Vintage Double Hose

Rich "50,001 Questions" Beautiful 38cf Tank

- We owe it all to Sea Hunt Jerry... Back a few years ago I was repairing a Sportways valve and Jerry gave me a "junker" to get spare parts from. Well, I think I was able to fix the other valve without the Junker parts. Actually the Junker Sportsways valve had nothing wrong with it except someone in the past had damaged the seat for the burst disk. Anyway, the valve got set aside for a few years.
- So then a few years later Jerry gave me an ugly black surplus "38". I took it in for Hydrotesting and visual requalification... And it passed just fine. So I found a simple post valve and bushing and put it together... But never used it.
- Then I got into re-doing compressors and needed a tank to do test fills on. So I used this ugly black tank for test fills.
- Then one day I came across the Junker Sporstways valve and it occurred to me that I could fix the damaged seat in our machine shop at work. We did that and sure enough it turned out to be an excellent valve... Even the reserve works well. So, what could we put it on? The ugly black tank of course... And in doing so, I could check out the inside in case all of the testing had left moisture or oil inside.
- No Moisture or Oil... It is perfectly clean and dry inside. So, the former Junker valve got installed and the tank got filled. Ready for diving!
- So now Rich's birthday rolls around and we see that he does not have any 38s. He has 50,001 questions but he has no 38 cf tanks. We present him with this ugly black tank and it is so light, he thinks it is empty. He likes it... Starts thinking of back packs and harnesses... He's a professional painter and starts thinking this is a nice little tank and should not remain ugly... He paints it...
- And now it is a Beautiful 38cf tank!

That's real purty! Congrats to 50KQ+1 Rich!

Whas prep / process / type of paint did he use?

Beautiful, that is all I can say. Really turned out nice.

How are we going to dive it , what will be your harness setup ?

Rich set it up with a Dogbone back pack that's been modified to have a DGX 23 lb. wing BC. He uses that backpack alot but we dove the new 38 for the first time last night after work. I'm sorry I didn't get a picture... It looks pretty cool.

Looks nice, but the plastic turn -off knob dates it too late. Put a metal on on it.

You got me curious when did Sportways started using the plastic knobs. Well at least since 1967.
The 1965 catalog shows metal knobs. I don't have a 1966 catalog.

My personal history with that valve goes back too many years for me to remember everything that happened to it. Originally, Sea Hunt Jerry gave it to me for parts on another Sportways valve. Then it turned out I already had a newer Sportsways valve with the modern 3/4" tank thread... But the insides were identical. So, I used parts from THAT valve to finish whatever I was working on. Anyway, I took the modern plastic handle off that valve and put it on Jerry's old valve at some point. I know I attempted to put the old Jerry valve on tanks a couple of times because I forgot the burst disk port couldn't be sealed. Anyway, I pleased to find that the old Jerry valve (with repaired burst disk port) is a very good J-valve... Seals the tank perfectly and the J-Valve itself works almost like new.