What to do with AL80?

[tomfcrist]

You can cut it length wise and make a neat hibachi, cut the bottom off and make wind chimes, or weld handles on for a breaching tool.

It's amazing what you can make if you have access to a large bandsaw and a tig welder. I've seen the hibachi grills turn out pretty cool.

 

[wolfgangmob]

If there is more than one shop in the area then why not call around and ask? When I first moved to Miami in 2007, dive shops were refusing to fill AL tanks over 15 years old. Mine was a 1991 and not made with the 6351 alloy. The third shop I called was more than happy to VIP it and fill it. Granted it is their compressor and they can do what they want but a consumer does have the option of taking his business elsewhere.

I ran into that with my dad's old Luxfer S80 made 6/88 which is after they stopped using 6351 on the S80 line, no where back home would even hydro it but there is a shop near me down at school that was happy to get it hydro and visual, passed on both and he will fill it but I just know I'll run into problems in the future but at this point I've made up the cost of the hydro in air fill v tank rental costs. The problems people run into with aluminum tanks not being filled past such and such years alone makes me want to use steel since few shops are hesitant with those.

 

[mmerriman]

https://www.etsy.com/listing/215445907/scuba-diver-diving-tank-bbq-grill-or

 

[scuba_drum]

Thank you for all the great ideas. My PC crashed and I finally got a replacement (work won't let me on scubaboard, lol). I'm liking the idea of a lamp although I do not have a welder or a band saw that would be able to tackle it.
To answer the other questions, no, the dive shop simply said it was "blended" metals and that nobody will fill it any longer. The loss of the tank isn't that big of a deal, just not sure what to do with it now. I'll see if there is a metal recycler somewhere close.

 

[Slamfire]

the dive shop simply said it was "blended" metals and that nobody will fill it any longer. The loss of the tank isn't that big of a deal, just not sure what to do with it now. I'll see if there is a metal recycler somewhere close.

As far as I know ALL scuba tanks are all (even steels) made of "blended" metals. An alloy by definition is a blended metal. I do not believe anybody builds scuba tanks out of just one single pure elemental metal. It may well be true that nobody in the island might fill your tank, but the inaccuracy of their explanation points to these possibilities (or a combination of these):

1. They are ignorant of the fact that all tanks are made of alloys or at least ignorant of the fact that a 6351 alloy tank can still be safely used with proper inspection procedures.

2. They do not want to bother doing the appropriate inspection procedures for 6351 tanks.

3. They are trying to mislead you about your tanks.

A tank may not be a big deal. Ignorance or wilful deception is a bigger deal for me.

 

[steady1570]

If you do any diving off a boat, you could cut a section out of the middle of the tank, fill the bottom with lead shot and then weld back together... makes a great shot line weight.

-Mark

 

[mikescooling]

I never had a problem getting them filled and VIP'ed. I sold mine on CL for $50 bucks each. Lots and lots of people called about them.

 

[NAM001]

To add to slamfires post not all 6351 alloy was bad only some of it when luxfer got material from another supplier. that problem was then corrected. I would have to look at the dates again but there wan only a year that that bad allow was BAD. Personally I would use it for a tank in the garage with 500 psi in it for filling tires with.
Although your 6531 tank may be good most shops have one of 2 rules in place wither no 6531's at all or no tanks of any kind over 20 yo or made before 1990. The rules are unrealistic but it is their shop and they can use what ever rules they want for the unqualified tank fillers to go by.

Again I would have to look but there is something about not recertifying I think those tanks for further use. With that there is nothing you can do.

Some shops have the policy of refusing to fill scuba cylinders that were made before the 90s. They allege that they are made of a "bad" alloy. The truth is not as simple as that. Aluminum alloy 6351 occasionally develops sustained load cracking in scuba tanks. There are well documented procedures to test these particular tanks and catch any developing failure before it becomes an issue.

Luxfer discontinued the use of 6351 alloy in June 1988. If your tank in question was made by luxfer after June 1988 (see original tank stampings), then it is not made with the "bad" alloy. If your tank was made before, you can call luxfer, read them the serial number stamped on the tank and then they can confirm if it is made with 6351 alloy or not. If you do indeed have a 6351 alloy tank, have it annually eddy current tested in accordance to luxfer recommendations. You can safely keep on using your tank until it fails to pass an annual test. Click here for more info: Sustained-load cracking (SLC) in ruptured scuba cylinder made from 6351 aluminum alloy - Luxfer: Setting The Standard Worldwide

Are you sure that the shop that told you about the "bad alloy" did proper testing before condemning it? It's sort of convenient for them to say that you have junk and should buy a new tank from them...

 

[knotical]

... not all 6351 alloy was bad only some of it when luxfer got material from another supplier. that problem was then corrected. I would have to look at the dates again but there was only a year that that bad allow was BAD. ...

Hi KWS,

Most interesting. I had not heard that. Can you provide more information and/or references?

thanks,

k

 

[NAM001]

Ill look in my PSI materials. It was the basis of a test question on my renewal test.

Hi KWS,

Most interesting. I had not heard that. Can you provide more information and/or references?

thanks,

k