new/old vintage BP-because Orange! How old?

[aquacat8]

Not sure what you want to make but are you familiar with FIMO or Sculpy polymer plastic clay from arts and crafts store? Make what you want, bake it in the oven, FIMO comes in cool colors

 

[JamesBon92007]

Thanks, I'll look into those products. FIMO must come in orange if you are promoting it

What I'm making is supports to attach the weight pockets to, which are then attached to the backwing via screws (or maybe cable ties). They need to be able to support 10 pounds and not break where drilled for screws. They should also be just a little bit flexible in case they are pushing against my back. I have a piece of shoe sole rubber that is 1/4" thick that might work great but it's a bit on the heavy side, plus I only have one piece and it's not so readily available any more. I got it from Tandy Leather way back when--they were selling it for cutting boards. It also make good sandal soles if you can't find any old tires Some of those steel belts are very difficult to remove!

 

[aquacat8]

I have no idea how strong that plastic clay is, You’d have to play with it and see

 

[captain]

Kydex may be what you seek. It is strong and heat moldable. Pistol holsters are made with it.

KYDEX ACRYLIC & PVC COPOLYMER SHEETS FROM COMPLEX PLASTICS 1-888-PLASTIK 1-800-363-2870 SUPPLIER OF INDUSTRIAL PLASTIC MATERIALS index.htm

 

[JamesBon92007]

Thank you that is it, the White Stag... it had a riveted web belt like that which I removed. It has the buckle too but the sticker was off. You guys are amazing! Thanks for all the vintage coolness you share! Newer is not necessarily better. I can’t afford a Halcyon or DSS lightweight plate and now I don’t need one. This was $10!

Did you add weights to it, or are you planning on doing that? I just grabbed an old, beat up and broken backpack that is identical to my $10 backwing and was figuring out how much weight I could fit into it if I cut holes in and and had a "moment of clarity." I can simply fill the thing with lead shot! It could even be made dumpable, if desired, though it might not dump smoothly. This may not be a new idea but it seems like it would work well for our purposes. It might hold a bit more than I want so I might take up any slack with some sand or something.

LeisurePro just sent me an alert and my snorkel vest is on sale for $17 (not as good as $10, but good) with free shipping so I might make a second one I'm still waiting for Blue Reef to come out with a backwing to go with their SS backplate. I find it odd that they don't seem to make one.

 

[aquacat8]

Actually I found out today that I am probably a bit too negative with my new old high pressure steel 80 and that backpack for no BC diving. It’s fine with my wing, but a struggle on the surface to get up enough to talk to my buddies without inflating it. So no I’m not planning on adding lead. It’s taken me a while to wrap my head around warm water diving after years of cold water diving and finessing to get how much lead I carried down or figure it out ways to make my rig heavier underwater but lighter on land. Suddenly now I am a bit too negative… Never had that problem cold water diving!

 

[JamesBon92007]

Actually I found out today that I am probably a bit too negative with my new old high pressure steel 80 and that backpack for no BC diving. It’s fine with my wing, but a struggle on the surface to get up enough to talk to my buddies without inflating it. So no I’m not planning on adding lead. It’s taken me a while to wrap my head around warm water diving after years of cold water diving and finessing to get how much lead I carried down or figure it out ways to make my rig heavier underwater but lighter on land. Suddenly now I am a bit too negative… Never had that problem cold water diving!

I'm doing just the opposite--I just returned my new 7mm wetsuit after realizing how much lead it would take which turns out to be considerably more than I used to used with my old, stiff, farmer john 1/4" suit. It seems that not only are the new super-stretch suits more buoyant at the surface but I have become more buoyant as I've gotten older I just ordered a 5mm instead and will wear my 3mm shorty under it for colder water. I'm expecting the 5mm to be as warm as my old farmer john mainly because it will fit much more snugly with less water exchange while diving. At least that is my hope! It turns out that I've actually gotten cold wearing my 2.5mm jumpsuit in the Caribbean a couple of times but usually it is just the right thing. I'm not sure about the "titanium" lining thing but my girlfriend dives cold water in her 3mm lined suit and does not get cold. But then, she's from Minnesota

In any case I certainly agree that it's best to not be overweighted and I have grown to dislike aluminum tanks. It's somewhat amusing to watch the trends go in circles--first it was steel tanks with no BC, then backwings, then jacket BCs and aluminum tanks, and now we are back to steel tanks and backwings. SPGs seem to be making a comeback and winning favor over AI computers.