Making spring straps from dishwasher parts

[chris_b]

Well, I finally made my own spring straps last weekend. I took pictures while I was making them, and posted a write-up at http://www.public.iastate.edu/~cburkart/fins/fin_index.htm

My html is dismal, but hopefully everything looks ok and you can figure out how things went together. The click-through pictures are huge, so beware!

They work great for me. The main reason I made them was because for our OW class we have to throw our mask, fins, and snorkel into the bottom of the deep end, swim down to the bottom, don our fins, clear our mask, and come back up.

The old straps were such a pain that I ran out of air (no, I didn't suck a tank dry, it has to be done on a breath hold) before I could get the darn things on and so couldn't complete the skill. With these straps I was able to do it on my first try, they just popped right on my feet and stayed there!

Chris

 

[trymixdiver]

nice Job!

hell they even look good too!

Andy

ps: Funny thing about those pics, i have the same chair! hence you must live in CA. Then i see your in OC just like me.

 

[Uncle Pug]

 

[chris_b]

Andy,

Actually I got the chair at the IKEA in Chicago. We got it during one of our IKEA pilgrimages. When we bought our house, we went to IKEA and filled our VW Golf with: queen size bedframe, dining table and four chairs, "boingy" living room chair, computer desk and chair, and two adults!

Sorry, far off topic -- but not as far as Iowa is from Orange County

 

[Rick L]

Thanks a lot those will work great on my atomic splits!!
They have the same posts.
Rick L

 

[ninja]

Hey chris ..

Nice work!! I'll have to convert the old Mares Quattros to the newly updated spring heel straps

Thanks for the ideas

NINJA

 

[The Chairman]

parts... but I needed LONGER than 12" which are what my straps are now... I think I really need a 13" or 14" for my Twin Jets. They had the spring in 20" lengths, so I can really customise them.

 

[The Chairman]

I promised a dive report on my new spring straps, and here it is. I purchased from McMaster Carr 2 20" long 1/2" OD, 0.54"wire stainless steel springs, PN # 9665 K29 for 8.49 each + 3.50 shipping for the pair. I also purchased a pound of 1/8" stainless steel wire from them as well, but I don't see that invoice. I then bought 4 1/2" x 20 x 1.5" long Stainless Steel Bolts and 5/8" ID clear vinyl tubing from Lowe's.

The construction was straight forward. Using a drill press and a nut threaded on to the bolt to keep it level, I drilled a 9/64" thru-hole centered on the edge of the hex that was facing up. With the nut still on the bolt, I clamped the assembly in a vise in such a fashion that the two faces with the hole were being clamped, and there was a point sticking up by the two adjoining faces. I ground the point off with a 4" grinder so that that it was flat from the drilled hole face to the drilled hole face. I turned the bolt over and ground the other side as well, so that I ended up with a rectangle that had a hole drilled from end to end. (Clear as mud yet???)

I cut my springs at 10 1/2" to make my overall length 13 1/2" or so. I threaded one end of the spring onto one bolt @ 1/2". I slid a piece of plastic tube over the spring and then screwed in the other bolt @ 1/2". I then used the 1/8" wire to connect them to the fins. Final time was @ an hour! Final cost was @ $25. Comfort in the water, since the springs were not too tight... awesome!

I do want to research the use of a hollow bolt. Maybe use brass instead and have the bolt drilled and the hexes milled off instead of ground. This would look better to me. The only real drawback to my system is that there is no way to put a limiting string inside the springs. This would stop them from being overstretched. Having hollow bolts would allow far that.

BTW, I forgot to point out that these staps are ADJUSTABLE... a first in spring strapology!

 

[Ari]

I will have to try this on my Cressi fins. I can relate to your pain, getting the darn things on and off, using the original straps and buckles.

Ari =-)

 

[divrnr]

I just modified my Scubapro Gorillas and my Zeagle Raptors. WOW!!! I wish manufacturers did this...