Hi, I just went to the metal safety class today and had a blast. Who knew safety could be so fun? Shout out to JD! Excellent class
I was wondering if there’s any technical or cave divers on here. I am taking a welding class to see if I can create hardware for my sidemount rebreather set up. I’m also interested in other methods of making custom metal pieces for the harness. I know a guy in the UK who makes his own CCR and metal pieces. He sometimes sells extras he makes, which is how I know him and got some pieces from him but they weren’t exactly right because I’m quite short
I also saw an electronics class and im always crimping and dealing with the hardwired cable for my shearwater.
Anyway, seems like Asmbly has a lot of useful stuff for diving and was hoping to meet others to exchange ideas and learn from.
Welcome! I am not a scuba diver, but it’s interesting hearing the different things makers get up to Thanks for sharing! Even if you don’t find another diver, I’m sure you’ll be able to draw upon other makers experience for your projects.
Hi! I’m a diver, and a welder, but not a tech diver.
Which welding class are you taking? For gear that will be exposed to salt water, you might want to focus on TIG welding so that you can tackle Aluminum or Stainless Steel.
Hi fellow diver!! thanks for the info! unfortunately, the TIG course tomorrow was full so I’m taking the MIG course. The diving hardware would need to be stainless steel (aluminum wouldn’t be suitable to support tanks and other equipment) but maybe I will be able to attend the next TIG course!
At the end of the day, a lot of the skills of welding are transferable across processes, and MIG is probably the easiest to get started with. Once you get the hang of manipulating the puddle, you can apply that skill directly to TIG, so it’s not a bad idea to start with MIG.
Asmbly doesn’t set up our MIG welders for stainless. You’d need a different wire and a different shielding gas, at least. If you were serious about it, you’d probably also replace some of the other parts to avoid cross contamination.
Good to know! I also wanted to take a welding course for fun so I think the MIG one will be fun anyway I’ll take the TIG one the next time it’s available.
There’s a guy in the UK who makes his own custom hardware and I like his stuff but it’s not made for petite, thinner people so the physics are still wrong. I wanted to also try making my own but I’m not totally sure what equipment he uses.
Discourse isn’t letting me attach photos I was hoping someone might be able to tell me what I need to learn in order to make hardware for myself
I would recommend anyone learn MIG before moving on to TIG. Also, we are working to bring our laser welder online. It is supposed to work well on stainless steel. Look for a class announcement in a couple of weeks.
Jin, I am an open circuit side mount cave diver. My dive buddy is very short by cave dive standards so l understand the difficulty of fitting tech gear. The tech diving consumer base is so small there is not much choice (probably even more so with ccr). I have approximately zero experience in the metal shop but I can provide some ideas for other projects.
I have been exploring making custom cave cookies and line arrows in the laser room. Delrin is laser-able so it should be straightforward. My goal is the standard circle with a custom notch pattern around the edge for feel recognition. Engraved with my nickname, obviously.
Delrin is also machinable on the metal lathe and mill. I have an idea for a light handle that fits my hand better. Spools would also be easy, but it’s hard to justify the raw material cost for a custom spool when they are already so cheap.
There is a heavy duty sewing machine in the textiles room for leather. it could also be used for webbing to make custom harnesses.
Nice to meet you!! I have my REMs 3D printed – they aren’t as flexible so sometimes break but I had them customized. You don’t see metal REMs, cookies or markers though. Are you planning on using the laser cutter for metal markers?
We use plastic in white or fluorescent colors so it is visible in low visibility. Metal probably wouldn’t be appropriate because it wouldn’t have this property. Being in small cave in low viz, you will want a white visible plastic marker for safety reasons. All I dive is small cave and being able to see it catch your cave light is a huge deal.
Even in big cave, especially if you DPV, you’ll want to see your line marker from a distance. This is why all system markers are bright colors in plastic like white, bright orange, bright red or fluorescent yellow. If you take an unmarked jump, your marker will be the only one so you’ll want it visible. Stay safe
Oh, I see you mention derlin. I thought you meant metal after you mentioned metal shop. My bad. My CCR is made out of derlin. Maybe I can make pieces like loop holders with it. As long as the derlin is a light color, it should be OK.
The webbing for technical sidemount harnesses aren’t usually sewn. Many are just one continuous piece like the razor or individual pieces like the XDeep that are then laced through hardware. What I need is custom hardware like sliding D rings that are thinner so there isnt much space between the blotsnap and my belt buckle. Because I am thin and short, I push my D rings straight to the front and the tank still crickets simply because of physics. I also need square D rings for shorter people in the back.
I assume you haven’t taken the vertical mill class. It could potentially give you the ability to modify the part you have. Do you have a pic or link the product?
I would need to make a whole new part. I don’t need to modify anything. I wish it would let me upload photos. A guy makes custom pieces and I would need to do something similar. Modification won’t be sufficient and many of these pieces can’t be modified into what I need. If you have Facebook, you can go to Sump UK. He has the pieces he makes for sale available there. Many of the pieces need to be smaller or the place where you clip your tank needs to be shorter or narrower.
Althoygh a custom spool would be cool. They are only a few hundred bucks but honestly, the handle part is too wide for my small hands that when I make a fist around it, it hits the bones in the inside of my hand and bruises them and then twists inside my hand. Because I have my Goodman handle also on my left hand, when I use the primary, it twists inside my hand and bruises the skin near my bones and it causes my Goodman handle to also twist and then bruises the top part of my hand …
Maybe it would be worth it for me to make a custom Goodman handle and a custom primary at least a custom Goodman handle since you use that throughout the dive…good idea
Is this what your talking about? Redesigning this part to move the D ring closer to the harness.
If so, This seems like a great option for the metal cutting fiber laser.
Hi! that’s similar to the pieces he makes but that’s not the piece I would need. I would need to design a different piece for my sliding D rings for the D ring to be closer to the belt buckle after you account for the length of the bolt snap. Maybe even something that would allow me to cross clip the sidemount tanks.His sliding D rings don’t slide back against the force of the aluminum tank pulling upwards and he did some clever engineering for that. All other sliding D rings slide backwards when pushed to the front of the belt buckle. It’s a common problem I’ve heard thinner petite women divers have encountered.
I also need to make some square D rings that are lower than the wing in the back because my waist band is higher than taller people, the waist band and drop D rings and under the wing and hard to clip stages to. I’ve tried all the premade longer drop d rings and they aren’t quite what I need.
I’m not sure what machinery he uses to make those but I would need something similar for pieces fit for me and other shorter petite divers I will keep an eye out for the fiber cutting class.
There are some pieces I need to weld so I’m signed up for a welding class though seems like I need the TIG one.
The metal cutting fiber laser could cut it. The vertical mill and Tormach could make this part. The vertical is mill is great for prototyping and Tormach is great for repeatability. I’m also unsure of that exact part that you are speaking of because I’m ignorant about dive gear.
Awesome! Ok, so it sounds like I need to take the vertical mill class to make prototypes. I guess if other petite divers want similar gear I could take the Tormach class. Thank you for the advice!! I didn’t know where to start. This has been very helpful!!
Thanks for sharing! Even if you don’t find another diver, I’m sure you’ll be able to draw upon other makers experience for your projects.
I’ll take the TIG one the next time it’s available.
I’ll keep an eye out for the class announcement!
at least a custom Goodman handle since you use that throughout the dive…good idea 
