So Happy

[Nemrod]

Well, while some guys are considering a 2,500 dollars hunk of junk I have been on a quest for the Grail--or nearly so . What search could be compared to that journay of legend you ask .It is simple, a search for useable, fillable, hydro-able-VIP-able steel 72s. . Now there I was at Portage and there they were, after a journay of years and trying the patience of Jobe I came across at the flea market three forlorn looking steel 72s . Yes, while dirty and dingy they appeared clean inside and were in hydro----and nobody even paid them mind. Thanks to Bryan froting me the cash to purchase them since my keeper and banker was on an away trip to Lake Erie I now am in pocession of these beauties and just now picked them up from my favorite LDS with full air and fresh VIP. This is an historical moment, for the first time since the early 70s, I, Nemrod, Ruler of the Deep, am in pocession of four (including one I already had) diveable steel 72s. . Thanks to Karl I also have new period decals on them and with four excellent Dacor J reserve valves--wow.

All that aside, nothing changes my belief that for real diving in the real world in sea water and whatever, vintage or not, nothing beats aluminum tanks. Steel tanks are just to much hassle.

I know it has been asked before but does anyone have any rubber boots for these 72s or a source for them. Yeah, yeah, I know, boots are bad BUT as a boat owner---I think thye are GOOD. I would rather cut my fingers off than damage my gell coat.

Nemrod

[Creed]

I still haven't found a source of boots. However, I did, just last weekend, find a pair of 72s sitting in a gentleman's attic along with some old Scubapro gear. He won't part with them for decent money, thinking that he's going to somehow get something approximating the amount he paid for them. So, sadly, I imagine that they will just sit in that farmhouse attic until they are too far gone to dive with, just like the fins and BCs have already done. That said, I got a USD Aquarius, a nice Seatec horse collar and some assorted stuff for $35 the other day, so I can't complain about my scrounging luck.

[Creed]

Actually, I completely take that back. I do have a source of boots. Check Dan's VSS site. He has 6.9" boots for $12/piece, brand new. They are under the accessories page: http://www.vintagescubasupply.com/access.html

[swimjim]

I picked up boots for my '72's at my LDS. Seemed to be no problem for them. I find the dive characteristics of a good ole steel 72 to be much better then an aluminum eighty. Less weight on the belt. Lighter to move around and better trim in the water. Home is where your from and you like what you like I guess. 80's are cheap and plentifull, thier only advantage. Just my opinion.

Cheers

Jim

[Nemrod]

Plastic boots for steel 72s are fairly easy to find--it is the RUBBER type I am looking for. The rubber ones do not crush the gell coat on a boat when the inevitable smash occurs. I missed one on ebay the other day--I forgot about it until about 5 minutes to late but beggers cannot be choosy and now with four lovely in hydro and VIP steel 72s how can I complain to much. .


Well Swimjim, it is like this, back home at Williams Aircraft, Tool and Lawnmower I have a growing collection of rusted, busted down, junk, plastic lined--did I say rusted ----steel 72s that are worthless except like Creeds buddy I will not part with them. I have also had several not returned after hydro when we lived in Houston due to rust so all in all I have a negative score card on steel 72s---about -10 or so and on the aluminum 80 side I am down only -1 because it was made of the supposedly faulty alloy. Aluminum just lives better in the ocean than does steel. In a perfect world we would have a stainless steel multipressure tank the size and weight of a steel 72 with the same bouyancy at 2250 psi (and when empty) except that it would also be able to handle 3,500 psi (and of course more negative at that pressure but alas, no such creature exists. Karl reports at Portage that the LP Worthington 85 dove pretty nice but were a little to negative--is that right? Karl? Anyways, they do look like a viable alternative, six lbs negative when full and zero when empty and they are multi pressure capable.

Nemrod

[kgehring]

I only did 1 dive with the LP 85 and I was not comfortable with it. I need to take to pool and play with weighting with BC. I dove it modern. It would be great if PST would resurface in the industry with their 72 again. It is on their list as current product but can not find them anywhere.

