I take back every mean thing I’ve ever said about my LDS.

[herman]

Eric, I see a couple of things "wrong" with this reg, I am thinking it's a bit of a Frankenstein reg.

The yoke knob appears to be the later larger one, that would only fit in the 70's heavy yoke version (fairly rare). It should be the "tire" type and the yoke looks to be the larger heavy version. The heavy yoke and knob were only available on the last models which had a round label.
The other thing is the spacing between the yoke and nozzle rim is excessive for a DAAM, it appears that the nozzle has been replaced with a RAM nozzle.

I think someone has replaced the yoke and nozzle with the 70's parts and added the band clamp. USD offered the clamps as an option but it's not original. I know a few non DH yokes were machined down to fit the nozzles so that is a possibility. It's easy to tell, the bottom side of the yoke will have a recess turned in it that is not plated but from what I can see, this is an original USD heavy yoke.

I make hookah port adapters if you need one and if you want the correct yoke and nozzle I am sure we can work something out.

 

[happy-diver]

Magnificent!

 

[kelemvor]

Congrats on getting your plate in the store! I thought you were already getting more orders than you could manufacture. Am I wrong, or are you going to start some sort of automation?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Eric, I see a couple of things "wrong" with this reg, I am thinking it's a bit of a Frankenstein reg.

The yoke knob appears to be the later larger one, that would only fit in the 70's heavy yoke version (fairly rare). It should be the "tire" type and the yoke looks to be the larger heavy version. The heavy yoke and knob were only available on the last models which had a round label.
The other thing is the spacing between the yoke and nozzle rim is excessive for a DAAM, it appears that the nozzle has been replaced with a RAM nozzle.

I think someone has replaced the yoke and nozzle with the 70's parts and added the band clamp. USD offered the clamps as an option but it's not original. I know a few non DH yokes were machined down to fit the nozzles so that is a possibility. It's easy to tell, the bottom side of the yoke will have a recess turned in it that is not plated but from what I can see, this is an original USD heavy yoke.

I make hookah port adapters if you need one and if you want the correct yoke and nozzle I am sure we can work something out.

Hi Herman,
Yeah I was thinking the same thing when I started thinking about it. The heavy yolk and band clamp didn’t seem to jive with the square label. I started doing a little research to find out what I had and it wasn’t making sense. Not that any of this really matters in the big picture because I’ll just use it so if those things are considered an upgrade then I guess it’s a bonus.
The reg is actually in pretty darn good shape inside, the hoses are in great shape, the large diaphragm is in good shape. The duckbill is shot (of course), and the wagon wheel mushroom valves will be replaced. I’ll bet whoever used this reg was a pretty avid diver around here because this reg was local.
It was probably rebuilt shortly before it was retired. It seems to have also been retired under strange circumstances because as good as the reg is, it seems to have been put away wet from it’s last dive without being rinsed. There are salt crystals in the hoses, mouthpiece, snd a little in the fresh air side.
I find this strange for a reg that someone cared about enough to take the time to makes some upgrades and keep serviced. I think this reg was a workhorse and not kept as a museum piece (as it should be).
Thanks for the offer of a cap but the most awesome @James79 already sent me a cap so I’m set.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Congrats on getting your plate in the store! I thought you were already getting more orders than you could manufacture. Am I wrong, or are you going to start some sort of automation?

I fulfilled all the orders for standard plates so these are extra plates that I had in inventory. I’m still hammering these out one by one. I need to try and reach customers outside of Scubaboard so that’s why it’s important to me to get into dive shops. I have been thinking about ways to automate it without dropping hundreds of thousands of dollars into something that will never really pay itself off in the long run. I do have a few ideas on automation while still doing it on a practical budget. Getting it into dive shops is a business move but it’s also a personal triumph for me just because I’ve had the door slammed in my face so many times throughout the years. I think it’s also a good idea to diversify even though they are wholesaled, it’s worth it to me because I actually spend more time with emails, PM’s and educating people on this that, setup, etc. boxing - shipping...
When I figure how much time all this takes it actually becomes a wash. They will be doing the selling and educating, shipping, rigging etc. so I can concentrate on production which means I can actually make more plates. This makes it totally worth it to me.

 

[The Ruttmeister]

Reading your first post, I assumed you had been over to Cannery Row Aquatics. I was there a couple of weeks ago and mentioned the Freedom Plate, their eyes got big and they got all excited.

Good luck with scaling up, I know there are good metal shops in the area, sadly I don't think there is anyone still doing stamped/pressed metal or at least not at scales and prices that will work out. But I wouldn't be shocked to be wrong about that, the Bay Area is a heck of a manufacturing hub.

 

[Akimbo]

I need to try and reach customers outside of Scubaboard so that’s why it’s important to me to get into dive shops.

You really need a Web site just for the Freedom Plate. They are a lot easier to set up now.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Reading your first post, I assumed you had been over to Cannery Row Aquatics. I was there a couple of weeks ago and mentioned the Freedom Plate, their eyes got big and they got all excited.

Good luck with scaling up, I know there are good metal shops in the area, sadly I don't think there is anyone still doing stamped/pressed metal or at least not at scales and prices that will work out. But I wouldn't be shocked to be wrong about that, the Bay Area is a heck of a manufacturing hub.

Cannery Row Aquatics, very cool! thanks for the tip. And you say they knew what it was? That’s even more interesting. Are they members of Scubaboard?
I’ll make a point to contact them and maybe see if they are interested in setting up a meeting.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

You really need a Web site just for the Freedom Plate. They are a lot easier to set up now.

Yeah I know. I’m still trying to decide if all the talk about how diving is dying a slow painful death is fake news or not. That’s kind of what it’s all hinged on. I guess I’m still a little apprehensive about going all in.
And then there’s the deal where my arthritic fingers are screaming that they’ve had enough of plate torture and I promise them that I’m going to quit this racket. Then somebody else contacts me and want’s a plate, so I snap out of it and I keep going.

 

[Akimbo]

And then there’s the deal where my arthritic fingers are screaming that they’ve had enough of plate torture and I promise them that I’m going to quit this racket, somebody else contacts me and want’s a plate.

Have you ever looked into a stamping die? You could go to a lighter gauge stainless while increasing strength if the die rolled all the edges. That would also eliminate your laser cutting costs. Maybe you need a Go-fund-me page for a die set more than a Web site?