A question for Bob3

[Dytis]

Hi Bob

Could you advise me what tools are required to replace neck & cuff seals as well as a zipper on dry suits?

Thanks

 

[Bob3]

You can get by with some pretty basic stuff, a sharp scissors, razor knife/blades, sandpaper, some brushes, glue, thinner, masking tape, and a roller. Need a piece of chalk for marking the hood so it lines up properly.
Hit the hardware store and get a "wallpaper seam roller", it'll cost a fraction of a "regular" roller & work just as well.
A pair of pliers might be in order to help strip off some of the old seam tape, and a mandrel of some type. 2 litre soda bottles work remarkably well for replacing cuffs.

I did a slide show on cuff replacement, you can download it from:

http://comdive.com/cuffs.zip

Neck seal & hoods use the same gluing & surface prep techniques as cuffs, but it's going to be "experiment time" to nail down a proper form or mandrel for doing them. Depending on the type of suit, a 5 gallon bucket may work, tho some folks can work them flat.
Don't skimp on the surface prep, it's critical in getting a secure glue job.

Zippers can be done 1 of 2 ways; strip out the old zipper, or just cut out the teeth & stops on the old one.

good luck & have fun.

 

[Tractor Tom]

I'm not looking for new cuffs or anything yet, but I did enjoy the slide show. This is something I think I can do when the time comes!

Thanks Bob!!!!

 

[Bob3]

A Canadian lad bought an old ebay suit that needed work, he claimed that his cuff job was better looking than the factory's, and he didn't even glue his hands together.

Pockets are very easy to install as well, there's a series of pics from the Northern Diver website: http://www.diveshop.co.uk/pages/repairs/pocket/html/pocket_1.html

The glue pictured is Bostik 2402 (made in the USA)

 

[Tractor Tom]

Viking Xtream? Not that I have a NEED right now for pockets, as I have several in my BC. But if I went to a backplate and wings, a couple pockets might come in handy....

 

[Bob3]

Yep, pockets are available from Viking for the Xtreme. They are, however, pretty expensive. I used to advise folks to grab one of the aftermarket pockets from 5thD or EE at about $35 & just glue the critters on. Finishing the edges with some seam tape & you have a job BETTER than factory.
I'm in the process of having my own line of BCs/wings made & another project will be to have the factory make some pockets.
I've got a box of demo BCs sitting in the front office right now that I haven't even looked at yet.

 

[Dytis]

Thanks Bob. Not an e-bay special, mere curiosity. Can you explain what a mandrel is? Thanks.

 

[Bob3]

Main Entry: man·drel
Variant(s): also man·dril /'man-dr&l/

1 a : a usually tapered or cylindrical axle, spindle, or arbor inserted into a hole in a piece of work to support it during machining b : a metal bar that serves as a core around which material (as metal) may be cast, molded, forged, bent, or otherwise shaped

Gotta love some of the stuff ya find on the web, like the Merriam-Webster dictionary: http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary

 

[Dytis]

..a large West African monkey which has a red and blue face!

Thanks Bob. I couldn't find the word listed in the Cambridge International Dictionary of English