Should I buy an old Aluminum 80?

[CT-Rich]

Or:
Reg display
Dog dish
LP compressor air bank
Storm wind chime
BBQ
Umbrella stand
And so on...



Bob

I saw a tank made in to a mail box

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Bob DBF

Or make one in to a bell...
Or:
Reg display
Dog dish
LP compressor air bank
Storm wind chime
BBQ
Umbrella stand
And so on..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bob
Aluminum tanks, cylinders, bottles.-choose one or all three...

Have very poor tonal qualities and are not a good choice for bells or wind chimes

give one a try...

SDM

 

[seascaper]

Ah, Ok. I've got a half-dozen Al80s circa 1980s that I've been weighing reconditioning -vs- potted-plants.
Reading through these responses re. tanks from 1995, I suppose it'll be the latter

 

[masterdiver61]

I guess I should have searched more before posting this question, @runsongas has pointed out that the 1995 Luxfer is made of AL6061 which should be ok. The info is here: Is my cylinder made from the "bad" alloy aka AL6351?

But I wonder if some dive shops will refuse to fill it at some point. I think I remember some dive shop employee saying something to that effect a few years back.

If your dive shop want fill a tank manufactured after 1990 with a good vip and hydro then I would find another shop to do business with. We had a shop start up about 35 miles from home and there tank monkey had been told about a older tank exploding and didn't bother to research to see if it was true. Long story short when they start loosing business the owner did the research and there filling 1990's and up now.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

I'd say clear of an Al tank that age too. I know up here, you wouldn't get that filled anyplace.

That's just silly and uninformed. Find a place with more knowledgeable tank monkeys. May involve relocation.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Presenting Miss July . . .

A 24-year old from Southern California . . . Born August 1999. A trim aluminum 80 with a nice Brazil wax job. Turn-ons originally included paintball sports, now focusing on more worthwhile underwater scuba activities. Paid $75 for her. Added $24 for a hydro test and then a re-built XS Pro...

scubaboard.com

 

[Stoo]

That's just silly and uninformed. Find a place with more knowledgeable tank monkeys. May involve relocation.

While that may be, it's the way it is. Most shops I visit (four of them) none will fill pre-1990 aluminum tanks.

 

[CT-Rich]

While that may be, it's the way it is. Most shops I visit (four of them) none will fill pre-1990 aluminum tanks.

It's not like AL 80 tanks are a rare vintage find. They are common and cheap as dirt. The extra testing isn't worth the money or the trouble. Plenty of divers buy stuff new when they get certified, hardly use it and want to get it out the basement ten years later.

 

[Stoo]

It's not like AL 80 tanks are a rare vintage find. They are common and cheap as dirt. The extra testing isn't worth the money or the trouble. Plenty of divers buy stuff new when they get certified, hardly use it and want to get it out the basement ten years later.

Ya my understanding is the problem is with minor cracking in the threads. These can be picked up with an Eddy-current gizmo, but not the naked eye during a visual.

 

[CT-Rich]

Ya my understanding is the problem is with minor cracking in the threads. These can be picked up with an Eddy-current gizmo, but not the naked eye during a visual.

Why I would be interested in buying a used product with a known defect and the explosive force to dismantle a car is beyond me.

Weirdly, these are often the same people that go on about how important “life support” equipment is…