Making a DIR Backplate (Streetsign & Stainless) (.DWG AutoCAD File)

[ryantaylor0@yahoo.com]

I use a VDH plate for travel and locally in cold water too although it’s hard to get enough weight for the cold stuff.

Cutting aluminum isn’t easy as it clogs nearly all cutters/grinders, take advantage of the water jet offer.

I have experienced this, I tried to clean an edge up on my bench grinder, the stone was covered in little aluminum lumps (like alumi-Pox) within seconds, making it unusable until I dressed the stone again. I'm thinking any cleanup will have to be done on my belt sander.

I fully intend to use the waterjet for the final product (1/8" stainless that I already have) but for the mock up, dimensions checks, I'm using aluminum because I can work it with the tools I have at home. (although not very skillfully... yet.) only if the mock up goes very well will I consider using it for fun from time to time.

 

[ryantaylor0@yahoo.com]

Credit to Huw Porter for the initial idea/ drawings that sparked this venture.
Check out this link to his website/ the original plans:

Backplate Template

 

[northernone]

I have experienced this, I tried to clean an edge up on my bench grinder, the stone was covered in little aluminum lumps (like alumi-Pox) within seconds, making it unusable until I dressed the stone again. I'm thinking any cleanup will have to be done on my belt sander.

I fully intend to use the waterjet for the final product (1/8" stainless that I already have) but for the mock up, dimensions checks, I'm using aluminum because I can work it with the tools I have at home. (although not very skillfully... yet.) only if the mock up goes very well will I consider using it for fun from time to time.

Enjoyable project!

I dive a small plate I cut from "recycled" aluminum, used a file to smooth down the edges. Sandpaper worked as well....after clogging my stone I searched online for some alternatives.

 

[Couv]

I was given to understand that one should NEVER use a standard bench grinder to grind aluminum. The reason given was that aluminum will clog the voids in the wheel causing an overheat and possibly exploding the stone.

Forgive me if this is wrong, but it was told to me by someone who had a stone explode in his face.

 

[ryantaylor0@yahoo.com]

I was given to understand that one should NEVER use a standard bench grinder to grind aluminum. The reason given was that aluminum will clog the voids in the wheel causing an overheat and possibly exploding the stone.

Forgive me if this is wrong, but it was told to me by someone who had a stone explode in his face.

I’m not sure about the exploding part, but it defiantly made my grinder unusable due to aluminum depositing onto the wheel. I had to use a wheel dresser to clean it off before it could be used again.

Thanks for the warning!

 

[lowviz]

...//... I fully intend to use the waterjet for the final product (1/8" stainless that I already have) ...

If you dive coldwater, go big: Heavy back plate?

This is your chance to craft a personalized balanced rig for coldwater. Easy for warm water, but nowhere near the same for coldwater. The idea is to splash with a ditchable weight belt that both weights you correctly and weighs the same as the gas in a full gas load. In coldwater, you need to add weight somewhere. I chose a custom BP just for this purpose.

By way of explanation: You splash from a boat with your valves turned off. (Your bad) Drop your weightbelt and you are now neutral. Emergency swimming ascent. Problem solved.

 

[aquacat8]

Don’t worry that it’s rough, making your own stuff is just cooler than buying it, and leads to learning, personal growth, enhanced skill sets, and innovation. You may wind up coming up with a little twist on the design that just makes it better for you, or gets copied by others. You are being a creator, not a consumer. People pay a lot for this kind of learning ( please don’t ask me what Art School cost) so don’t be discouraged by those who say it’s only worth $100. In your heart you know this or you wouldn’t be doing it this way. Prototypes are usually much more expensive than mass produced products. You may also eventually make something for yourself, like the Freedom plate, that is too special and custom to be mass market. Go for it and thanks for posting!

 

[ams511]

Yea, first thing I noticed is, " this is worth $100"

Ryan, I thought you did a good job given the tools you have. A few things:

The main reason a plate is bent so that there is a center channel is for doubles. If the channel was not there the wing nuts or speed nuts would dig into your back. If you are only using single tanks you don't need to bend it. The VDH plate is not bent and many years before that there was a guy selling a flat plate called a Jet Plate.

Years ago people used to make their own plate either to save money or because something was not available in the marketplace. You also had craftsman like Fred T. and the Hammerhead guys making plates. Now you can buy plates in different sizes, weights, and materials, so there really isn't much to gain making your own unless you are doing it for the fun of doing it. There is nothing wrong with that.

Finally, the reverse plate seems like a good idea at first but most wings now come with some type of roll control, so that bend is not really necessary. There was someone out of Australia making plates like that and Golem Gear has a dog bone plate that can be ordered with that bend.

You seem handy so you can try different things.

 

[ryantaylor0@yahoo.com]

Ryan, I thought you did a good job given the tools you have. A few things:

The main reason a plate is bent so that there is a center channel is for doubles. If the channel was not there the wing nuts or speed nuts would dig into your back. If you are only using single tanks you don't need to bend it. The VDH plate is not bent and many years before that there was a guy selling a flat plate called a Jet Plate.

Years ago people used to make their own plate either to save money or because something was not available in the marketplace. You also had craftsman like Fred T. and the Hammerhead guys making plates. Now you can buy plates in different sizes, weights, and materials, so there really isn't much to gain making your own unless you are doing it for the fun of doing it. There is nothing wrong with that.

Finally, the reverse plate seems like a good idea at first but most wings now come with some type of roll control, so that bend is not really necessary. There was someone out of Australia making plates like that and Golem Gear has a dog bone plate that can be ordered with that bend.

You seem handy so you can try different things.

Thanks for the feedback, that is very interesting to note. I will check out the designs you mentioned and see if it inspires any changes in my concept. I may entertain the flat plate and roll control BCD/bladder idea.

-R

 

[ryantaylor0@yahoo.com]

Ryan, I thought you did a good job given the tools you have. A few things:

The main reason a plate is bent so that there is a center channel is for doubles. If the channel was not there the wing nuts or speed nuts would dig into your back. If you are only using single tanks you don't need to bend it. The VDH plate is not bent and many years before that there was a guy selling a flat plate called a Jet Plate.

Years ago people used to make their own plate either to save money or because something was not available in the marketplace. You also had craftsman like Fred T. and the Hammerhead guys making plates. Now you can buy plates in different sizes, weights, and materials, so there really isn't much to gain making your own unless you are doing it for the fun of doing it. There is nothing wrong with that.

Finally, the reverse plate seems like a good idea at first but most wings now come with some type of roll control, so that bend is not really necessary. There was someone out of Australia making plates like that and Golem Gear has a dog bone plate that can be ordered with that bend.

You seem handy so you can try different things.

Just as you said,

I see this plate from golemgear has the exact bend that I modeled in cad for the plate I want to make.

golemgear.com/p-243-golem-stream-backplate.aspx

See my CAD model:

Am I missing something, or could this plate be used for singles or doubles? The only issue I can see is the wingnut contacting your back. but is there some religious DIR ethos about not putting the wingnut on the outside and the nut/ carriage bolt head on the inside facing your back?