broken cummerbund buckle on TripleL Orion BC

[utnapistim]

Hi,

On my last dive one of the plastic buckles on the cummerbund of my Orion BC snapped. I'm not shure why (maybe it was allready cracked and i didn't notice).

Anyway, now the buckle moves freely on the band. For the last dive I drilled two holes in the band and tied the buckle between them to stop it from moving freely.


Can anyone offer advice on how to replace the buckle without damaging the BC extensively? (I'd rather not drill any more holes in the band ).


I could post some pictures of the damage if anyone needs them.

 

[Marek K]

Hi...

I'm looking at the Orion illustration on the (new) Triple-L web site... but it's a little hard to tell what that buckle looks like and how it's attached.

You're not talking the actually cummerbund, but the buckle on top of the cummerbund on (looks like) a two-inch (5-cm) strap? It's obviously a side-release plastic buckle, but I can't really tell whether it's dual-pull (adjusts/tightens on both sides) or single-pull... see here.

Also, I'm not sure exactly which part of the buckle broke, causing to slide freely.

A good photo would help a lot.

However, I suspect that replacing the buckle won't be possible without at least some stitching. I've done a lot of stitching, replacing the straps and buckles on two Triple-L Stratos BCs... see here. Not real tough; but you'll probably need an awl, or someone with a heavy-duty sewing machine...

--Marek

 

[Humuhumunukunukuapua'a]

Did you contact Triple-L? They have been very responsive to any problems I have had with their products...

 

[utnapistim]

i have tried to upload a picture of the broken buckle for a while. it didn't work (probably has something to do with the alignment of the planets at the moment :06: )


anyway, i have uploaded the picture of the buckle here:
broken buckle
and the matching (unbroken one) here:
matching buckle


hope this helps.

 

[Marek K]

i have tried to upload a picture of the broken buckle for a while. it didn't work (probably has something to do with the alignment of the planets at the moment

)


anyway, i have uploaded the picture of the buckle here:
broken buckle
and the matching (unbroken one) here:
matching buckle


hope this helps.

OK... It looks like one of the "bars" broke on the female part of your buckle, where you adjust the tightness. And the strap is now completely loose through the one remaining bar on that side. Right?

That buckle is obviously going to have to be replaced. Question is, would you want Triple-L to do it under warranty, like Humuhumu suggested (I forgot to mention that as an option)? The downside to that is, you'd probably have to pay for return postage, and it would take time... Upside is, they might just send you a whole new BC... who knows?

But if you want to repair it, or have it repaired, it looks very simple.... the D-ring on the end of the strap is going to have to be removed by un-doing the stitching, a new buckle put on, then the D-ring re-stitched to the strap. But like I said, if you do it yourself, you're going to need a sewing awl -- available online for about $15, or probably at a hobby store.

A buckle like that is less than $2, available like here... depending whether this is a single-adjust or dual-adjust buckle -- hard to tell from your photos.

--Marek

 

[utnapistim]

OK... It looks like one of the "bars" broke on the female part of your buckle, where you adjust the tightness. And the strap is now completely loose through the one remaining bar on that side. Right?

yeah, that's exactly the problem

Question is, would you want Triple-L to do it under warranty, like Humuhumu suggested (I forgot to mention that as an option)? The downside to that is, you'd probably have to pay for return postage, and it would take time...

actually having it repaired by them is not really an option: i'm in cyprus and we're kind of isolated here; when i got the BC the transport through FedEx cost more than the BC - not that i'm complaining: it was still a good price . So, i guess i'll have to do it by myself.

A buckle like that is less than $2, available like here... depending whether this is a single-adjust or dual-adjust buckle -- hard to tell from your photos.

This is why i put the picture of the unbroken one (I was hoping you'd be able to tell me which type it is :06: ). I don't know how to tell the difference. (i've also looked online - on the address you posted - and couldn't tell the difference between single and dual release.

so, what is the difference between the two types?
(sorry for asking such questions )

 

[Hoosier]

That is a double adjust buckle... Single one only has one insert(?). If you are only person who uses this BC, why don't you just stitch the broken buckle end?

There is no guarantee that you can get the same matched buckle. There are many kinds of buckls even in the same 2inch size.


My 2 cent.

 

[Marek K]

i'm in cyprus and we're kind of isolated here

Doh! I didn't even see that... just assumed you were in the U.S. ... very risky assumption (see my location)... sorry about that.

This is why i put the picture of the unbroken one (I was hoping you'd be able to tell me which type it is

). I don't know how to tell the difference. (i've also looked online - on the address you posted - and couldn't tell the difference between single and dual release.

so, what is the difference between the two types?
(sorry for asking such questions )

No problem at all with the questions... I'm glad to be able to answer some, for once!

A dual-adjust buckle is one that you can adjust from both sides once it's buckled; the straps on both sides should have D-rings so you can pull them toward the sides, and the buckle stays in the center. A single-adjust buckle is fixed on one side; it's stitched onto the strap there... and you can adjust it only from the other side... and the buckle isn't necessarily centered.

Hoosier says it's a dual-adjust buckle on the Orion, and he ought to know.

OK... if you can't send it back, then Hoosier is right... the simplest way of fixing this would be to cut off the D-ring, and just sew the broken side of the buckle to the strap on that side. In effect, you'd then have a single-adjust buckle. Assuming the remaining bar there would be strong enough...

Getting a new double-adjust buckle, though, would be the best solution... if you can find a buckle. It doesn't have to be identical, though a lot of this kind of stuff does seem to be identical... If the buckle is designed for 2-inch (5-cm) webbing, it will work -- you'd be getting the whole buckle, male and female sides.

I can't tell whether strapworks.com ships overseas... you may have to e-mail them and ask. The postage, of course, would be far more than the $1.75 cost of the buckle, but you're used to that, eh?

But in either case, you're going to have to get the strapping stitched. I would guess you could find a place (shoe repair?) that could do this for you... you just have to make sure they use heavy-duty nylon thread, not polyester... no-one is sure how well polyester would hold up underwater.

Otherwise, to do it yourself, you need a sewing awl. There seem to be two types most-available in the U.S. ... you don't want this type, called a Stewart Speedy Stitcher; not because there's anything wrong with the awl, but because it uses polyester thread.

What you want is this type, with nylon thread. You can tell the difference by the fact that this type has an integrated spool of black waxed thread between the wood handle and the needle -- that's what I have, and I'm pretty certain the thread is nylon. And I see that this merchant does ship overseas.

I haven't been able to find one place that offers both the buckles and the awls, and that ships overseas.

Let us know what happens!

--Marek

 

[Hoosier]

That's what I mean. If you try to match the one brand end to the other brand end and even if you have to order it from the internet source, it is hard to ensure if it works until you actually try it. So, eventually, you should change the both ends.

Getting a new double-adjust buckle, though, would be the best solution... if you can find a buckle. It doesn't have to be identical, though a lot of this kind of stuff does seem to be identical... If the buckle is designed for 2-inch (5-cm) webbing, it will work -- you'd be getting the whole buckle, male and female sides.
--Marek

 

[Marek K]

That's what I mean. If you try to match the one brand end to the other brand end and even if you have to order it from the internet source, it is hard to ensure if it works until you actually try it. So, eventually, you should change the both ends.

Well, yeah... except when you buy a "buckle," that comes with both parts... pretty much guaranteed to fit!

--Marek