Need a new 109(?)

[Aloha Joe]

Well I heard back from the shops I was considering the best, and the common theme is expressed concern about tolerances of sealing surfaces. One said they have “no control” over the thickness of the plating. Another actually called, and said a) plating the ID would require a fixture to suspend an anode through the air barrel, and b) some kind of agitation or pump to keep solution flowing through the part in a controlled manner.

I got quotes of $500, $550, and a no quote from 3 of my top 4.

I looked at Parker Hannifin’s o-ring sealing guidebook. For o-rings this size they tolerance +/- 0.0005” (Half a thousandth) on the ID and OD surfaces.

 

[Aloha Joe]

I guess it’s good this has me looking more closely.

Also many have said the barrel ID is not plated. There’s almost a step change on mine where it goes from shiny chrome to dull Brass so maybe SP controlled the playing at the ends where the threads are, and anything on the inside is residual?

Anyway I’m starting to realize re-chrome won’t make these new, just make the outsides look nice.

 

[Bob DBF]

Anyway I’m starting to realize re-chrome won’t make these new, just make the outsides look nice.

@Eric Sedletzky took a different method with a reg of his, and polished whst chrome was left off and made a nice polished brass reg. If he is around he might be nice enough to post the picture again.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

@Eric Sedletzky took a different method with a reg of his, and polished whst chrome was left off and made a nice polished brass reg. If he is around he might be nice enough to post the picture again.

I don’t know what happened to the pic, I’ll look for it. I sold the reg on eBay a long time ago during a time of being broke and needing money.

 

[Bob DBF]

I don’t know what happened to the pic, I’ll look for it. I sold the reg on eBay a long time ago during a time of being broke and needing money.

BTDT. I'll try to find the pic on the board, but I may not have the time to find it, if it's still up.

It was pretty, which was my main point,

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

BTDT. I'll try to find the pic on the board, but I may not have the time to find it, if it's still up.

It was pretty, which was my main point,

It was an old MK3 /108.
It was completely corroded and looked like total junk when the guy gave it to me. I disassembled it, soaked the parts, put two new O-rings in it, flipped the HP seat, the 2nd stage diaphragm was fine, I put a seat in the 2nd stage. I sanded off what was left of the chrome, even more came off after soaking, and began polishing with wheel polish and rouge. It was a perfectly functional and pretty looking reg when I was done.

 

[Angelo Farina]

It was an old MK3 /108.
It was completely corroded and looked like total junk when the guy gave it to me. I disassembled it, soaked the parts, put two new O-rings in it, flipped the HP seat, the 2nd stage diaphragm was fine, I put a seat in the 2nd stage. I sanded off what was left of the chrome, even more came off after soaking, and began polishing with wheel polish and rouge. It was a perfectly functional and pretty looking reg when I was done.

Did you apply some kind of transparent brass lacquer over it for protecting the brass from corrosion?

 

[p_kos]

View attachment 588424

Here is virtually a new MK10 / 156 Balanced Adjustable Unit

I bought it a few years ago , New Old Stock , had it serviced but could never actually bring myself to use it , I had it packed a couple of times for liveaboard trips but always bailed at the last minute ,

If some one really wants a clean one pm me , I am open to offers , I do not want to break up the set .

Plastic adjustment knob! Blas

View attachment 588424

Here is virtually a new MK10 / 156 Balanced Adjustable Unit

I bought it a few years ago , New Old Stock , had it serviced but could never actually bring myself to use it , I had it packed a couple of times for liveaboard trips but always bailed at the last minute ,

If some one really wants a clean one pm me , I am open to offers , I do not want to break up the set .

Plastic adjustment knob?! Heresy!

 

[Angelo Farina]

Plastic adjustment knob! Blas

Plastic adjustment knob?! Heresy!

My only 156 has the plastic knob, too. That's the reason for which I wrote that a 109 converted to BA is better than a 156!

 

[Angelo Farina]

I guess it’s good this has me looking more closely.

Watching at the last two photos you posted, I understand why this reg is not breathing as smoothly as it should. The surface against which the lever is working is severely indented. This will cause impediment to free movement of the lever, and probably the opening of the valve is stepped, not smooth.
Filing the surface for making it perfectly flat again is not an easy task, as the barrel of a 109 cannot be extracted from the body as it happens on the G250.
Of my 8 second stages, only one has similar problems, due to lack of maintenance. I did forgot it full of salt water after the last time I used it, 10 years ago, and here is how it looked when I opened it a month ago:

As you see the chrome is entirely gone from the inside (outside it was still quite decent).
It did take me several hours of work, using a small file, for smoothing perfectly the edge of the square holes where the lever feet are inserted. Here the result after proper de-oxidising:

I did apply high viscosity silicon grease over the brass, for protecting it as much as possible, now that the chrome is gone.
If I manage to go diving this summer, and the reg is exposed to salt water, we will see next year how it manages to survive...