Can you manifold luxfer and catalina tanks?

[lakewinni]

Hey I tried searching to find a answer to my question but to no avail. Anyway I'm curious if its possible to manifold together two alum. 80s that are made by different companies, in my case a new luxfer and catalina tank. I know that there is a length difference of about .7" between them but they are both 7.25" wide. So should I be able to do it and just have one be longer?

 

[Spoon]

Hey I tried searching to find a answer to my question but to no avail. Anyway I'm curious if its possible to manifold together two alum. 80s that are made by different companies, in my case a new luxfer and catalina tank. I know that there is a length difference of about .7" between them but they are both 7.25" wide. So should I be able to do it and just have one be longer?

you could but you would have to find a way to compensate for the height of the longer band in order for you to use the manifolds. also are the tanks diameters the same to accomodate the tank bands? if so then its doable just find a way to get the top parts lined up by leveling the bases.

if i were in your shoes i would want to get the same make of tanks though.

 

[lakewinni]

Yeah the tanks diameters are the same so I'm thinking that if I just line it up at the top then I'll be set aside from having one of the tanks stick out a bit more than the other one at the bottom. Hopefully? Either that or I could just go and buy steel thanks too.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

You probably could do it, but whether you should or not is a different matter.

If you look at the tops of the Catalina and Luxfer tanks you'll notice a variation in the neck of the tanks, that is the curve of the top of each tank and the height of the valve in the neck, and you've already noted a difference in height of .7 inch. Aside from being a serious Rule #6 violation, the resulting set of doubles may sit crooked and be unstable enough to be a PITA. (Fill guys will assume that the set of aluminum tanks will be self-supporting when in fact - given the difference in height - they may not be...resulting in them falling over, etc.)

IMHO, if you "could just go and buy steel tanks", that might be the optimal choice for a set of doubles.

FWIW. YMMV.

Doc

 

[matt_unique]

You probably could do it, but whether you should or not is a different matter.

If you look at the tops of the Catalina and Luxfer tanks you'll notice a variation in the neck of the tanks, that is the curve of the top of each tank and the height of the valve in the neck, and you've already noted a difference in height of .7 inch. Aside from being a serious Rule #6 violation, the resulting set of doubles may sit crooked and be unstable enough to be a PITA. (Fill guys will assume that the set of aluminum tanks will be self-supporting when in fact - given the difference in height - they may not be...resulting in them falling over, etc.)

IMHO, if you "could just go and buy steel tanks", that might be the optimal choice for a set of doubles.

FWIW. YMMV.

Doc

Ditto - you can do it but the height difference would be a pita. You're better off to get the same brand out of the gate. I confronted the same issue when I doubled my 80's. I had a Cat and a Luxfer and decided to buy a used matching tank and keep the other as a deco bottle.

--Matt

 

[steve2281]

I've got a set doubled up with absolutely no problems. There was a VERY slight difference in the height of the tanks but no where near .7". They sit flat on a flat surface.

Aside from being a serious Rule #6 violation, the resulting set of doubles may sit crooked and be unstable enough to be a PITA.

Excuse my ignorance, what is Rule #6??

 

[Tamas]

Not to mention the buoyancy differences between the two tanks.....I think the Luxfers are a bit more buoyant as well, which would throw you off under water when they get near empty.

 

[lakewinni]

I've got a set doubled up with absolutely no problems. There was a VERY slight difference in the height of the tanks but no where near .7". They sit flat on a flat surface.

Hmmmmm... Thats funny cause from what I read on the specifications pages for luxfer and catalina they appear to have a .7" difference. O well, I think I'm going to try to trade my luxfer for a catalina anyway. How knows? It very well might workout but then again there could be problems because of the bouyancy, or because of differences in the neck, or with my luck I'd probably set it up and have like a 1" difference in length.

 

[steve2281]

Hmmmmm... Thats funny cause from what I read on the specifications pages for luxfer and catalina they appear to have a .7" difference. O well, I think I'm going to try to trade my luxfer for a catalina anyway. How knows? It very well might workout but then again there could be problems because of the bouyancy, or because of differences in the neck, or with my luck I'd probably set it up and have like a 1" difference in length.

I asked this same question on the DecoStop board before I put mine together. The answers I got over there indicated there shouldn't be any problems. They were correct; there hasn't been any problems. My tanks are both shot blast and make a pretty good looking set of doubles.

http://www.thedecostop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14449

 

[rmannix]

I have Luxfer and Cat brushed 80's doubled as I already had both tanks. Minor height difference (less than quarter inch), no perceptible buoyancy differences.