Is the TLS350 Tough Enough?

[b1gcountry]

This is the 24 oz. Framer's Hammer:


This is the 5/8" High Carbon Steel Punch:


This is the DUI TLS 350 after about 12 strikes with the hammer as hard as a 210lb guy (myself) dared hit it:


I am no longer concerned about punctures on this suit.

If anyone is wondering why I was idiotic enough to try this, I was trying to make a hole for the installation of a Pee Valve. I COULD NOT MAKE A HOLE in the suit with the punch and hammer. In the end, the block of wood I had underneath the suit was pretty marked up, and the suit just had this barely visible ring on it. I finally resorted to rotating the punch by hand, with significant pressure over one of the divots in the wood block until the suit was finally sawed through. I wouldn't have bought this suit if I didn't think it was tough, but I have seriously had an easier time punching a hole through weight belt webbing than putting the hole in this suit. I am totally impressed with this material!

Tom

PS, I have no associations with DUI, I just thought this was incredible and wanted to share.

 

[wjknobles]

Well done Tom, you are a braver man than I ... nice to know they hold up though!

Yet another reason I will be getting a TLS shortly

 

[Gombessa]

FYI, you need to place the hollow end of the hole punch against the suit, and hammer on the blunt end.

 

[Country Diver]

Um....the boys heated up the proper size filed pipe with a torch for my p-valve instalation and within seconds was through the layers, just don't forget about that board....lol. It was nice too b/c it sealed the material.

 

[b1gcountry]

Um....the boys heated up the proper size filed pipe with a torch for my p-valve instalation and within seconds was through the layers, just don't forget about that board....lol. It was nice too b/c it sealed the material.

Yeah, I wasn't brave enough for that one. My luck, I would have dropped the dang thing and gone through the ankle. I guess that would have been one way to impress the girls...

 

[616fun]

I finally got the guts to put a hole in my new CLX450. I took a little different route.

I installed the Halcyon Streamlined valve. The threaded part of the delrin requires a 3/4" hole. That's considerably bigger than any grommet punch I could find. So, I took a scrap section of 3/4" copper pipe left over from my water softener install and cut about a 2" section. I placed that 2" section into a set of vise grips. After that I put a section of wood in the leg of the suit just under where I wanted the hole to be. I then used a MAPP gas torch (I'm sure any torch will do, just MAPP is SO dang hot) to heat the copper pipe. Simply touch the pipe to the suit, and firmly against the wood in the leg and voila, a nice perfect hole for your valve installation. It also melts the fabric to give the hole a very clean look. From there I just Aquaseal'd it in per the directions. I'm awaiting the final product tomorrow morning, after the Aquaseal dries.

After I was done I came upstairs and had a drink. Talk about a stressful situation...

 

[b1gcountry]

I had the drink beforehand. I had thought about the hot rod method, but I thought it would be easier to screw up.

Tom

 

[CompuDude]

I finally got the guts to put a hole in my new CLX450. I took a little different route.

I installed the Halcyon Streamlined valve. The threaded part of the delrin requires a 3/4" hole. That's considerably bigger than any grommet punch I could find. So, I took a scrap section of 3/4" copper pipe left over from my water softener install and cut about a 2" section. I placed that 2" section into a set of vise grips. After that I put a section of wood in the leg of the suit just under where I wanted the hole to be. I then used a MAPP gas torch (I'm sure any torch will do, just MAPP is SO dang hot) to heat the copper pipe. Simply touch the pipe to the suit, and firmly against the wood in the leg and voila, a nice perfect hole for your valve installation. It also melts the fabric to give the hole a very clean look. From there I just Aquaseal'd it in per the directions. I'm awaiting the final product tomorrow morning, after the Aquaseal dries.

After I was done I came upstairs and had a drink. Talk about a stressful situation...

Just last week, I put the H streamlined valve in my 450, also. Used a $5 pencil soldering iron from Harbor Freight to melt the hole right through, then twirl it a little to widen to the right size. Worked perfectly... the instructions the valve came with were excellent. No leaks on my dive last weekend, woohoo! Next dive I'll have to actually hook it up, though.

 

[b1gcountry]

I only had one leak...when the cath blew off at 20', and I felt an icky coldness. Time to try the next size up...

 

[do it easy]

I finally got the guts to put a hole in my new CLX450. I took a little different route.

I installed the Halcyon Streamlined valve. The threaded part of the delrin requires a 3/4" hole. That's considerably bigger than any grommet punch I could find. So, I took a scrap section of 3/4" copper pipe left over from my water softener install and cut about a 2" section. I placed that 2" section into a set of vise grips. After that I put a section of wood in the leg of the suit just under where I wanted the hole to be. I then used a MAPP gas torch (I'm sure any torch will do, just MAPP is SO dang hot) to heat the copper pipe. Simply touch the pipe to the suit, and firmly against the wood in the leg and voila, a nice perfect hole for your valve installation. It also melts the fabric to give the hole a very clean look. From there I just Aquaseal'd it in per the directions. I'm awaiting the final product tomorrow morning, after the Aquaseal dries.

After I was done I came upstairs and had a drink. Talk about a stressful situation...

I used this method too. One word of warning- if the pipe is really hot, it will burn a bigger hole since the material will melt even if it's not in contact with the hot pipe.