Faber LP 85?/Air Buddy for "high performance" rig

[Nemrod]

I seem to have aquired a new LP Faber 85 cf tank. It is rated 2400 psi with 10% overfill for 2640. I got it really cheap so said what the heck and bought it. It is 7.0 diameter, slightly more than a steel 72 (6.9) and less than an aluminum 80 (7.25). It is about the same length as an aluminum 80. What is the deal with these tanks, bouyancy characteristics etc. Maybe it will be a good tank for diving with thick wet suits but actually it does not feel all that heavy.

You might also notice the Air Buddy. It serves the purpose of an octapus. In my life long quest for minimalism I came across this unit. Actually I saw an aquantaince with one and had to try one for myself. It is the high performance and nitrox compatible version. While it does take a small amount of familarization it is very easy actually to breath from. I thought it would work well for my vintage diving when the attachemnt of a conventional octapsu would detract from the authentic look and feel of the rig. This Air Buddy would be easy to tuck away. In the event of a buddy in need he would get my double hose flipped over and I would take the Air Buddy. Also it could serve as back up in the rare and extremely unlikely event of a second stage failure of the double hose regulator, they are by their nature far more reliable than modern single hose units. The one pictured is a parts bin unit, a USD DA Aqua Master, hot rodded a bit and dressed up with nice gray hoses and Navy mouthpiece.It breaths like a dream. The Air Buddy could be used as well on a buddy bottle, even screwed directly in without the hose and along with a small mini spg would allow full redundancy. It also could be used, even with an octapus to inflate lift bags etc.

The white tank above is the Faber LP 85 in question.

The harness above is a reproduction of Sea Hunt era units and is made by a friend, they run about 75 dollars or so and are very comfortable and of course, minimal.

I just threw the "high performance" in there for grins, that term really is diffucult to define within the diving world but minimalism, yes. N

 

[do it easy]

Are you sure it's a Luxfer tank and not a Faber? I would bet your DA Aquamaster against my long hose, that it's a Faber.

The Faber LP 85 is 7" diameter, 26" tall (no valve), weighs 31 lbs empty, neutral when empty in sea water with a valve, and is 6.7 lbs negative when full.

Geez Nemrod, what's with the Air Buddy? Sounds like you are going soft. Is that essentially an air gun?

Also, what kind of wing do you use? Just kidding! I'm not a fan of vintage gear, but I can certainly appreciate the "slick" factor that your gear has.

New equipment is over rated- live free and dive vintage.

 

[Nemrod]

do it easy, it is a Faber, I know that--lol--it has a sticker that says so. I am just not familiar with this tank or it's characterisitcs or typical uses. You won't get my DA that easy!

For warm water I prefer a tank that goes slightly positive and thus is not so negative at the beginning but I think if your stats are correct this tank may work out fine for the occasion I might use a new fangled BC device.

Oh, what would be the typical "cave" fill on this tank? No, I am forbidden from caves by she who runs my life but I am thinking this tank could easily handle the occasional 3,000 psi fill? N

 

[Aqua Marine]

Nemrod,

Since overfilling is a federal offense in the US, it just matters on who's doing it as to how high they fill it.

Typically the practice is to replace the burst discs and pressurize a similar cylinder to 3000-3500 psi when this type of thing is done. At 3500 psi the cylinder theoretically used in this example would hold roughly 112 cubic feet.

Keep in mind I am only offering this information for educational purposes and not in any way a recommendation of the practice.

-Gary

 

[Hoyden]

Nemrod,

Since overfilling is a federal offense in the US, it just matters on who's doing it as to how high they fill it.

-Gary

Please give your source for this information, if your implication is that it is a federal crime for me to fill my scuba cylinders to the pressure of my choice.

 

[Aaagogo]

overfilling is a federal offense??? could you provide some form of verification on that, or provide me with the section number so that i can get my lawyer dive buddy to check it up for me. i don't want to be carrying my tanks on his personal boat and get pulled over by marine patrol after a day of fishing/diving and get slapped with court order for having my tanks overfilled

thanks

do it easy, it is a Faber, I know that--lol--it has a sticker that says so. I am just not familiar with this tank or it's characterisitcs or typical uses. You won't get my DA that easy!

For warm water I prefer a tank that goes slightly positive and thus is not so negative at the beginning but I think if your stats are correct this tank may work out fine for the occasion I might use a new fangled BC device.

