The Mystery of the Black Regulator......

[duckbill]

Looks like the only "non-mag" part in this regulator is the body. The only chromed part showing in Sam Miller's picture is the body. Everything else appears to be unplated brass. Sam Miller's top box is completely black. I'd bet that was a military specification for these regs. The regulator in question is only black on the outside, and, according to the bottom box photo, shows evidenceof having been painted.
I would have to agree with treasureman at this point. Now that we have seen Dr. Miller's non-mag photo, it appears that the only non-mag part on this one is the body, if the proofmark and stubbed hookah stem are accurate indications.

[Bryan]

Let me clear this up a bit. The OTHER regulator that has more black on it that I posted is one of MINE.....Sam Millers regulator looks just like the regulator we are discussing. I do not have digital pictures of it yet and Sam in in Baja for the holiday. But the photo I have seen convince me that Williams regulator is very rare and unique.....More to come.

BTW....Very few parts on any non magnetic regulators have any kind of marking stamped on them. Only the bodies and sometimes but not always the yoke has a MU trident on them.

[1969ivan1]

I just checked my non mag..recently rebuilt by the MASTER, Bryan. It has the trident stamp on the yoke and the body. It also breathes sooooo creamy. Thanks Bryan.

[Bryan]

Sorry but this is just a picture of a picture of Dr. Millers regulator. He will get us more when he returns.
Notice the same label and the OD/Black finish......

Another side note. The two other super high bidders in that auction are well know in the museum/preservation/history/collecting world of rare double hoses. One of the guys has direct connections with USD and both of them are regulars in HDS magazine.....

[William]

Hi I too had a regulator ,Voit Navy, rebuilt by Bryan and I have to say it Breaths like it was brand New, just like 1969ivan1 says, Bryan is a Master at this. Thanks so much Bryan. I hope the owner,Rob Miller, of the Navy Tanks that were with the black regulator, can find out things about his tanks. Those are really beautifull and I wish they were mine too. I have seen very early ones and they have a Plug in the bottoms and male tank neck threads, for some unknown reason, built by PSI,Pressed Steel Industries for the Navy and are tested to 5000 psi with a 3000 psi working pressure and are dated 1958. The plugs in the bottoms and male thread tank necks are very interesting and Unknown to the owner as to why they were designed that way. Ron's matching Navy Tanks possibly, could lead to answers about the black regulator.

[duckbill]

Let me clear this up a bit. The OTHER regulator that has more black on it that I posted is one of MINE.....Sam Millers regulator looks just like the regulator we are discussing. I do not have digital pictures of it yet and Sam in in Baja for the holiday. But the photo I have seen convince me that Williams regulator is very rare and unique.....More to come.

My mistake. I don't know how I got the idea it was Dr. Miller's. I was just going by what I thought I was seeing. Carry on.

[duckbill]

So, who assembled these regulators, anyway? U.S. Divers or the Navy or ?
Seems someone wasn't too careful. The label on Dr. Miller's is right-side-up by the typical configuration. The auction regulator's is up-side-down.
You'd never see something like this ununiformity in a million years in the Marines!
Maybe this makes this regulator even more unique and valuable.

[Bryan]

I don't know if we will ever know that.....Some things I am afraid will remain a mystery. The brass lever support screws had been put in place with locktite and one broke off flush in the body when I tried to remove them. Tom Madere put his paitence and expertise to work on the delicate operation and I understand it is on it's way back to me now. It was a bit of a challenge to come up with fillister head screws in brass but I have that part figured out as well. I will be posting photos of the re-assembly as it happens.

[1969ivan1]

Tom can make a nuclear reactor out of 2 coconut shells!!!!!

[captain]

Does Kwanza coincide with the shooting season.

[Bryan]

LOL!!! That's the way it's marked on my calendar.....You just get back to work on that boat so we can go diving in the gulf next year!

[TENNESSEE DIVER]

