What is your favorite of all time regulator?

[Bigbella]

You mean like this?
First Stage Vise Handle

That -- sometimes variants of those; or bench-mounted contrivances like those below . . .

 

[Nemrod]

You mean like this?
First Stage Vise Handle

I have a tool similar to that. I am not the one in need of tools, I was responding to another question. I am pretty good at making things.

Last night I had arranged with a local dive store to use their pool so I could get my new Nauticam camera system wet and do some lens testing. I decided to go full vintage and use my 1958 USD Mistral, a steel 72 and the USD Dive Pac and period mask and fins. The Mistral has all the good stuff in it and on it including a DBE and silicone diaphragm, hoses and mouthpiece with silicone cage valves. It was quite the hit. And as the tank pressure dropped into the sweet spot for the old fella, it was just so smooth and the reassuring whoosh of air I get with the single stage Mistral is music. I had not had it in the water in several years. Can I change my mind, the Mistral is my favorite now, lol!

James

 

[rob.mwpropane]

That -- sometimes multiples of those; or bench-mounted contrivances like those below . . .

I'm a novice just starting out servicing, but I can't see how there's any benefit to building a box or milling something for the reg? Am I missing something? Was that maybe an older tried and true way of doing things.

Here's the tool I bought for $20 from DGX....I can't see needing anything else. Someone teach me something I don't know (serious).
First Stage Body Holding Tool | Dive Gear Express®

Here's pictures from class, I was able to torque everything while mounted to the vice in one way or another. I haven't found a use for the silver bar that's attached. That might come off at some point as it gets in the way more than anything.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I have a tool similar to that. I am not the one in need of tools, I was responding to another question. I am pretty good at making things.

James

Understood. We were posting at the same time....(or maybe I take too long to post).

 

[MichaelMc]

It, and a shoe to hold it to the wall/floor, was a workaround to not having a vice. Of course, just getting the vice would be far cheaper than the torque wrench I'd already gotten, so....

It did seem neat, and a way to avoid subjecting the HP ports to being the backstop for the torque needed for the DIN connector. But maybe that isn't a concern. (Box picture here: Beginner Regulator Maintenance)

Sorry for the diversion. Though any comments from our reg experts are welcome, now that we're here.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

It, and a shoe to hold it to the wall/floor, was a workaround to not having a vice. Of course, just getting the vice would be far cheaper than the torque wrench I'd already gotten, so....

It did seem neat, and a way to avoid subjecting the LP/HP ports to being the backstop for the torque needed for the DIN connector. But maybe that isn't a concern.

Sorry for the diversion. Though, now that we're here, any comments from our reg experts are welcome.

I'm not an expert, but in the manual for my regs it calls for 230 inch lbs torque. That's only a little over 19 ft lbs. That's not a lot at all, the threads aren't really seeing any abuse. I never had anything slip or feel like it was being stressed even a little bit, but I do a lot of mechanics and I have a pretty good feel for all that. Someone else might have something else to say.

Not really a bad diversion if we're all learning something!

 

[Andrew Dawson]

For my $0.02....

Scubapro MK20/MK25 first stage. My first "real" reg was an MK25/S555...that MK25 morphed into two MK25s, an S600, and an R395. This set became a tec set that took me to over 180 several times on to a max of 202fsw. They breathed the same as far as I could tell at any of those depths.

Scubapro S600/G250 second stage. These I have serviced and dove...and love how easy they are and easy to tune.

My current reg setup is a sidemount setup of MK20s [with current MK25 EVO "guts"] and S600s [Gen 1 and Gen2]. I am hoping to convert both to Gen 2 soon.

This setup will handle all I ever want to do...I will not be ice diving...and after over 600 dives in Puget Sound [min of 40F water] and about 30 dives in Lake Washington [min 40F freshwater] without any icing issues that I have experienced or noticed. Although, this is as far as I will push this reg setup.

As far as the Scubapro tools go, there are really only a few you "need" to service...even so...they only make life much easier, but not absolutely totally necessary, IMHO.

 

[Bigbella]

I'm a novice just starting out servicing, but I can't see how there's any benefit to building a box or milling something for the reg? Am I missing something? Was that maybe an older tried and true way of doing things.

Here's the tool I bought for $20 from DGX....I can't see needing anything else. Someone teach me something I don't know (serious).
First Stage Body Holding Tool | Dive Gear Express®
.

The only issue I have with that style of tool, is that the threaded elements are typically made from steel and are far harder than the brass of most first stages. They have to be used very carefully, to avoid damages to either LP or HP threads -- whichever ports happen to be used. I have seen regulators absolutely trashed from their misuse. A couple of years back, an entire valve housing had to be replaced, do to that very issue, from a seriously botched use of holding tools.

Often, two of the holders are used, simultaneously, to stabilize a valve, to avoid over-stressing the threads . . .

 

[rob.mwpropane]

The only issue with that style of tool, is that the threaded elements are typically made from steel and are far harder than the brass of most first stages. They have to be used very carefully, to avoid damages to either LP or HP threads -- whichever happen to be used. I have seen regulators absolutely trashed from their misuse, over the years. A couple of years back, an entire valve housing had to be replaced because of that very issue, from a botched repair.

Often, two of the holding tools are used to stabilize a valve, to avoid over-stressing the threads . . .

Because someone torqued to much or cross threaded? I get that brass is softer than steel. When using I made sure the threads were in all the way before doing anything to give it the most support.

 

[Bigbella]

Because someone torqued to much or cross threaded? I get that brass is softer than steel. When using I made sure the threads were in all the way before doing anything to give it the most support.

Possibly, both. For the most part, I see regulators that are heavily over-torqued. Most settings that I use, are only in the 30nm range (about 22 foot pounds), if not less.

When I do use those holding tools -- typically, only in the field -- I will carefully use two of them, in adjacent ports, in a triangular fashion, clamped in a vise, to distribute any potential stress . . .