Oh, what would be the typical "cave" fill on this tank? No, I am forbidden from caves by she who runs my life but I am thinking this tank could easily handle the occasional 3,000 psi fill? N

if it's steel, its a faber... LOL

before you even go down the "cave fill" route,

1 - convert your tank valve and regs to DIN, for the faber tank, just unscrew the insert in the valve. for you Nemrod, i highly recomend for you to purchase new regs if you want to go down the cave route, if i'm not mistaken, the 2nd picture shows that you have a 72 cuft steel tank that has a fill rating of 2250 psi... if my assumption was correct on the older steel tank, and from the looks of your reg, they should be manufacture/designed/purchased around the same time frame/era

that being said, they are/were when on the drawing board, the 1st stage was being designed for safe operation 2250psi and with a safety factor of 50%, you are looking at 3375psi... i believe you should know what i'm trying to point out

2 - i believe that this is the more important part. make sure your LDS knows what they are doing and they recognise and understand and know the real potential of 'em faber tanks, then if they do, have your burst disk prepped for "cave fills"

there was 1 batch of fabers that was shipped out with 4000psi burst disks and the rest were all 3600psi.... be it either, they have to be changed.

if you find the right dive shop, ur jaw will drop on hearing the actual rating of the faber tanks

i might not be 100% right on the operation model of you regs, but what i'm trying to say is that past dive accidents is the direct cause of the current technology in the dive equipment we see on the market today. and most of the time, old and new equpiment don't really go well together

 

[xiSkiGuy]

Oh, what would be the typical "cave" fill on this tank? No, I am forbidden from caves by she who runs my life but I am thinking this tank could easily handle the occasional 3,000 psi fill? N

I have a set of Faber LP-85s that I've doubled up for cave diving. I routinely fill them myself to 3500 and in cave country I usually get 3600psi fills. As was mentioned before, be sure your burst disc is sufficiently rated to handle a cave fill.

 

[Nemrod]

Aaagogo, thanks for the info on the tank. I was thinking more on the line of about 3000 to 3300. The double hose regulator pictured has a modern high pressure yoke and the first stage internals are from a modern AL Titan. My other double hose regulator I would use at 3,000 plus psi has a modern, newly designed and newly manufactured first stage with multiple HP and LP ports and is fully capable of 3500 psi and breaths like a dream.

"" - convert your tank valve and regs to DIN, for the faber tank, just unscrew the insert in the valve. for you Nemrod, i highly recomend for you to purchase new regs if you want to go down the cave route, if i'm not mistaken, the 2nd picture shows that you have a 72 cuft steel tank that has a fill rating of 2250 psi...""

No, my LPDS, I will not call them a bad name--they both are good to me-- they are just pretty ignorant of these tanks capabilities however. Like I said, I was more interested in a moderate overfill than going to 4000 with it. I have heard these new Fabers are heavy built compared to the old steel 72 which we routinely filled to 3,000 back in the early 70s when I was into cave diving. The steel 72 is a fine tank for sport diving, I don't fill them beyond 2400/2500 now.

BTW, yes, I agree, beyond 3000/3300 psi DIN is the way to go and I have a couple of DIN equipped regulators and a couple of such valves and double manifold with isolator. Just don't need them much, no longer cave dive. I have the DIN stuff for when I need it.

My interest in using this tank at higher pressure, as a single, is for extended range single/solo diving---not--not--cave diving. Been there, done that. I just want a tank to bridge the gap between my 72s, aluminum 80s and going to doubled 72s or doubled 80 or my other secret, triple(never mind). I also have some older LP double 95s. That is a lot of air, and my back is just not up to that anymore. This Faber 85 LP tank weighs about the same as an aluminum 80, is smaller than an aluminum 80 (7 inch diameter) and should be able to be stuffed to a real 90 cf or so as opposed to the 77 cf of an aluminum 80.

Yes, also thanks for the tip on checking the blow out. I will see what it has and adjust it accordingly.

One other question, what is under that white paint on a Faber and is this tank still being made in the 7.0 diameter? Cool, Voit decal huh--lol.


N
New equipment is over rated, live free and dive vintage.

 

[Aaagogo]

 

[Nemrod]

Not to side track my own thread, JFYI, the Phoenix Royal Aqua Master pictured above can support a mechaincal spg, air integrated computer sender, two octapus regulaors, LP dry suit inflator and BC LP inflator and run an air tool, if so configured. Virtually everything in it is modern, new manufacture including the amazing first stage. The hoses are new and similar to a rebreather, the cage valves are modern silicone, the main diaphram is new and modern durable and responsive silicone, the yoke is 3,500 psi and it goes on and on and what is even better is the robust nature and extreme reliability. Like the fellow that just gets dusted by an old 66 Camero in his rice burner, old isn't old if what is under the hood is brand new and bad to the bone--lol. Looks good on a Faber. N