My DX Overpressure

[antique diver]

Geoff, that is a fine looking regulator! Take it diving and let us know how you like it.

[gj1963]

I have on more then a couple occasions, purposefully fully flooded the cans of a broxton with no check valves, for practice, emergency recovery etc.... I say that is fun compared to a wet breathing DX. I think I remember in a thread Ron mentioning the unpleasant water torture that it is. Today was the first time I was finally able to get this thing in the water. Obviously I have some work to do on it. Also breathed a little harder then I would have thought. More tuning and back to the pool again soon with this one. I will say though I had a great time in the pool with a Phoenix HPR and a couple other fun regs. Back to coughing up water.

[antique diver]

I have on more then a couple occasions, purposefully fully flooded the cans of a broxton with no check valves, for practice, emergency recovery etc.... I say that is fun compared to a wet breathing DX. I think I remember in a thread Ron mentioning the unpleasant water torture that it is. Today was the first time I was finally able to get this thing in the water. Obviously I have some work to do on it. Also breathed a little harder then I would have thought. More tuning and back to the pool again soon with this one. I will say though I had a great time in the pool with a Phoenix HPR and a couple other fun regs. Back to coughing up water.

I experienced the same "water torture" and finally ended up adding a mushroom valve in the exhale side of the mouthpiece. That did help a lot, but created higher exhaling reistance, so I will probably look into finding a tighter sealing duckbill valve to see if that allows me to ditch the mp valve I made.

I haven't had mine in the water yet with one of the newest diaphragms, but I expect a nice improvement in performance there. Also, the lower the inhalation vacuum the less water that should be sucked in from the duckbill side. Another thought is trying to adapt a DBE instead of duckbill will likely help keep it dryer. I haven't tried that yet because I wanted to keep it as original as possible to see how it originally breathed... but I don't fancy drowning either.

[Ron]

I agree. For all the "you'll shoot your eye out kid" warnings in the vintage books, I have not really met anyone who had any real experience with an original DX as a dive reg who though it was an air compressor. Mine is underwhelming in the original tune. I use it without the intake check valve. That gives you some air! You have to roll clear it that way, but whatever. It's not my favorite regulator, but It works.

[gj1963]

Have not had a chance to try to dive this again since my previous post. I however got the last tinnerman I needed thanks to Narcosis.... Finally got it painted and on the regulator today. I think the wet breathing issue I had was the nylon zip tie I had the hose retained with had pinched the edge of the hose a bit.

As much as it feels this thing will never be finished - it is getting closer and closer. Last thing it really needs is I need to remake the outlet nozzle from the body. As I previously mentioned - I used a mistral nozzle I soldered shut and then re-drilled it to match the size from what I measured from an original. I want to get a proper one machined from scratch before I call this finished.

Not the best picture - sun dazzles the chrome a bit much. My three year old twins lost the real camera.

[gj1963]

Question for the experts.... I have seen a few of these pictured with black painted tinnermamns on the horns and olive green ones on the mouthpiece. Wondering if that was original. For now I had matched them, but I want this as true as possible to original. Also - I have brass hex 5/16ths rod to make a new nozzle from thanks to Herman. Now need to get around to machining it and getting it chromed.

[BigMike]

Nice job! Someday I will have the time for such a project . Very impressed with the label/rivet restoration. What is your next project?