Old steels denied fills due to store "policy"

[Wookie]

*gives @Boiler_81 the side eye*

Does your VIP class come with Kolachies???

Ohhh, I love kolaches, and haven't had any since I left Freeport.

 

[txgoose]

Ohhh, I love kolaches, and haven't had any since I left Freeport.

Don’t buy into his marketing!! No kolache is worth $5k. Well, wait. If the VIP class were held on a live aboard.................

 

[scubadada]

Interesting, this is not the most pressing issue involving the diving industry, but, it is simple, and allows participation by many. If only there was similar participation on other issues.

 

[Wookie]

Don’t buy into his marketing!! No kolache is worth $5k. Well, wait. If the VIP class were held on a live aboard.................

What I found funny was the loss of $10k a year. On a bad year, I'd lose $250k.

I just want to go to The Kolache Shop in Clute and get a dozen. I've had all of the liveaboard I ever want....

 

[The Chairman]

Hydros are designed to test the tank's modulus of elasticity. All materials react to stress with either elastic or plastic deformation (strain). Elastic deformation is temporary while plastic deformation is permanent. Work hardening, caused by abuse and/or deterioration of the wall, affects the modulus of elasticity, usually resulting in a tank that has plastic deformation which is not good.

Tanks are filled with water (hence the name), placed into a graduated vessel (also filled with water) and most are pressurized to 5/3s of their rated pressure. The initial, as well as the increased volume of the tank, is noted and then the pressure is released and the end volume is compared to the initial volume. The tank is condemned if the tank volume increases too much, not enough or does not return close enough to the original volume. There are special procedures for some tanks, but overall this is it.

Sure, there are other things that may condemn a tank and some of these may not appreciably affect the MoE, but the safety of the tank rests in its ability to demonstrate a predictable strain when stressed as well as its subsequent recovery after the strain is released. Any tank that passes a hydro is golden. It's not "feels", it's science. Science. Science that trumps feels.

Those who don't understand the science are prone to overreacting and being a slave to their feels. They attempt to justify their responses with an appeal to fear and somehow think that their standards are much higher and even reasonable.

Unfortunately, most of the divingverse only know that hydros exist and not the science behind them. They run on feels rather than knowledge. They would rather prove themselves right rather than spend the time to discover what is right. Dive shops are particularly prone to this and well, that's their right, just as it's mine to find a shop a bit more reasonable and able to trust the science.

I'm glad the OP found a reasonable shop.

 

[gcarter]

Can you provide us with the written policy for fills from any dive shop . I'll bet more shops dont have it in writing than those who actually do.

Good grief the dive shop turned away some ****** old tanks . They are within their rights to do so. There are hundreds of shops that will refuse to fill them.

Get over it. You dont like take your money elsewhere. force e runs a safe operation.

Of you all feel it's ok to take unnecessary risks then please go get hurt off someone else's boat or in someone else's shop

Here is the one from the LDS I use for fills, readily available:

Scuba Equipment Servicing Price list

Sharky’s Air Filling Policies

• Cylinders are filled at 300-600 PSIG per minute to service pressure.
• Cylinders must have current hydrostatic test and formal visual inspection with visual plus.
• Only DOT, DOT/CTC, TC cylinders will be filled.
• Cylinders will not be overpressurized.

Cylinders will not be filled if:

• Shoulder codes cannot be read.
• Valve has no pressure relief device or non multiport burst disk.
• Dents, bulges, line corrosion, pits or hear discoloration is present.
• Cylinders has known or suspected history of overpressurization

Yes, any shop can refuse to fill. That is not in dispute, has not been in dispute. That doesn't change the fact that it is poor customer service to not be able to provide or clearly articulate a policy, to have staff that cannot do so, and to apply your purported policy inconsistently.

The OP took her business elsewhere, as I would.

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Boiler_81

Dr Miller,
<<(forget the Dr. nonsense - we are all just a bunch o lousy divers on this board
(but some require titles for ego boost )>>>

I told myself I was done with this thread but for you one more
<< I also was only going to read it and let the professional posters battle away ).

The tank is stamped Rene and has the Broxton Ave address. It is dated 7-53 and was made by PST.

I purchased it in the Detroit area from the estate of one of the early local divers. At the time of the purchase, I also got a blue label Broxton. At one time, I had his name as his family shared a bit of his history with me. I wish I still had it, maybe you would have known him or knew who he was.

<< That is indeed interesting ! I suspect you have a very rare SCUBA tank that has a significant place in dive history-- Apparently Rene Bussoz some how contracted with PST to produced concave bottom cylinders for the mid west-- never ever seen one in California -- don't sell it and don't make a bell out of it ,
I was just reflecting --all who were divers and were employed by Rene at that time are all gone, Bill Milam, Rus Kessig, Kit Horne,. Dick Anderson.- at this juncture l no way to verify how PST made concave SCUBA cylinders for the mid west >>

Yes, I'm a Purdue Boilermaker now living in MI.
<do you still "Dream about the moon light on the Wabash ? ">

Now back to our regularly scheduled program

Sam

 

[Boiler_81]

Don’t buy into his marketing!! No kolache is worth $5k. Well, wait. If the VIP class were held on a live aboard.................

But just think of all of the cards with pretty pictures

 

[txgoose]

What I found funny was the loss of $10k a year. On a bad year, I'd lose $250k.

I just want to go to The Kolache Shop in Clute and get a dozen. I've had all of the liveaboard I ever want....

I am always amazed with entrepreneurs. You all’s ability to weather storms would put me in the mad house.

Thank you!!! A man of good taste. Not all kolaches are made the same.

 

[RayfromTX]

Perhaps you should take your tanks to airgas for a 2200 psi fill.
I have never received a pressure vessel from a major welding supply company that is any older then 20 years.

There is no reason I can imagine for that except random chance and perhaps little experience. I have seen very few bank tanks, helium tanks or oxygen tanks that are less than 20 years old. I have seen a good number from the nineties but many more from the 40s 60s 70s and some far older.

Seriously the problem with this whole argument is that there are almost zero tanks exploding and millions and millions being filled. When a tank explodes, it makes the news because it is a powerful and traumatic event. If you want to blow one up you are probably going to need some rich blend of oxygen to make it happen. Most compressors won't get you there unless the tank has rusted out and that is going to be seen in a vis or hydro.

As far as all the threats of not using someone's charter because of their tank filling policy, it is just as silly as the argument that tanks are dangerous because they are 21 years old.

Nobody is going to go out of business in the dive industry because of their tank filling policy. That's just not what does it. Loyalty built on outstanding customer service and good will and friendly charisma is the only thing that can overcome internet competition. A failure to understand that is far more likely to kill a scuba business.

Nobody wins in an argument on scubaboard.