Reproduction Main Diaphragms

[Bryan]

Yes, another one of my boring surveys! Please bear with me as I'm only trying to determine if the project is financially feasable for me and the community.

The main diaphragms in our beloved regulators is more often than not the main factor at to it being a good performer and or a GREAT performer....Many of you know this 1st hand from trial and error experimenting with your regulators.

If reproduction diaphragms were made again in medical grade silicone rubber with the support plate made for both DA style and Mistral style diaphragms, what price would make it attractive for you to replace your existing ones?

I would appreciate your feedback and ideas! Thank you

[clevelanddiver]

I'd buy one tonight for $40, I'd pay even more if I needed one.

How difficult would it be to make them in different sizes? I'd love to have one for my Healthways as well. Those old Healthways diaphrams are stiff as a board. Even those that aren't all dried out are still a far cry from the Aqualung diaphrams. I sure would like to see how the reg performs with a better diaphram.

[Bryan]

It's not the per unit cost. It's the mold cost. Over 2k for each size. Luckily the USD's are all the same pretty much. I have no plans to reproduce any parts for Healthways regulators. I'll leave that up to someone else.

[Delta 1/5]

Bryan,
I would buy ONE, assuming cost is $50 or LE$$.
Thanks,

Mel B (Delta 1/5)

[1969ivan1]

Given that the going rate for a NOS one is at least 45.00 I would place the value of an improved/updated one at at least that much. I would think that a silicone one would not only last a lifetime, but it would most likely preform much better than even a brand new stock one.

[treasureman]

got to agreee with Ivan. NOS or Mil spec are hard to come by.

If you do decide to go ahead, look at teh mil spec one for a design and stiffness.. it seems to be more reactive in terms that it has less lead/lag once cracking effort is used.

[scubadiver_bob]

wonder if USD still has original molds? I'd be interested in buying a couple.

[Nemrod]

Springy, soft, last forever silicone, at least 40 dollars or maybe more.

I have had better luck with good performance with the standard diaprhams, not the military ones but what the heck.

Nemrod

[simonbeans]

The $50 range sounds good. I would love to have one of silicone. Image what the RAM would do with one.
Allan

[scubajim1]

I agree $45 or $50 sounds about right.

Do you have an ETA of when you are planning on having these made?

[luis]

For an improved diaphragm, $50 would be a great price. If it improves the performance, I would probably end up buying several even if it was a bit more than that.

[oldmossback]

Bryan

What ever it costs you + 15%......figure 500 pieces at 2K for the mold only, that's $4 each. Then the research (if any) for the correct silicon mix...$$$??? and then manufacturing the rubber, more $$$, and don't forget stamping out the disks......note: I'd make upward of 1500 tho and advertise on ebay as well as here........I suspect you'd be sold out in 6 months or less........

what ever the total cost I'd add 15% for retail.


You may want to be nice to your old customers tho......

[Bryan]

There is a mold charge plus a cost for each diaphragm. Plus the center section is a totally different part that has to be made. Someone has already done a lot of the leg work on this project so I'm kinda just picking up from where they started. Right now I'm looking at the risk/reward factor......It's all fun and games till you put 5 K in a project, sell a few diaphragms and then set with 3k worth of them in storage containers. Right now it looks like 5k will be the minimum to get the project rolling!!

I'm struggling with the production on the stainless banjos as far as meeting specs but still keeping the price low.....I have at least one other project that will be finished in the next few months that I'm keeping close to the vest for now.

I have worked on too many really nice regulators lately that would be FANTASTIC regulators if the main diaphragms were not stiff and non responsive....A diaphragm makes all the difference in the world to a regulators performance good and or bad...

Depending on the mfg time schedule I may have a couple of trial diaphragms avail for folks to look at during the Portage or Wazee event....Actual production could be 6-8 weeks after the samples.

P.S. According to what experts we have spoken with from the USD double hose era, all molds have been disposed of. Nothing remains of any rubber production equipment by the company in the early days from what I have been told.

[ovalis]

I don't know what the cost difference is between making them out of rubber or silicone. Probably not very much. But I think we should keep them rubber. After all, we are vintage divers and we should keep our equipment vintage. As far as performance goes, one might think a silicone version would work better than a rubber USD diaphragm, and it probably would, but if you compare it to the diaphragms that Spiro made, it would probably be the same. The Spiro diaphragms were made out of rubber and they are excellent. I have a couple Spiros from the 50's and the diaphragms & hoses are almost like new. The main thing for rubber is getting the right quality compound.

Everybody knows that there's nothing better than the smell of rubber!
Like that feeling you get when you put on your vintage mask.

[Bryan]

I am not really looking at it from a vintage point of view. I'm more concerned with the performance aspect of the regulator. This is a similar situation as offering the HP and LP gaskets for USD double hoses in nylon as opposed to the original phenoic material.......Does the same job but the nylon is easier to work with and in most cases seals up better.... I don't want to put the cart before the horse but I'm about 99% sure the diaphragms will be clear/translucent/ white in color....