Got a free pair of double 50's today.

[oldmossback]

Too bad they need so much cleaning (to get a half fill from a friend with a private compressor) so you could try them out before breaking them down.....

They are not that much heaver than a full 72, better balanced and to me a lot more comfortable......not mention the cool factor........however, I do use the mil. harness type webbing and bands...........with the backpack you have they tend to wobble on me.......

I have two sets of 38's 1800 and 1880 psi........both I use extensively......my two 72's I allow my son to use when he goes diving with me..........or when I go on a boat that does not cater to twin tanks.............

 

[lowviz]

..............with the backpack you have they tend to wobble on me.......
.............

I like twin LP 72's for balance and weight reasons. Long tanks, you can move the bands all over the place till you find the "sweet spot". Never got my hands on a pair of 50's, could be interesting...

Oldmossback is right. A homemade set of "Highland style" bands is my answer to that. I had a rough time making the final bend on the 2.5" SS bands until I came up with bending them around a piece of pipe using a pair of homemade clamps. The final bend is made by cranking down on the second clamp. The wood clamp just holds things in place. Cut the pipe just wider than 2.5" so the bands won't jam in the vise. The pictures tell it all. The final pic is my new set of bands for my 72's.

 

[elmer fudd]

I like twin LP 72's for balance and weight reasons. Long tanks, you can move the bands all over the place till you find the "sweet spot". Never got my hands on a pair of 50's, could be interesting...

Oldmossback is right. A homemade set of "Highland style" bands is my answer to that. I had a rough time making the final bend on the 2.5" SS bands until I came up with bending them around a piece of pipe using a pair of homemade clamps. The final bend is made by cranking down on the second clamp. The wood clamp just holds things in place. Cut the pipe just wider than 2.5" so the bands won't jam in the vise. The pictures tell it all. The final pic is my new set of bands for my 72's.

So how close in diameter to your tanks should the pipe be? I've got a junk tank already and it wouldn't be too hard to slice it into 2.75" sections.

 

[simonbeans]

The issue in making your own bands involves the slots if you want to use the "military" style of harness. The slots could be milled but should be done before the bending which makes the bending a bit more interesting. Even though you can save money by making your own, the price that Peanut King asks for his bands is extremely reasonable.

 

[lowviz]

So how close in diameter to your tanks should the pipe be? I've got a junk tank already and it wouldn't be too hard to slice it into 2.75" sections.

The picture shows a 6 5/8" outside diameter pipe I found, a bit smaller (~6) would have been better. However, a slice from a scuba tank should work fine. You will just have more "spring" in your bands. The bands are 16 gauge SS. 316 is best for salt water, 304 works if you are good about washing them. Machining either is a bit of an issue.

I used 1/4" thick stiffeners (last picture previous post) because there is a lot of space between doubled 72's and the bands need to be really strong to keep stress off of the manifold. Drill or mill (depending on backplate style) before you make the top and bottom welds that join each stiffener block to the R&L bands. Don't weld the sides, weakens the bands. [check out a set of Highland bands before you start ]

I've really come to admire Highland bands after making a few band sets on my own. Simonbeans is right, buying them will save you a lot of trouble. However, you can't get good commercial bands for all of the odd tanks that are out there.

The issue in making your own bands involves the slots if you want to use the "military" style of harness. The slots could be milled but should be done before the bending which makes the bending a bit more interesting. Even though you can save money by making your own, the price that Peanut King asks for his bands is extremely reasonable.

http://www.thepeanutking.com/vintage_scuba?b=1 Thanks!

 

[elmer fudd]

The issue in making your own bands involves the slots if you want to use the "military" style of harness. The slots could be milled but should be done before the bending which makes the bending a bit more interesting. Even though you can save money by making your own, the price that Peanut King asks for his bands is extremely reasonable.

Looking at PK's prices, I think you're right.

Concerning the milling of slots though, I think I'd be really hesitant to bend those bands after milling the slots. I'm sure you can do it, but I suspect I'd just end up with some nice sharp angles . One method I've found that works well for tricky jobs like milling slots on a curved surface is just drill a series of undersized holes in a straight line as close as I can get them. Then I chuck up the same sized mill in a hand held drill and use it to connect all the holes. When I finally have an undersized slot, I bring it up to it's final size with a file. This is much more time consuming than using a mill, but I find that I generally get it right the first time this way.

 

[simonbeans]

When I started making repro vintage-style harnesses I did single tank ones first. The bands were cut by a local company with a laser. I then had them rounded by a sheet metal shop. They were ok, but the slots caused sharper curves than desired. I explained my concern to my laser-using maker and he was able to bend them without the "kinks". Peanut King bands are excellent but, like mine, they fit tanks of 6.9" diameter, consistant with 71.2, 38, 42, 50 steels and some Al tanks in 45 or 50 cu ft. We are mostly interested in vintage style harnesses thus the 6.9" diameter of our bands.

 

[domeport]

Cool set. The backpack looks cool too.

 

[captain]

Looking at PK's prices, I think you're right.

Concerning the milling of slots though, I think I'd be really hesitant to bend those bands after milling the slots. I'm sure you can do it, but I suspect I'd just end up with some nice sharp angles . One method I've found that works well for tricky jobs like milling slots on a curved surface is just drill a series of undersized holes in a straight line as close as I can get them. Then I chuck up the same sized mill in a hand held drill and use it to connect all the holes. When I finally have an undersized slot, I bring it up to it's final size with a file. This is much more time consuming than using a mill, but I find that I generally get it right the first time this way.

I have made several bands and bent them after cutting the slots. Just clamp them on the tank and use a rubber dead blow hammer on the area where the slots are to smooth them out.

 

[oldmossback]

. The bands are 16 gauge SS. 316 is best for salt water, 304 works if you are good about washing them. Machining either is a bit of an issue.

The Peanut King - Vintage Scuba Thanks!

I have a question about your bands guage...and for that matter the Highland bands too.....why so thick and wide? Were there failures on the production bands by dive manufactures?.......