[Nemrod]

I thought that PST steel 72 was a 3300 psi tank and it is severly negative? The old LP steels we love so much go positive a bit when empty and are only a few pounds negative.

James

[kgehring]

You are correct. I did not do my homework. All I saw was 6.9 inch, 72 cu. ft. Here is the specs:
MP-72
Appreciated by divers for its combination of capacity, diameter and service pressure
Maximum service pressure 3300 psi (at 10% overfill)
Negatively buoyant when empty
Complete with k-valve & self-draining boot
Rated for 10% plus fill
Full -11.4lbs
Empty - 6lbs

[Nemrod]

No, that will not do at all but I shall not fret again until time to hydro and VIP. Hey, maybe I just need my own stamp and VIPs.

Nemrod

[simonbeans]

When the time comes for hydro or vip, just send them to me. Our dive shop uses 72s for all class work, both pool and open water. The tanks are maintained and have had hundreds of fills. The shop owner has hydroed all 6 of mine, including the three Sportsways I used at Portage. Never an issue. In fact he has a nice Scubapro with J valve that a customer didn't want so he gave it to the store recently. Out to hydro, new viz and it is now ready to dive for decades. Uphere in NY, many dive stores still use 72s. They are great for class work as they are low pressure and don't require as much work for the compressor. I think your LDS is just trying to get you to buy an Al cylinder.
Allan

[luis]

I am glad you finally have some good tanks!

I don’t understand why you are having so much trouble with steel tanks. The inside shouldn’t corrode that bad, unless you are allowing salt water into them (and I know you are not). I have about 12 steel galvanized tanks (they are normally cheap up here) and they are all in great shape. Most of them are from the 60’s.

The most common way of getting water into a tank is during a wet fill. I like wet fills for steel tanks (it doesn’t make much difference for an aluminum, there is too much aluminum mass), but only if I attach the fill hose. I am extremely careful about blow drying the connection.

It is extremely rare for a steel 72 to fail under hydro. The amount of corrosion allowed during a VIP is a lot more subjective. A small amount of flash rust is common and not a reason for failing. Most light rust can either be ignored or tumbled. All I can think of is that you have some poorly trained tank inspectors in your area. I do my own VIP’s and I haven’t had any local shop challenge it yet. I do work closely with them.

You ought to send your lined tanks to Allan or you can send them to me. I can have them serviced for you. Even better bring them up yourself and we can do some diving from the shore (or boat).

[21]

[quote="Nemrod"]
I have a growing collection of rusted, busted down, junk, plastic lined--did I say rusted ----steel 72s that are worthless
Nemrod quote]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For about 15 years I (we) have been making bells out of comdemed tanks.

It began when Bev Morgan purchased a new power hacksaw for Deca Dive which he was so proud . Some how we got around to discussing cutting tanks in half and presto! a tank based bell.

I could supply the Tanks and Bev the Saw--so a cutting tanks & making bells we did go. All sizes and description came under the saw.

The first attractive bell was Skip Dunham's. It was a small bail out bottle which he cut to about 1 foot long, welded a trailer ball at the top and constructed a small arm to attatch it to the front of his home for a door bell.

My big unit was a four bell unit. The base was a 1960's "sudan chair" that had a lovely curved arm from which to suspend the bells. I had four bells cut at different lenghts. I went to a lawn mower shop to obtain two old useless rotary lawn mower blades. I explained to the owner what I was going to do and he was so impressed that he gave me free rein to pick out and new ones. Which I did

I then proceeded to Harry Ingram's (see chapter One; Last of the Blue water hunters) to have lunch. Harry had just taken delivery on a new welder--He directed one of his employess to weld the lawnmower blades into an X.

I transported them to my CenCal home and assembled them --way out in the corner of our property.

Used eye bolts to attatch the bells as well as suspend the clanker are made from a 2 pound salmon fishing weight..

