Ultrasonic Cleaning?

[The Chairman]

long drive but might be worth a few vacation days to do at some point.

We can always work in diving while you're here. Dive in the morning, afternoon and do regs in the evening.

 

[oya]

I take it that one needs the missing sarcasm font

I can't figure out the sarcasm font in the new board format. But yes.
In seriousness: Yes, I do have a handful of specialized tools, but between a set of allen keys, a pin spanner, and a couple of adjustable wrenches you can do pretty nearly anything. And as Pete points out, from reg to reg there isn't a bunch of difference.
If you know how a piston and a diaphragm work, along with a barrel poppet second stage you're pretty good to work on pretty nearly anything on the market.
Take a class or two. Buy a couple of old Aqualung conshelfs off ebay for $10 to **** up on practicing.

 

[The Chairman]

Poseidons are the odd ducks of all the regs. If I owned them, I would do my own. I don't and I won't do any body else's. Not worth the hassle of remembering it all. I have limits and this is one of them.

 

[oya]

Poseidons are the odd ducks of all the regs. If I owned them, I would do my own. I don't and I won't do any body else's. Not worth the hassle of remembering it all. I have limits and this is one of them.

Whaddaya, chicken?

(They're actually super easy. Provided you don't have any of the weirdo ones. One of the reasons the Xstream is my favorite regulator ever is specifically BECAUSE it's the simplest. There are about three parts per stage and that's it.)

 

[The Chairman]

Not chicken, but I don't own one. I took the class and have touched maybe 4 or 5 since. They're just finicky and I don't think in Sweedish.

 

[bradells]

Per the "you can't do it better/cheaper than the LDS" argument,

I have another take on that...

Last regs I took in, after confirming with the LDS they can work on them (they don't carry that brand, but it's pretty generic), 6 weeks later, I get them back, usual rate (~$30 parts & ~$30 Labour per stage). 6 weeks (for me) is a looooong time to wait for 2hrs of labour and cleaning.

While they could do it better than I can (I still had to tweak the 2nd stages quite a bit to get them properly tuned), and with only having 1 style of regulator, I keep a few service kits handy, and at most, it takes me about an hour to disassemble, clean, reassemble, and tune a stage ....

Comes about to the same price in the end (If I account for labour), but less than 2hrs later, I have a functional reg set.

As per the tool costs, if I'm doing this, I don't consider paying myself, as, the grocery store doesn't accept BRad Bucks(c) (along with the inflation of the rapid creation of said BRad Bucks(c)), so that portion goes towards the purchase of tools/training. The last course was ~$150, tools were another ~$400 (US/Torque/Spanners/Specialty tools/etc). My service kits are $20 & $25, so $120 - $45 = $75 to go towards the cost of tools for each 1/2nd stage I do.

I own 4 reg sets (4x 1/2) + a few extra 2nds. This service round paid for most of my tools. Not to mention all the tank valves, camera hardware, etc that I have around that will/have benefited from the US.


BRad

 

[Wayward Son]

I think a lot also comes down to your personality. Some people just don't like doing stuff like this. Others take satisfaction in learning how to do something & then doing it correctly.

My dad, when it came to things mechanical, was of the "Yes, I can do it & I know I can do it but I just don't want to. I'd rather just pay someone who wants to do it." mind set, where I've always been of the "How the hell does this thing work?" kind of guy. I'm the guy who taught himself how to work on his motorcycle & then his car & then his truck and yadda yadda yadda. Dad used to come home & see me in the middle of something I'd taken apart & just shake his head.

 

[The Chairman]

Yeah, I'm master certified and I won't change my own oil. I'll gladly rebuild every system on a modern or not-so-modern automobile, but I won't change oil.

 

[bl6394]

I think a lot also comes down to your personality. Some people just don't like doing stuff like this. Others take satisfaction in learning how to do something & then doing it correctly.

There are a few layers to this.

Addressing you Wayward Son - I personally don't have any issue in your learning to properly service your own regs. If we focus on Scubapro for a moment - as that is what you have. There is real value in the Scubapro repair class - if you can find a shop to sponsor you. Rene Dupre Technical Service manager teaches an excellent class for about $200 - and you'll learn some of the techniques that make servicing the regs fast - and pitfalls to avoid. They'll recommend you use expensive inch-pound torque meters - and a variety of other specialized tools that will run you at least $500. You'll learn why we use an IP gauge and magnehelic to tune the regs. You'll either do a great job with your 4 regs - or not. And as long as the regs are only used by you - I'm indifferent. I'm a big believer in personal responsibility. Do what you want to do - just own the consequences.

More generally, "you can do it cheaper / better at home" - doesn't work for me, personally or professionally. As an instructor and a scuba professional - liability works a bit differently. Standards (both agency and industry) keep my shop, my insurance carrier, and ultimately me - healthy, happy, and able to prevail in court when things go wrong. Pete's previous assertion / opinion - would not be backed by any scuba manufacturer or scuba agency around - of which I am aware - probably for reasons related to liability. Even if I believed what he said - I probably wouldn't have shared it online - it's just not prudent. Particularly in a mixed audience with some people who are capable of doing what Pete said - and some people who may not be. It would not be the sort of comment I would have shared with any of my classes. But again, that's Pete's choice - and his responsibility.

 

[oya]

Standards (both agency and industry) keep my shop, my insurance carrier, and ultimately me - healthy, happy, and able to prevail in court when things go wrong. Pete's previous assertion / opinion - would not be backed by any scuba manufacturer or scuba agency around - of which I am aware - probably for reasons related to liability.

This is why I don't service anyone's regs but my own (unless I'm doing it under the employ of a dive shop). But who is going to sue me if my regulators malfunction at an inconvenient moment?