Metal tank band questions

[Akimbo]

…I've been thinking of building a shallow water diving helmet for a while now, ...

Like a Miller-Dunn style?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Don't forget that we are running out of old guys as well.

So far the only divers I have run across, other than a few old pharts like myself, that did give my old gear any respect have been the few minimalist divers I have run across. The way I look at it, in 20 years the only ones that might be interested in vintage gear will be historians, and there doesn't seem to be much interest in that either, DIY, and minimalist. Let's face it, the poodle jacket crowd just looks to their next holiday and the Tech crowd sincerely believes they are not recreational divers, and gives nary a thought or respect to the divers before them that did the same dives on vintage gear, or any other gear, that was used before the name they acquired in '91.

I like anyone turning up with some interest on this forum as it seems like a ghost town at times already. I believe that the concepts of vintage diving are important as well as the gear. And if someone can keep the concept alive by making "new vintage" gear more power to them, they will probably get more pertinent information and encouragement here, than elsewhere.





Bob
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that's all i have to say about that - Forrest Gump

Most fresh OW poodle jacket divers look at us like deer in the headlights, they don't know what they are looking at or what to make of it.
The Tech crowd is into a whole trip of their own, and what we're doing goes completely against their grain and the core of their training, so don't look for any nods of approval there.
When I'm at the beach diving minimalist I pretty much mind my own business. If somebody comes up and is curious as to what I'm doing I'll have a conversation, but generally I don't really care what people think.

Back on topic:

I have an old Aqualung CAM-EZ-PAK that I made out of fiberglass. I made an exact replica of an original by casting a mold from the original pack then casting the part (The backpack) out of fiberglass - 1/8" thick and probably 50 times stronger than the original plastic one whech was cracked and unusable. I just mounted all the same hard ware on it including the original stainless cam strap and cam lock down mechanism.
It's a pretty nifty and quick setup to use. The only drawback is it would be difficult to adapt a wing to use if you somebody wanted to use a wing, I didn't say impossible, I said difficult, but it could be done.
I may pull it off the shelf look at it again to see if their might be a way to replicate something similar to adapt to todays modern diving.
I could see a market for a stainless trouble free tank strap of some sort.

 

[Fish&beer]

Back on topic:

I have an old Aqualung CAM-EZ-PAK that I made out of fiberglass. I made an exact replica of an original by casting a mold from the original pack then casting the part (The backpack) out of fiberglass - 1/8" thick and probably 50 times stronger than the original plastic one whech was cracked and unusable. I just mounted all the same hard ware on it including the original stainless cam strap and cam lock down mechanism.
It's a pretty nifty and quick setup to use. The only drawback is it would be difficult to adapt a wing to use if you somebody wanted to use a wing, I didn't say impossible, I said difficult, but it could be done.
I may pull it off the shelf look at it again to see if their might be a way to replicate something similar to adapt to todays modern diving.
I could see a market for a stainless trouble free tank strap of some sort.

A few years ago I was diving with Eric up the NorCal coast when I dropped my tank on my Kam-EZ-Pak and cracked it badly. Eric took my backpack and made a mold making the new improved backpack he spoke about above. From the front you can't tell the difference from the two. It has been my favorite go to backpack when I dive minimalist or vintage. I love the look of stainless steel bands over the straps used today. The Kam-EZ made it easy to be able to swap out tanks in seconds. The band had wing nuts that you could tighten up to enure the tank would not slip. I have seen old packs with metal bands but they were not as fast as the Kam-EZ to swap tanks. The pack was very popular in it's day but it was made for 72 cu ft tanks (6.9") only I believe. I don't think the bands would fit an 80cu ft. today. Scuba Pro in the past also had a plastic molded backpack that had a metal band with a quick release cam lever that permitted quick change of tanks. It too was popular back when blown molded packs came into being.

See my photos below - the first one is my old Kam-EZ & the rest are of the new one Eric made out of fiberglass for me.
http://, , , , , ,

But getting back to the Hawaiian backpack. I too have been looking for an old one but they are hard to find. As posted before, DaleC has made a cool homemade one that sure looks vintage.

 

[DaleC]

Like a Miller-Dunn style?

Yep!
I keep trying to talk myself into springing for the brass and copper though I have seen some pretty interesting ideas using epoxied plywood. What I've learned is that there is no real need for excessive integral strength as the external and internal pressures are the same.

 

[Akimbo]

… though I have seen some pretty interesting ideas using epoxied plywood...

If you’re a woodworker, I have seen a solid Mahogany Miller-Dunn… really beautiful. You could then pull a rubber mold off of it and make one or more working hats in fiberglass, yet still have the Mahogany original for display. Just a thought.

 

[Keith.M]

Is the AL Kam EZ-Pak like the Sea Lung from White Stag Maufacturing?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Is the AL Kam EZ-Pak like the Sea Lung from White Stag Maufacturing?

View attachment 189458

It's similar, except it doesn't have the built in handle at the top. Some of the geometry might be slightly different, but it's the same idea for sure.

 

[Keith.M]

It's similar, except it doesn't have the built in handle at the top. Some of the geometry might be slightly different, but it's the same idea for sure.

Thanks Eric. The pictures from the other one were not visible to me yesterday but come in fine now today.