A thought on extending the life of 1/2" NPT tanks?

[Mudhog]

I recently bought a 1/2 National Pipe Straight (NPS) tap, was thinking this coud be used on 1/2 NPT threaded tanks (thread count is the same), then an O-ring recess cut. Then a 3/4 threaded valve could be turned down and rethreaded to match.
Frankly the hardest part I see is mounting the valve in a lathe to do the machine work, most are a really awkward shape to hold in a lathe chuck and some are counterbored at the bottom so won't work at all.

[captain]

Things to consider,
If no cylinders were made with that thread pattern you might have difficulty getting it hydroed if the company figures out the tank was modified which is a no no.
If no cylinders ever had that thread pattern than they would not be likely to have a fitting to connect it to the hydro machine.
If lack of 1/2" taper thread valves is the issue than turning and threading a newer 3/4" valve to 1/2 taper is a better and easier solution. Getting the valve chucked in a lathe with an independant four jaw chuck and a live center in the dip tube should not be that difficult.

[WD8CDH]

I would go with the Captain's solution. In fact, I have a low profile Sherwood 1/2"NPT valve that looks just like the 3/4" NPS valve above the threads.

The way I have held valves for machining is to disasemble the valve and plug all the holes and pot the valve in lo-melt alloy. Then I chuck the lo-melt alloy in the lathe, do my machining and then melt the valve out of the alloy. The lo-melt alloy melts below 200F.

[luis]

I have a Sportways tanks with a ½” straight pipe thread and O-ring seal (the thread is again bigger than ½”). Sportways were the only ones that I am aware that made that valve and used that tank neck. They are very hard to find.

The flowery tank of Rob is the same Sportways valve, but with a New England Divers logo.

I would not modify a tank. Like Captain said, modifying the valve should not be that hard, I have seen it done several times.

[Mudhog]

My 48 year old memory must be failing me, was thinking people were having trouble getting 1/2 NPT tanks filled at their LDS.
I appear to have an ingenous solution to a nonexistant proablem, my bad.

[capn_tucker]

I have a Sportways tanks with a ½” straight pipe thread and O-ring seal (the thread is again bigger than ½”). Sportways were the only ones that I am aware that made that valve and used that tank neck. They are very hard to find.

The flowery tank of Rob is the same Sportways valve, but with a New England Divers logo.

I would not modify a tank. Like Captain said, modifying the valve should not be that hard, I have seen it done several times.

White Stag also used 1/2" straight thread w/O-ring on their valves & tanks. There are some of those valves on eBay right now, but good luck finding a White Stag tank to go with the valve..

[William]

This a a New England Divers J-Valve that has the 1/2" Straight Thread with O-Ring Seal. I think these sized tanks with 1/2" straight valves were fairly common at one time. Sportsways is best known, White Stag New England Divers & others. U.S.Divers just Might have had them at one point in time, but not sure. I know that they had their own factory tanks in their older catalogs that had the Huge Reduction Nuts used, with 1/2 inch NPT Valves on them, so their 1/2" straight valved USD Tanks may have been just around the corner in some catalog pictures,ha,ha. The only problems with tanks with 1/2" Straight thread is yearly visual inspections are more difficult & tumble cleaning was a pain with getting the cleaning material inside and out of the tanks,easily damming up the small 1/2" opening.

[luis]

I have a Sportways tanks with a ½” straight pipe thread and O-ring seal (the thread is again bigger than ½”). Sportways were the only ones that I am aware that made that valve and used that tank neck. They are very hard to find.

The flowery tank of Rob is the same Sportways valve, but with a New England Divers logo.

I would not modify a tank. Like Captain said, modifying the valve should not be that hard, I have seen it done several times.

White Stag also used 1/2" straight thread w/O-ring on their valves & tanks. There are some of those valves on eBay right now, but good luck finding a White Stag tank to go with the valve..

Thanks, I didn’t know of anyone else that made a valve with that thread. Could you post or send me a link to the valves on eBay? I just want to see them.

