Two questions? What are considered "Old Steelies" and LP45's instead of AL40's for deco?

[CuzzA]

Pretty much what the title says... I recently saw a poor listing that simply said, "Old Steelie tanks" for sale with a picture of a couple small steel tanks that I couldn't identify based on the pics.

Any why not LP45's instead of AL40's for deco? Seems they would be a better option for O2 fills and have close to the same specs, except the 45's hold more gas.

Perhaps a pic would help. The seller stated the service pressure is 2000 psi and he thinks the capacity is 70 cuft.???? They look smaller than 72's to me.

 

[tbone1004]

argument against 45's or any steel tanks are the buoyancy characteristics. the steels, all of them, have less than ideal buoyancy characteristics that cause you to list

 

[RyanT]

Buoyancy indeed, I can easily sling a single 40 cf bottle on my left side and never notice it. Aside from the buoyancy characteristics, cost may be another factor. At least when buying new, AL tanks can be purchased for about $100 cheaper than a 50 cf steel.

 

[scubadada]

Wow, a couple of J valves, brings back memories

 

[Texas Torpedo]

Argument for steel.. It is harder to burn / melt..
Ask me how I know...

They are a little heavier but if you are only hauling it a short way into the cave before dropping it, it's no big deal.. If you are wreck diving and are carrying your deco gas with you, I could see how it would become less than ideal..

 

[CuzzA]

Ask me how I know...

Ok, what were you trying to accomplish there?

 

[Texas Torpedo]

Ok, what were you trying to accomplish there?

67 percent burn coverage, of course..
Trust me... It was not planned or appreciated...

 

[CuzzA]

67 percent burn coverage, of course..
Trust me... It was not planned or appreciated...

Damn. I was hoping to hear that was some experiment. Was this some sort of failure? O2 related?

 

[Texas Torpedo]

Damn. I was hoping to hear that was some experiment. Was this some sort of failure? O2 related?

Yeah, I wish it had been a controlled experiment.. That might have been cool to watch from afar, rather than standing next to a bomb.
I'm working on a detailed article covering what took place that I'll be posting here soon. Yes, very much 02 related..
Bottom line is this.. 02 clean your tanks & valves on a regular basis, depending on how often you dive...
And never 'trust' anyone else to do the job for you unless you are certain they know what they are doing..

 

[CuzzA]

Holy ****! Well I'm glad you survived this ordeal. So the tank melted or exploded... I wonder what would have happened if it was aluminum.

This definitely is a story that needs to be shared.

Edit: Hmm, that looks like an aluminum tank.