WELL I AM RUNNING OFF AT THE MOUTH TONIGHT, I HAVE FINALLY GOTTEN TIME TO SIT DOWN AND CATCH UP ON MY FAVORITE HOBBY. SO I AM DOING SOME POSTING TONIGHT, TO CATCH UP ON WITH DRAWALS.
HERE IS MY OPINION ON THIS REG AND WHY.
MOST OF YOU HAVE ALREADY CAUGHT ALL OF THIS, BUT I WILL PUT IT ALL IN ONE POST.
ON THE QUESTION OF, IS IT IS REBUILD, PARTS, OR A FACTORY ORGINAL? MY OPINION--FACTORY ORGINAL, NOW LET'S QUALIFY IT A BIT.
ALL APPEARS TO BE ORGINAL, NO REFINISH.
NON MAG OR COVERT UNIT.-COVERT UNIT-- ALL UNITS I HAVE SEEN HAVE THE MU TESTING RATE ENGRAVED ON THE LABLEL CAN. THE M WITH THE ANCHOR( GREEK SYMBOL, MU). THIS ONE DOES NOT HAVE THAT, EXCEPT ON THE BODY.
THE UNIT WAS A LATE MADE UNIT BY USD, AND HERE IS WHY I THINK SO. THE FACTORY PERSONNEL HAD TOLD ME THAT THEY WENT TO THE STICK ON LABELS AT THE LATER END OF MANUFACTURING, AS THE NAVY REMOVED THEM 95 PERCENT OF THE TIME, AND IT WAS LESS COST TO PRINT A STICK ON LABEL AT SAY .05 CENTS, VS A METAL LABEL AT SAY $2.00 WHEN IT WAS GOING TO BE REMOVED ANY WAY.
THE 4000 PSI LARGE YOKE SAYS LATE MANUFACTURE IN BIG LETTERS. THE SPECS CALLED FOR THE T HANDLE ON THE YOKE, NOT THE ROUND TIRE HANDLE MADE FOR CIVILIAN USE.
THE TANKS WITH THIS WAS DATED 1-78, THE LAST YEAR OF THE TWO HOSE. I HAVE THOSE TANKS, THEY ARE NEAR MINT.
SO I FEEL THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE MIDNIGHT RECS WE HEAR ABOUT. WE WOULD NOT HAVE A LOT OF THE NAVY GEAR IF NOT FOR THAT WAY OF OBTAINING MILITARY GEAR, LATER GOING INTO OUR CIVILIAN HANDS AND COLLECTIONS
NOW LETS LOOK AT THE INSIDE, EVERYTHING IS REALLY CLEAN AND NOT MARRED AS REBUILD, AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, WHEN TAKEN APART AND PUT BACK TOGETHER THERE WILL BE MARKS ADDED.
IF YOU HAVE REDONE A FEW OF THESE, YOU WILL NOTE THE DIFFERENCE OF A ONE TIME ASSEMBLY OR A REBUILD.
ALL PARTS APPEAR TO BE NON MAG PARTS EXCEPT THE HIGH PRESSURES ADJUSMENT SCREW, AND THE NOTCHED BODY RING. THESE WERE USUALLY MADE OF BRASS, (SEE TOP PHOTO OF BRYAN'S REG) SO I FEEL THIS IS ONE FOR TRAINING OR COVERT USE,AS THIS WAS USED IN A LOT OF THESES.
NOT E.O. D.--THE UNIT IS NOT ENGRAVED WITH MU MARKINGS WHERE THE TESTING WAS DONE AT CT. NAVAL TESTING FACILITY FOR MAGNEGTIC SIGNATURE.
EACH UNIT HAD TO PASS BEFORE BEING ISSUED TO THE SERVICE. THE CANS WERE ENGRAVED WITH THE RATING AND THE MU MARK ON THE FACE. ALL METAL PARTS TESTED FOR REBUILD, WERE PACKED IN MARKED, SEALED, CONTAINERS, TO PREVENT MIX UP WITH NON MAG PARTS, AND MARKED "FOR NON MAG USE", AFTER TESTING, THAT I HAVE SEEN .
WELL I HAVE SAID MY PIECE AND BY NO MEANS DO I KNOW EVERTHING. I LEARNED A LONG TIME AGO TO NEVER SAY SOMETHING WAS NOT MADE LIKE THAT, OR DID NOT EXIST, FOR SOME ONE WILL HAND YOU ONE AND ON RESEARCH YOU FIND IT TRUE.
THERE WERE SO MANY VAIRIBLES IN MANUFACTUR OF ITEMS AND DUE TO AVAILABLITY AT CERTAIN TIMES, OTHER THINGS WERE USED IN THEIR PLACE.
THIS JUST ADDS TO THE MYSTERY OF THINGS, AS THIS ONE IS. THANKS TO ALL FOR ALL PAST AND FUTURE HELP. CALL ON ME IF I CAN BE OF HELP AT ANY TIME. THIS A CLOSE NET GROUP AND ALL HAVE BEEN GREAT TO ME. RON " HILLBILLY" MILLER

[duckbill]

I thought sure I saw a picture on this thread of this regulator when it was first opened up with heavy verdegris on the internal parts, especially the adjusting screw. What happened to it? Or am I thinking of another thread?

[treasureman]

Youire were thinking of a G45? it was in Israel and in pretty sad shape

[duckbill]

Yes!
CG45 Spaco. That's it. Thanks treasureman.