Dumb Tank rack/transporter

[John Ploegert]

I'm not a diver but own a rental in North Central Florida's Cave Country I'm equipping to accommodate cave divers. I made this simple 8 tank "egg carton" style rack for clients to stow their tanks, and put it on a garden cart to make it mobile for moving tanks from their vehicle to the house. The rack is made from 1/2 inch exterior grade plywood glued and screwed together using 1-1/2 inch bevel-cut spruce/pine framing at each inside corner (32 places) and along the bottom inside edges of the sides and ends. The exterior dimensions are 38-1/2 " long by 19-1/2" wide by 16" tall; each cell is 9" X 9", sized to fit what I think are the largest tanks typical cave divers might use. Note in the photos the 3 sets of intermediate dividers are removable; I don't know the dimensions of a typical set of doubles; can anyone tell me if they would fit in a 9" X 18 1/2" space? The crate alone weighs about 50 pounds and is very sturdy; I think it would work well for carrying tanks in the back of a pick-up or in a van if you have some way of securing it in place. The garden cart came from Lowes; it has 13" OD balloon tires and is rated for 1000 lb max load. I load tested it with 300 pounds and pulled it easily over fairly flat but uneven ground with grassy and rocky areas, and over two 4" high steps into our barn. I think the cart with the rack would work well for transporting gear from the parking area to the water at sites like Peacock or Little River Springs. Anyone want to meet me there and we'll try toting your gear for you? Lowes cart is currently listed at $109 - I have seen them on sale for as low as $88. The cost of the materials for the crate was about $50 (one sheet of low-grade plywood and two 8ft 2x4's, glue and screws).
John

 

[Cave Diver]

The dividers in between the holes are going to be a problem for doubles unless they are removable. Doubles are held together with bands which will keep them from dropping into the holes.

Edit - I see that you state the intermediate dividers are removable. If so, the bands shouldn't be a problem.

 

[tbone1004]

what he said re. doubles. Also make sure the dimensions will accept the 8 inch cylinders with little wiggle room as a lot of cave divers take the tank boots off so they wobble around.

 

[John Ploegert]

This photo shows the rack with one of the dividers removed. I should have included it in the original post for clarity. Thanks for your comments.
John

 

[Cave Diver]

That looks like it should work. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll post the double's dimension for you.

 

[Cave Diver]

LP 108/112's measure approx 17" x 8 1/4" x 31"

Here is a list of common cylinders and their size: http://huronscuba.com/equipment/scubaCylinderSpecification.html

 

[John Ploegert]

Thanks, John; I came across the Huron table when looking for tank data while planning the rack and used it to size the cells and estimate what I thought might be a typical load (weight) for load testing the cart, but couldn't find anything on doubles. I appreciate all of your help. Do you ever dive the N/C Florida caves?
John

 

[Cave Diver]

Typically we stay in the Marianna area, but time permitting we've been known to head further into cave country.