Custom manufactured BP/W with plans and directions

[raftingtigger]

Purely for the fun and challenge of it I used plans found on ScubaBoard to make my own aluminum backplate. Then to use the backplate I also manufactured my own wing from scratch. This rig has been dive tested. The backplate/harness and prototype wing in the pool, and then the completed rig in Lake Tahoe on 2 dives. It performed flawlessly, with only one small change I want to make. That change it to route the lower right hand OPV dump string through on of my d-rings to make it easier to find/reach. I used a plain elbow, rather than a pull-dump, on the power assembly strictly for cost reasons. Eventually that will get changed. If I ever manufacture a larger capacity wing I will use heat-sealable nylon for my bladder. I have looked inside several brand new wings and that is what they are use for the bladder.

Materials and tools are common and should be available to most DIYers. I have made a PowerPoint for the backplate, and one for the wing construction. These explain and have pictures of each step, and include patterns. I haven't figured out how to attach them (they are currently too large) to this post. You can PM me and I'll email them to you. Cost for the whole project using NEW material (with the exception of the backplate aluminum) was under $140. Most of that was for the commercially made power inflator assembly and OPV.

I have confidence in the wing bladder. It is the same construction as the whitewater cataraft tubes I have been running on class 3 whitewater for the last five seasons.

 

[350xfire]

Pretty cool!

 

[knowone]

Great to see

Terrific job

 

[Jim Lapenta]

How did you cut out the plate and bend it? I have access to a water jet and press brakes up to 120 ton.

 

[raftingtigger]

How did you cut out the plate and bend it? I have access to a water jet and press brakes up to 120 ton.

Really simple. The aluminum (~1/16") was from a heavy duty camp skillet ($2.15 at my thrift store, about $18 new). The outside cuts were with a table top craftsman bandsaw and the inside cuts were with a drill press and scroll saw. Works great with aluminum, but doubt you can do it that way with SS. As for the bends... I just used scrap lumber, clamps and a hammer. Also the back of a vise (anvil part) to flatten areas. If I do it again I will make a wooden template (my material of choice) for both sides (for at least the center bends) and then use C-clamps to force the bends. All told the BP took about 1-2 hours of work in one evening. All the slots were rounded with a Dremel tool and a roundover router bit.

 

[Ed Palma]

Awesome! Thanks for the great idea. I was wondering where I could get a low-cost aluminum plate! Sending a PM.

To cut costs as well, you could get a cheapo 2nd hand poodle jacket of ebay and then use the parts from that as a source for the inflator, OPV and cam bands. There's lots of ugly ones going for cheap

 

[Beowulf]

That is awesome! Great work.

 

[ktomlinson]

Great work! That looks like a quality job.

 

[Thalassamania]

Never forget, the original backplates were made from Florida and Georgia stop signs. I've always wondered how they got the bullet holes out of them.

 

[USVet96]

Never forget, the original backplates were made from Florida and Georgia stop signs. I've always wondered how they got the bullet holes out of them.

Didn't know that. Learned something new today. And learning is fundamental