[luis]

This a a New England Divers J-Valve that has the 1/2" Straight Thread with O-Ring Seal. I think these sized tanks with 1/2" straight valves were fairly common at one time. Sportsways is best known, White Stag New England Divers & others. U.S.Divers just Might have had them at one point in time, but not sure. I know that they had their own factory tanks in their older catalogs that had the Huge Reduction Nuts used, with 1/2 inch NPT Valves on them, so their 1/2" straight valved USD Tanks may have been just around the corner in some catalog pictures,ha,ha. The only problems with tanks with 1/2" Straight thread is yearly visual inspections are more difficult & tumble cleaning was a pain with getting the cleaning material inside and out of the tanks,easily damming up the small 1/2" opening.

The valve you are showing is a Sportsways valve that was re-label for New England divers. It is the same valve as in Rob’s flowery tank.

New England Divers also sold (both single and double hose) regulators manufactured by Sportsways with the N.E. Divers label.


I don’t believe that US Divers ever used a straight ½” pipe thread, but I don’t know that for a fact. I have only seen the Sportsways (or its re-label version) and only very few of those.

[capn_tucker]

I have a Sportways tanks with a ½” straight pipe thread and O-ring seal (the thread is again bigger than ½”). Sportways were the only ones that I am aware that made that valve and used that tank neck. They are very hard to find.

The flowery tank of Rob is the same Sportways valve, but with a New England Divers logo.

I would not modify a tank. Like Captain said, modifying the valve should not be that hard, I have seen it done several times.

White Stag also used 1/2" straight thread w/O-ring on their valves & tanks. There are some of those valves on eBay right now, but good luck finding a White Stag tank to go with the valve..

Thanks, I didn’t know of anyone else that made a valve with that thread. Could you post or send me a link to the valves on eBay? I just want to see them.

Here are links to the White Stag valves:
http://cgi.ebay.com/White-Stag-1-2-oRin ... .m20.l1116

http://cgi.ebay.com/White-Stag-1-2-in-S ... .m20.l1116

[21]

Sportsways and Sam Lecocq introduced the O ring into the diving world several years before to the rest of the industry.

He "rebranded" a number of of his regulators for NE Divers. There was some sort of a flap between the two companies and the entire contract was never completed.

White stag was originally know as Hirsh Weiss the german name for White Stag. They were noted for tents and Camping equipment.

Chuck Smiley was the owner and wanted to enter the diving market so for a short time Sportsways supplied rebranded items. Later they manufactured their own line which was designed by Sam Lecocq. Later on the late Dick Anderson had an interest in White stag when the DEEP program was intitated.

sdm

[William]

Do you know if the Sportsways valves were actually cast flat then chromed without the Sportsways raised lettering, where the New England Divers label goes, especially for NED, or were they just machined down flat for the stick-on Label to attach?

[21]

I would assume=this is an Assumption= that the valves were cast with SW logo which was milled of prior to rebranding.

Sportsways also rebranded for a local dive company, "Ski-n- Dive" (not to be confussed with Dive -N-Surf AKA Body glove) I have not seen one of those regulators in years..

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[luis]

Here are links to the White Stag valves:
http://cgi.ebay.com/White-Stag-1-2-oRin ... .m20.l1116

http://cgi.ebay.com/White-Stag-1-2-in-S ... .m20.l1116

Those are some weird looking valves. I may have seen pictures of them before, but never paid much attention to them.

Thanks for the links.

[21]

[quote="21"]

.....Chuck Smiley was the owner and wanted to enter the diving market so for a short time Sportsways supplied rebranded items. Later they manufactured their own line which was designed by Sam Lecocq. .... sdm[/quote]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The entrance into the diving world and the name change was a very bad business move for Chuck Smiley. After the big push with Anderson and DEEP he went bankrupt and the companies disappeard from the market place.

Chuck spent his last years in So Cal as a designer for Sea Tec/ Inflatable Systems. With his background in tents camping equip and associated materials he was noted as one of the best diving product developers and designers.

When Sea Tec entered the Dry suit market the Smiley designed suits were considerd the top of the line with many inovative features. I had two and was very pleased with them.

Chuck passed away entirely too young and is all but forgotten by the industry.

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