bands

[greyface]

Can someone tell me how much denero it takes to get set up to tie yer own bands? Tubing, bones, crimps, & tools? LDS gets $15 a pop fer 22's!:eek:

[FredT]

Cable bones can be made up of the same stuff we use on the cable riding rigs we us on the LA oil rigs. Stops are less than $.20 each. The tool to set them is over $100, but we need that to build the riding rigs anyway. Heavy duty wishbones are available from JBL and others, although most of mine come from Mother Ocean via recovering broken bands others have discarded. Dacron and Kevlar bones are easy to produce with either a good high viscosity epoxy compound or crimp sleeves as the beads. A roll of Kevlar braid isn't cheap but it's not that bad at a good sailmaking shop. The same stuff can be used as shaft line if not hunting around wrecks and rigs.

I use 316 soft safety wire instead of hog rings. They are faster to install and my guns don't jave a "loading slot" so bands have to assembled on the gun. A double wrap twisted to lock and the short trimmed end embeded in the rubber towards the bone V works well.

Riffe rubber isn't cheap, but it's about the best around. Almost anything else can be purchased from Kent Rubber Co. They do have a pretty steep minimum order though (~$200 last time I checked). 6 boxes of power tube goes a long way even if it does freeze well.

FT

[Screen Name]

I'm amazed that FredT is the only person I have ever heard of that ties his bands with two loops of stainless wire, just like I do. I learned this trick from motocycle racing- they use this method for hose clamps! His description of it is precisely the way I do it.

Here's another tip:

http://www.mcmaster.com/

Just about any hardware including crimp tools, stainless aircraft wire, wire tie pliers, stainless screws for your boat in every conceivable configuration are at this hardware store. Pay by Visa and receive your stuff the next day via UPS.

And the rubber and wishbones I use are at:

http://www.slinginsteel.com/

Kevin is adverse to metal touching the rubber because it degrades it prematurely, he uses kevlar I think. I'm too lazy so I use the stainless wire deal.

John

[straight shaft]

Florida Freedivers in Clewiston carries three types of bands; The economic 5/8" diameter Black on Black ($1.65 ft.), the black on amber with a bit more modulus ($2.10 ft.) and Mean Green ($3.20 ft). I suggest black on amber for general use.
I make my wishbones out of 1000 lb. test Kevlar ($.75 ft) at B&G marine in Miami. I tie off with 200lb test Braided Dacron ($6.00) for 200yds. at Outdoor World in Dania Bch...you do the math!;)

[Reef Raider]

If you got a LDS that has S.S. stuff they can order every thing you need . Start up is I think $65.00 or so . the cost of 1 band should be like 6 to 7 bucks. I would never use a wish bone more than once . If the hook end slips though your hand when it breaks I hope you'll have your sewing kit with becouse you might need it.

[greyface]

Tanks fer all the input, fellas! I checked all the links, but couldn't find the crimping tool. Ideas? I don't quite understand the double wrap tie method Fred T & Screen Name use. I just can't shell out $15 for a band!:mad:

[FredT]

SST annealed tie wire is wrapped around the band so that when the free ends are twisted together terre are two complete wraps on the band just below the wishbone "knob' inside the rubber. The wire is pulled tight and twisted at the same time to form a lock, then the twisted end is trimmed to withing 3/4" of the band. This free end is sharp, so to protect fingers give the stub a 90° bend abd crimp it into the rubber to completely bury it.

Cable, sops, barrel crimps and crimping tools are available from Sava Cable.

http://www.savacable.com

FT

[ScottCarullo]

I would have never thought people make their own bands, I'm still wondering why, but then again I've tied my own flies and other hybrid rigs so I guess there is no difference.

I know people understand their gear a whole lot better when they have a part in making it, I think thats great!

One stupid question though... Grayface... What do you mean you can't shell out $15 bucks?? I can't eve believe I read that.

Here's what it takes for me to go diving for just one trip... not to mention the initial investment of all the gear in the $1000's!!

125lbs of ice - $10
2gal 2cycle oil - $20
100gal of fuel - $~130
3 tanks nitrox - $30
5lb box of squid - $7
3 sabiki rigs - $7
and a day of time to prepare everything - $~500

Add all that up not including my time (say, making bands) and you get a total of about $200 which is what it cost me to go fishing/diving every time. Whats $15??

Maybe I missed something :) Think about how much that fish costs at the market - that $15 is justified real quick.

Wow, our hobby's sure are expensive aren't they!!

Scott

[greyface]

Scott C. 1) I would never BUY fish.
2) It ain't the $, it's the idea. Kinda like paying $30 for
125 lbs. of ice...or $60 for 2 gal 2 cycle oil... or $~390
for 100 gal of fiel... or $90 for 3 tanks nitrox... or $21
for 5 lb box of squid... or $21 for 3 sabiki rigs.
Comprende'?
3) I enjoy hand loading firearm ammo...see the parallel?

[straight shaft]

When you have to dish out $90.00 for nitrox, freediving takes on a whole new meaning! Don't worry Scott, some of us still sling fish at 80+ feet.

[Nitroxshooter]

Greyface,
I can help you here I make all of my own bands. I get all of my supplies from Kevin. e-mail me of you need some pricing help, I have all the stuff needed to make about 50 bands either wishbone or my favorite cable style! Not trying to spam just help!

[FredT]

Originally posted by ScottCarullo
I would have never thought people make their own bands, I'm still wondering why,

My guns have no "loading slot" to install premade bands. Having a unit muzzle makes the gun stronger if it's heavily overbanded, and most rig guns ARE heavily overbanded.

Originally posted by ScottCarullo
125lbs of ice - $10
2gal 2cycle oil - $20
100gal of fuel - $~130
3 tanks nitrox - $30
Wow, our hobby's sure are expensive aren't they!!

Scott

I'll often freeze ice ahead of time but $10 for 125 is not a bad price. Nitrox around here is under $7 a bottle if I don't end up rolling my own. If the delta for nitrox is more than about $3 a bottle it's time to look into a set of Ts of O2 and a whip. We use 'custom' blends ranging from 26% to 40% for normal diving. It's often easier to prefill with O2 for the desired end mix at home and have the shop top off with clean air than is is to explain to the shop tank monkey what we want and expect to get!. Rolling our own fills brings the heartburn level way down if I'm not willing to settle for "whatever is in the bank".

BTW You're way light on fuel and oil for our offshore rig runs! One boat we take will burn about 190 gallons for the day, the other with large twins will burn a bit over 230 gallons. Expected results from a trip are 100 pound of assorted fillet or more per diver. We did better before this NMF "land them intact" garbage started since we didn't have to waste cooler space on carcasses.

FT