Yes it was less that eye pleasing but it was my bell; Bell Mark 1 mod 0. and it would clang and clang and clang and clang...

Later on I discovered that the galvanized finish could be removed by submerging the bell in pool acid (muratic acid) which I obtained at Home depot in the swimming pool department @ about $3.00 for 2 gallons of acid. ( don't used the acid from the paint separtment more $$ and not as potent) ~~~DO NOY USE ON CONCRETE!!!~~~

I used a 5 gallon bucket (also from Home depot) which I would place the cut tank for a few days-- and presto no galvanize.

So made a number of rusty bells..

Phase 11

5 years ago my wife Betty became a welder. She began making bells that were/ are very artistic. So artistic that three of them are displayed in our home.

It was discovered that galvanized steel was very toxic when heated, so she used only my remaining Non Galvanized tanks.

To suspend the units she would grind a trailer ball to fit the neck, weld a small chain for the clapper and then weld the ball to the neck of the tank.

In order to obtain a "interesting" exterior she would grind the exterior of the tank creating all sorts of scratches etc. She then would heat the tank fron the inside creating multi hued exterior..

Peice of hard wood was used for the base of the clapper, which was covered with soft leather. When struct created a very mellow tone.

Phase 111

The LA County Underwater Instructors Association is still very much alive and well---They needed a fund rasing project so they sold SCUBA Tank Bar B Ques.

They contracted with a local machine shop to have the tanks cut lenght wise. Two hinges were attached, and two handles installed along with two grills and presto! a SCUBA Bar B Que!

They sold a number of them at $75.00 each --They only made them one year and since that time they have become collectors items--did they work? For hot dogs Yes, for anything of substance -Heck no, but were cetainly impressive.

So here are three options for old SCUBA tanks direct from California and from one of the orginators of the SCUBA Bell.

21

[Nemrod]

And to think the only thing we Rebs ever thunk to do with'em was to shoot at them . They really dance after you get a solid hit on them and what after the sheriff told us to quit shooting at Yankee carpet baggers we had to have something to shoot at Bells, I don't thunk the boys will go for that, they just loaded upa a pile of fresh ammo

Why did tank boots go to plastic instead of rubber?Was i manufacturing costs? The plastic boots besides offering little protection to anything other thna the tank are slippery. If your using stand up tank racks, the kind that grab the top of the tank then the slippery plastic boots tend to allow them to skate out.

James

[Nemrod]

We may have talked about this before but I notice some old steels have a tapered neck and some have a sharp corner. I know that neither of these are failure prone--not at all--but I was just wondering if it is an indication of different manufacture or original company, Voit, SP, USD etc.

I think you guys have less trouble with them is that they are being used in fresh water maybe. The warm and humid Gulf Coast is not easy on them. Most dive shops down there long ago went to aluminum though I am sure here and there there are some steel 72s still being used. Not seen any in a while. Even up here in Kansaw the two local shops have aluminum 80s.

True story---I wasut of Destin on a place called the Timber Holes. It is approximatelly 100 foot bottom there. The boat was dropping us along the rock. One fellow,changing tanks in his pack, stupidly set it on the gunwale where the tank slipped out and headed for the bottom--while underway at speed. I had my rig on and seeing it go I went over after it I hit the bottom with about 600 psi in my tank because I had not yet changed out--I saw nothing, I began swimming circle and with a good 80 foot viz I circled for a few minutes and there it was!!!! I swam to it and as I approched I realized to my surprise that it was actually one of my personal tanks. I grabbed it and with only about 200 psi left started heaving it from the bottom. It seemed awfully heavy. Yep, the valve was open and not it was full of water. Well, somehow I swam it up, this was about 1972 and yep, I din't have no stink'n BC on.

Nemrod

[Creed]

James,
You can always bring it to that company I told you about in Salina. Guy didn't even bat an eye at my lined tank. He doesn't sell SCUBA tanks, so he is only interested in going by the book.