DW-"Mistral" - 1 Stage Regulator : Just looking to mooch some help :P

[herman]

if you get more into diving DHs, there are a lot of yearly vintage get-togethers ...

I'm working on how to stealth my Scubapro 1st and 2nd stage inside those sea monster double hoses.

And as for getting yellow hoses! I'm sorry but ...ewwww! I like the white grey ones though. I'm guessing if I'm going to put new parts on it I can pick the ones I like that fit. It would be kind of cool to have it painted white or chromed to go with ghost hoses.

I am only aware of 3 and one of those is mainly hard hat divers. I just got home from Sand Dog which was in Panama City Beach this year and "The Legends of Diving" at Portage Quarry in Ohio is in August. Do you know of more? Where and when?

As for hose color, you can use any that you like. Green, gray, yellow and black are currently availlable. I personally like yellow with black mouthpieces although the gray look good with the reproduction (or real for that matter) Voit blue cans. Painting the cans can be problematic, if you must color them the only reliable way is to power coat them and even then you need a power coater who understands what he is doing. Just slapping on some spray paint is not going to cut it.

 

[Sly New Girl]

I am only aware of 3 and one of those is mainly hard hat divers. I just got home from Sand Dog which was in Panama City Beach this year and "The Legends of Diving" at Portage Quarry in Ohio is in August. Do you know of more? Where and when?

As for hose color, you can use any that you like. Green, gray, yellow and black are currently availlable. I personally like yellow with black mouthpieces although the gray look good with the reproduction (or real for that matter) Voit blue cans. Painting the cans can be problematic, if you must color them the only reliable way is to power coat them and even then you need a power coater who understands what he is doing. Just slapping on some spray paint is not going to cut it.

Ugh..I'm terrible at boards, social sites and even keeping up with my phone. Sorry. I was quoting Doc - about the getting into DH's & vintage get togethers. I've never been to one. I'd love to go with regular gear just to watch everyone else though. Maybe even get someone to test mine for me!

Oops I wasn't done. I do know a guy who does powder coating and he's really good at it. He re-nickeled my moms old wood stove and powder coated the old iron patio set we have in the back porch. I'm sure he could do this too. In a shade of white that would match the Voit (I think) grey-white hoses.

 

[herman]

There is more to it than that. Some dimensions are critical and a coating of paint may/can interfere with the fit of the parts.

 

[simonbeans]

Two things:
1. If you have any interest in the history of the DW Mistral, at VDH in the Manuals and Catalog tab bar you can find a paper about the Mistral and its developments, etc.
2. I would be against the painting or powder coating for two major reasons. First, not authentic. The original satin chrome was attractive and extremely durable. Second, paint and powder coating have shown that they are not durable. Voit tried a blue paint on its 50 Fathom. Pretty, but not for long. Many friends have powder coated their regs with mixed results. Most complain about the durability of the surface when done. If you like the grey hoses, then opt for a set of blue plastic cans that Voit used in the early 1960s. Authentic, durable, and attractive. Reproductions for these cans are available from Home That is where you will get gray hose/mouthpieces. The mechanism of the Mistral fits in the plastic can perfectly.

Why are you afraid to dive this reg? I guess by your id you haven't many dives yet. Maybe you should shelf the reg until you have more experience.

 

[Sly New Girl]

I'm kind of chicken about a lot of things where my ability to breathe is impeded. I'd rather fall off a 200' and die screaming cliff than smother slowly.
I do listen and learn so I've been doing my research and paying attention and I won't ruin this Mistral. I'll take good care of it and get it restored as I can afford it. Plus, I got my triple 30's filled and tested it and it works. Sort of. It's different!

 

[Creed]

I'm kind of chicken about a lot of things where my ability to breathe is impeded. I'd rather fall off a 200' and die screaming cliff than smother slowly.
I do listen and learn so I've been doing my research and paying attention and I won't ruin this Mistral. I'll take good care of it and get it restored as I can afford it. Plus, I got my triple 30's filled and tested it and it works. Sort of. It's different!

Don't be scared of it. Toss it on an LP tank, throw it on your back and try it out in a pool. Remember, swim with your right shoulder pointing up and the reg will absolutely feed you air. You can tune these things to be incredibly high performance. Read the manuals, do a rebuild, and go diving.

 

[captain]

In my opinion the single stage Mistral is the most reliable scuba regulator system ever devised. The Coustea team used them for years on both shallow and deep dives.