Anyone familiar with PST- Scubapro lp40's/2015 psi's?

[Ghetto Diver]

Picked up a set of tiny doubles.
Tanks are dated '73 and are PST's with a working pressure of 2015 psi.
Fairly confident that the manifold is a re-branded Sherwood. Odd that there is no reserve. Healthways offered a similar manifold, but there was a HP port on one of the valves or a reserve.
Anyway....curious as to their buoyancy characteristics

I will be sending them off to hydro tomorrow.
Also picked up a Healthways SCUBA reg in decent shape in the same deal. Soft parts are like the Doritos I had for breakfast, but parts will had shortly.

 

[JamesBon92007]

Very cool find!

Too bad about the dip coating on the tanks though. Let me know if you figure out how to remove it.

 

[2airishuman]

Very cool find!

Too bad about the dip coating on the tanks though. Let me know if you figure out how to remove it.

I have found that the best way to remove the plastic dip coatings is to heat the cylinder to 150 degrees in the oven and then peel the coating off in large chunks, carefully using the edge of a sharp knife to raise corners when needed.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I have two matching tanks with the dip coating--one I was able to peel off about 75% and the other only about 5%. I did not try much heat, only a blow dryer. Way-back-when there were reports of tanks exploding when being filled due to heat-drying some fancy paint jobs. I don't remember what temperature they were being dried at but for a while every time I got one particular tank filled I had to explain that I brushed it with air-dry paint. In any case the tanks that reportedly exploded were probably aluminum anyway. I would be nice to get them back to just being galvanized so maybe I'll try your oven method the next time they are empty. I'll have to do it when my girlfriend is gone.

Did you sell that tank with the tapered 1/2" valve? The galvanization sure still looked good on it!

 

[runsongas]

Paint stripper should take care of the vinyl

 

[Ghetto Diver]

The stuff peels off pretty easy....I removed a bunch to better read the ratings. It's galvanized under there, so I think the bond sucks. It reminds me of that rubber you dip tools in. These will look new when removed. Interior is beautiful in both tanks.
Not bad for $45

Nobody gotz my answer though...


ETA: I had picked up a set of SS bands that I thought would fit lp72's, but did not. Turns out they are and a match for these, so I will be replacing the galvanized ones.

 

[2airishuman]

I have two matching tanks with the dip coating--one I was able to peel off about 75% and the other only about 5%. I did not try much heat, only a blow dryer. Way-back-when there were reports of tanks exploding when being filled due to heat-drying some fancy paint jobs. I don't remember what temperature they were being dried at but for a while every time I got one particular tank filled I had to explain that I brushed it with air-dry paint. In any case the tanks that reportedly exploded were probably aluminum anyway.

Yes, this can be a problem with aluminum cylinders. Heat of around 400 degrees or more can change the properties of the aluminum, permanently. Some powder coat paints are cured at these kinds of temperatures.

I only have removed vinyl from steel cylinders and I am confident they can withstand much more than the 150 degree heat I can use without any effect on the steel.

I would be nice to get them back to just being galvanized so maybe I'll try your oven method the next time they are empty. I'll have to do it when my girlfriend is gone.

Did you sell that tank with the tapered 1/2" valve? The galvanization sure still looked good on it!

Still for sale

 

[JamesBon92007]

Picked up a set of tiny doubles.
Tanks are dated '73 and are PST's with a working pressure of 2015 psi.
Fairly confident that the manifold is a re-branded Sherwood. Odd that there is no reserve. Healthways offered a similar manifold, but there was a HP port on one of the valves or a reserve.
Anyway....curious as to their buoyancy characteristics

Since the date on the tanks is '73 and it looks like the manifold had ports for a SPG and they don't appear to be tapered thread I'd guess the manifold is late 60s or early 70s. Sorry, but I'm not familiar with tanks of that working pressure. They sound like they might be "women's tanks" which I believe were made/sold by US Divers. I thought I had that information saved somewhere but can't seem to find it at the moment. There were also something like "Orange County Twin 38s" or "44s" but now I can't find that info either and I'm guessing they might be too new to fit into that category. I'll keep looking.

The stuff peels off pretty easy....I removed a bunch to better read the ratings. It's galvanized under there, so I think the bond sucks. It reminds me of that rubber you dip tools in. These will look new when removed. Interior is beautiful in both tanks.
.

The coating peeled off of one of the tanks fairly easily, at least part of it. The rest of it and the coating on the other tank seems intent on staying where it is. I tried peeling and a blow dryer and paint stripper and MEK and very carefully tried to scrape it with a utility knife blade making sure I didn't damage the galvanizing too much. Black is not my first choice for tank colors as they sometimes end up out in the sun for a while.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I found a discussion about "women's tanks" and "Orange County Twin 44s"

Vintage scuba tank [Archive] - Spearboard.com - The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Boating Social Media Forum

It might not be much help except perhaps for the process of elimination...

Also, here's a thread on SB that sounds exactly like what you have:

What the volume of my Twin 2015 psi Tanks?

@duckbill seems very fond of their buoyancy characteristics

 

[Ghetto Diver]

Thanks for the replies all.
I found the duckbill thread in my search.
Coating is off now....just 3 beers later [it's hot today]
I found using the leverage of a panhead screw driver worked best..using the elasticity of the coating to pry and peel sheets off. Heat gun for stubborn parts. They really look new at this point. The manifold took a header at some point in it's life and it slightly skewed. It doesn't leak, and I am not going to straighten it / fatigue it anymore. Once all it is all said and done, I will be using a whip from HP117's to top off - most shops won't touch an old manifold let one that is bent.
I will be inverting the yoke as this will be a dedicated twin double hose regulator rig.
I haven't heard about them being referred to woman's tanks, but makes sense for smaller people. I am not a big guy, plus, well, they are cute as hell.