worked out pretty well.

It's made from a scrap of 4"x1"x1/4" aluminum channel (the blue color is Dyken layout blue). All I had to do was cut the slots (with a drill and a saber saw, easy in alu) and drill holes for the bolts. The bolts are SS (well, ought to be SS) carriage bolts, with the holes filed out a little square and the bolts hammered in so they won't turn. After a while they work loose, but the straps keep them from falling out. Not sure if you can make it out in the photo, but there's half sections of vinyl tubing glued to the edges to protect the tank. It may have actually been 2'X4" channel, or something, and I cut down the sides a bit, can't remember. Note the early Halcyon cinch straps - they were actually the cheapest ones I could find when I bought them! - with the noslip strip in exactly the wrong place to be of any use.

How practical this design is depends on the availability of a suitable piece of channel - I just happened to have one around. But welding and fabrication shops will often have scrap on hand they'll sell for a reasonable price.

I was a bit concerned that the bare alu wouldn't hold up in salt water, but there's been no prob so far however I don't do a lot of saltwater single tank diving. If it starts corroding badly then I'll think about painting it or having it hard coated. Or just make another when this one falls apart

I'm a great fan of PVC, but not for an appication like this. Tanks are heavy, and a pain when they come loose. And those cinch straps put a lot of very localized stresses on the adaptor.

I did the same using a piece of fiberglass channel I got from McMaster Carr. I sandwich the cambands between the backplate and the channel so there is no need to cut slots in the channel. Just two bolt holes. Took 10 minutes to make it.

Dave D

 

[jimdb0]

5\8 inch unistrut also comes in stainless

 

[retnug]

I made the one out of a piece of 10" PVC pipe that I got from the scrap file at a plumbing supply place. Cut the shape I want. Heat in the oven until warm and a little flexible. Lay over a tank and let it cool. Cut slots for the bands using a jig saw.

 

[Scuba Cowboy]

I made one almost exactly like Oxyhackers & it works great. I'm thinking of making another one just like it only out of SS channel.

 

[willydiver]

I made the one out of a piece of 10" PVC pipe that I got from the scrap file at a plumbing supply place. Cut the shape I want. Heat in the oven until warm and a little flexible. Lay over a tank and let it cool. Cut slots for the bands using a jig saw.

That's pretty tight Retnug. Gotta love the PVC DIY projects. Do you have the bolt heads countersunk to avoid scratching galvanized steel tanks?

WD

 

[retnug]

That's pretty tight Retnug. Gotta love the PVC DIY projects. Do you have the bolt heads countersunk to avoid scratching galvanized steel tanks?

WD

Its hard to tell but there is a little recess for the heads. I created that by placing a small strip of wood on the tank before laying the warm PVC over it. I also don't use a regular bolt. They are actually bolts with phillips oval heads. I used a counter sink on the holes so the heads are pretty low profile. This PVC is about 3/8 thick.

Also if anyone is worried about the strength/brittleness of the STA. I have pitures of my Toyota 4Runner parked on top of it.

 

[JDostal]

I don't have a homemade one (I got a steal on a real one on eBay...) but several of my friends have got homemade ones. A chunk of PVC pipe is PERFECT. Just cut lengthwise...but don't cut perfectly in half! Cut one half smaller than the other, so you don't have the full "half circle" shape...cut it smaller so it's more of a flat U shape. Then just drill some holes in it. This shape is perfect, as it compresses against the tank a little when you tighten the straps down for a very secure fit. It doesn't have to fit the shape of the tank perfectly - real STA's don't do it either.

I know three people that are using them right now, and quite extensively. It's quick, easy and cheap.

The only downside is if you dive doubles w/ your plate too. When you switch to doubles, you have to unthread your tank straps and then thread them back in when you go back to singles. With a real STA, the whole assembly just bolts on and off. You could fix that by putting some slots into the PVC, but that might not be strong enough.