DIY Equipment

[Padipro]

I've been building some of my own diving equipment for years and was wondering what types of equipment others have built?

I've successfully built a video camera housing as well as a lighting system to go with it. I've also built a 50 watt canister light and an O2 analizer. The reason I'm wondering is that on the local boats here in South Florida I seem to get a lot of strange looks when people ask where I bought some of this equipment and I tell them I built it. I was under the impression that DIY stuff was quite common but I'm begining to think I'm mistaken.

Thanks,

Scott

Dive Light

Camera Housing

 

[canuckdiver]

DIY equipment is not really very common in my experience.

A lot of divers seem to look down on it, and the ones that are for it, are rabidly for it

(it scares the heck out of charter captains when they see the NASA logo on the tanks!)
=-)

BTW, your canister light looks a lot like mine, the MR16 bulbs really do fit well in a maglight, don't they?

 

[salty]

I have had a few people come on the boat I work on with home made lights, reels, bands, and other odds and ends. If they know what there doing things work out in general if they dont the stuff brakes and they stop trying. I like seeing some of the DIY stuff most of it isent radical new ideas but a way to get stuff insted of buying it.

 

[salty]

WoW Padipro


Thats some slick looking stuff. Did you work off plans or make it up as you go?

 

[Stone]

Padipro once bubbled...
I've been building some of my own diving equipment for years and was wondering what types of equipment others have built?

Nitrox blender (Oxyhacker version)
O2 whip
Spring Straps (S-hook version for Mares)
Air tool adapter (old 1st stage with a pressure regulator mounted in an LP port, and a gauge in the HP port)
IP gauges (BC version and direct to LP port version)
O2 analyzer

On the list:

Autodrain
Canister light
Sampling Tee

 

[Padipro]

The camera housing I bought plans for years ago off the internet but they were for a very crud housing using ALL home made parts, including the controls. It worked, but didn't look very professional. I just started looking for ways to improve on the original design and came up with what you see. The controls are Ikelite and the latches are Nelson Session. It's made of PVC tubing. It's some great stuff, it gets like rubber when you heat it up and you can form it into any shape you like.

The light is made of PVC as well but this was my own idea. I had a little help with the light head though. The first one I built worked great but couldn't take the heat of the 50 watt bulb and most of the internal plastic stuff melted during the dive. It was water tight but wouldn't have stayed that way for long. I built a dual battery version first but I don't need that much light so I made a single battery version and it works great. I had it down to 131 feet a couple of weeks ago, along with the camera housing and both were completely dry inside.

The boat staff are the ones that primarily give me the strange looks. I'm not sure why, I know them all very well and they know I'm a good diver and that I do this kind of stuff for a living, I'm in aviation maintenance, but they seem to be a little apprehensive for some reason.

Thanks guys, keep it coming.

Scott

 

[Padipro]

Stone,

Let me know how the sampling T works when you're done. I used the Oxyhackers Guide the build my analyzer too and made a metered port to control the flow. I tapped a low pressure hose adapter and inserted a screw I had drilled down the center and then used a wire to fill the hole I drilled and meter the flow. It took a while to find the right size wire to give me the .003 to .004 of an inch needed but I finally found some and it works like a dream.

Scott

 

[Waterborne]

I just got into making some equipment. (helps when your dad has a workshop to use) I have parts for a canister light. Scott, how did you make the maglight watertight? I saw a guy with one of those last summer but never had the chance to talk with him. I really like the feel of the maglights and I would like to use one as my light head. Any help would be great. Thanks

 

[canuckdiver]

maglights are pretty watertight to start with. They come with oring seals, and fit an MR16 bulb like it was meant to be!
My light has been to 100', with no problems as yet,and the machined aluminum stands up to the heat with no problem.
The only weak point I have found on the maglights is the switch, you have to block it off, or machine a new barrel.

 

[Scubaroo]

I made a ton of spring strap kits up - I think I made about 45 pairs for ScubaBoard users.

What I didn't tell them about was the DIR assimilation nanites I infected each one with.... hehehe....

They're all gone BTW.

So far my only other DIY equipment has been a simple bolt snap/PVC sheath for EMT shears in a drysuit pocket.