Functional SCUBA Low Pressure Demand Regulator v3.6

thingiverse

This text appears to be a design note from an engineer who has created a DIY SCUBA regulator using a 3D printer and various parts from other sources, such as bicycle innertubes and a soft drink bottle. The author describes the modifications they made to the original design, including adding a stop block to prevent the valve activator arm from bending or breaking, replacing the plastic valve pusher nub with a machine screw, and neutralizing the buoyancy of the air tank using a sledgehammer. The text also includes some warnings and caveats about the use of this DIY regulator. The author notes that it is not designed or tested for use at depth and that they do not recommend its use for human diving purposes. They also mention that even with proposed upgrades, the regulator is still not suitable for diving and should only be used as a demonstrator model. The text includes some interesting ideas for further development of the design, such as using a CO2 tank from a soda fountain and filling it with a scavenged refrigerator pump, or modifying a smaller seltzer maker CO2 bottle to add a first stage regulator, on/off valve, gauge, and fill port. However, these ideas are left as daydreaming/sketch notes and do not appear to be actively pursued. Overall, this text provides an interesting glimpse into the design process of a DIY SCUBA regulator and the challenges and limitations that come with creating such a device using 3D printing and other non-traditional materials.