Epoxy/vinyl for DIY weights

[Rred]

Tin can: If he meant that literally, good point. A smooth walled aluminum soda can would do though. Otherwise sand molds might do better, although "belt slots" would be a lot of messy work that could be avoided by buying a weight mold. (Surely someone still makes them?)

I'd vinyl coat my belt weights, except that would still close up the belt slots, more tedious work.(G) After sorting and weighing the old weights from various sources (and I doubt those shops made them all up themselves) I found that with 2-5 pound weights, the actual weight was almost always 2oz. off, sometimes over 5 oz. off on a 4# weight. Not impressive!

If all else fails, put a couple of colored zip ties on them to indicate the weight.

 

[Bob DBF]

(Surely someone still makes them?)

Trident Lead Weight Mold


Bob

 

[2airishuman]

I plasti-dipped some of my weights and have found that the coating deteriorates with time. I did it originally to keep the weights from making lead marks on whatever surface they were on. Seemed important when making pool dives and it did help. A year later the coating is beat up but still functional.

 

[Schwob]

... I have about 300lb in weights, across 4 different sizes - so color coating would aid the organization by our staff tremendously...

Another thought with bare lead weights:
I understand that "staff", "sorting", fast & accurate maybe compounded by differing form and size factors could complicate things a bit pending a bit on the individuals involved. I think color might help with speed more than anything else.
But if speed is not that important and if you just want to clearly identify each weight, this the most durable, quickest to apply, non ablative way I can think of:
Buy something like that (comes in smaller sizes too, know the size of your target area, bigger reads better, smaller punches easier, but no issue with that in lead):
36 Piece 3/8 in. Steel Letter/Number Stamping Set
Use a hammer, eye protection, a workbench (chunk of board on a sturdy table...) or such, punch in the to the weight corresponding number e.g. in the top right corner of each weight on both sides. If you don't mind hammering (or if you really need to worry about the staff factor), also do so in the opposing corner making sure that any number that rotated "up" is up is right side up (rotate the weight punch the same way)...
Whoever needs to balance his rig to the ounce or such (someone objected to weights being 2 oz off) could weight his weights and punch in the correct number to however many dezimal points desired... (not for me and not for shop use and besides, don't get weights get slightly lighter in time with lots of wear and tear?)
Shop or personal initials could be punched too, but now it starts to sound like work...

 

[Bob DBF]

Whoever needs to balance his rig to the ounce or such (someone objected to weights being 2 oz off) could weight his weights and punch in the correct number to however many dezimal points desired...

You knew I was reading this, right.

I Have a lot of old weights and occasionally would wonder why my weight was not right when using the right sized weights. Come to find out, the weights were off up to -15 oz each, most around the -6 oz area, and if I picked up the wrong weights I could be off up to 5 pounds due to the amount of lead needed. It is funny that there were almost no weights over. I found the new weights were pretty much perfect, probably due to an assembly line that weighs the pour. I use the 1/4 in stamp to track the variation if I start getting into the weights I don't normally use.

I wouldn't have to deal with this if I didn't switch between tanks a lot, possibly the downfall of having a small tank farm.


Bob

 

[Schwob]

You knew I was reading this, right....

Yeah, compared to you I have no experience whatsoever and only used rented weights on three trips so far and my weights are too new to vary that much, but surely there is quite some variance (especially on my older "slightly pre-used" weights.... Now, up to -6oz and that adding up over several weights, that's a lot. But so what, as long as one knows and deals with it it does not matter. Yep, those stamps are handy for that.

 

[Rred]

That Trident mold is clever, perhaps too clever. Many of my old weights were apparently cast in specific molds, with a big # as part of the casting to show the weight. With the Trident and relying on some minion to fill the mold to the correct line...weights will be unmarked and erratic again, requiring each to be over-filled and then trimmed down and then stamped. Whether that's worth saving a few bucks on molds will vary for the user. The also make smaller weights thinner--but just as wide, something that could be a nuisance if part of your set up is to spread the weights evenly all around the sides of a belt. (I do 4+4 to spread and trim the load.)

And again, will the belt slots accommodate a vinyl or other coating.

If I was starting from scratch, I'd just order a bag of lead shot (small diameter lead) from the former bookseller on the web, and go with shot bags anyhow. Might just do that one day, before the boat operators start saying "Oh, we don't allow lead any more." (What, like the industry hasn't done more ridiculous things?)

 

[JamesBon92007]

And again, will the belt slots accommodate a vinyl or other coating.

That was another factor using PlastiDip--it's a real PITA to get the weights on the belt.

 

[Bob DBF]

especially on my older "slightly pre-used" weights....

I believe it has more to do with hand made, which at one time they all were even if in an assembly line, rather than the used. Can't complain much since the majority of my weights were found on the bottom.


Bob

 

[JamesBon92007]

I believe it has more to do with hand made, which at one time they all were even if in an assembly line, rather than the used. Can't complain much since the majority of my weights were found on the bottom.
Bob

Yes, with my old Aqua Craft weight mold you fill it up 3/5 for 3 pounds, 4/5 for four pounds..... amazingly enough, according to my fish scale, four of them (filled all the way) weigh 20 pounds. At first it bothered me that they moved around on the belt but I guess I just got used to it and don't even think about it any more. One dive boat I was on insisted that everyone remove their weight belt (and tank) before climbing up the ladder and they also insisted that you hold it by the loose end (without the buckle) so the weights wouldn't slip off and fall to the bottom. I guess it's a common problem.