Walter Kidde 38's

[scubasteve59]

Anyone familiar with Walter Kidde 38's (converted O2 tanks) with bushings and dimple bottoms....are they worth collecting or restoring? I once had a set of round bottom WK's but sold them many years ago and now recently found these. They have been out of hydro since 1984 and I have not looked inside them. They are 1800 psi. but getting fills poses no problem as I have a compressor. My interest is retro twins/singles and plan to send off for hydro if I get them. Are they worth the effort?

wk38.jpg

Any input appreciated.

[SurfLung]

With those dimpled bottoms, I wonder if they weren't formerly CO2 fire exteninguisher tanks? I have a little 18cf tank we made from a CO2 cylinder and it has the same dimpled bottom... And also made by WK.

[easydiver1]

WK made 38's with round bottoms and 1/2" pipe thread valves. These tanks came with very very early Scott paks. I recently found a pair of these 38's. They are dated 1947 and have never been hydroed.I now have all the parts to build a set of Sea Hunt doubles. I was beginning to think that these tanks with 1/2" pipe threads and round bottoms did not exist because I had looked for them for years and never even saw or heard of any. Mike Nelson used them so they must be out there someplace. They are, just very hard to find. Does anyone else have or seen any?

[antique diver]

Anyone familiar with Walter Kidde 38's (converted O2 tanks) with bushings and dimple bottoms....are they worth collecting or restoring? I once had a set of round bottom WK's but sold them many years ago and now recently found these. They have been out of hydro since 1984 and I have not looked inside them. They are 1800 psi. but getting fills poses no problem as I have a compressor. My interest is retro twins/singles and plan to send off for hydro if I get them. Are they worth the effort?

wk38.jpg

Any input appreciated.

I also think that they may have originally been CO2 fire extinguishers, but those bottoms make for great diving tanks since they stand up without the pesky and sometimes damaging boots.
I have a couple of "elephant foot" 72's and a couple more that are probably about 50's, being a little longer than the 38's. I like diving with them.

Of course the first thing is to get a good look inside and all over for corrosion problems & if they look good go for it.