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Home: Inactive Forums: Underwater Video:
Advice on building floats

 
 


brownm
New User

Jan 31, 2006, 5:06 AM

Post #1 of 5 (3456 views)
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Advice on building floats Can't Post
My current setup is somewhat too negatively buoyant for my liking and so I would like to correct this by adding some floats. I don't know where to source incompressable foam so I was thinking of making them out of hollow plastic tube and then sealing the open ends somehow. Anyone got any experience of doing this? Details on such things like the materials used, thicknesses required, where they were sourced, how to make them watertight, etc would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Martin


bubblevision
Novice


Feb 2, 2006, 6:37 AM

Post #2 of 5 (3417 views)
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Re: [brownm] Advice on building floats [In reply to] Can't Post
Use 2" diameter 10-bar rated ABS or UPVC tubing from a plumber's merchants. Glue ends on with the appropriate solvent adhesive. Clean the tubing very well with fine glass paper before gluing.

If you're diving shallow you might be able to get away with lighter gauge tubing with screw-on ends sealed with O-rings. Again the parts can be got from plumbers merchants.

You can mount the finished tubes on your housing frame with stainless steel Jubilee (hose) clips.

Nick
_________________________________________
Bubble Vision underwater video & marine life DVD, Phuket, Thailand
Sony VX2000, Gates housing, L&M Sunray lights
Sony Vegas


realfish
Novice

Feb 2, 2006, 7:43 AM

Post #3 of 5 (3416 views)
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Re: [bubblevision] Advice on building floats [In reply to] Can't Post
WinkRemember to attach the floats ABOVE your housing. If attached under it, the whole assembly
will want to flip over upside down.

Art Nelson
an


divindino
New User

Feb 6, 2006, 11:38 AM

Post #4 of 5 (3345 views)
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Re: [bubblevision] Advice on building floats [In reply to] Can't Post
I am wondering if anyone has any method of determining the bouyancy of floats short of trial and error. In other words, is there a method or forumla to determine the length of 2" pipe need to achieve a certain degree of bouyancy? It would be a great help to all of us if anyone can give such a method.


mikeG
Novice

Feb 12, 2006, 4:26 PM

Post #5 of 5 (3146 views)
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Re: [divindino] Advice on building floats [In reply to] Can't Post
I think it works like this:

Calculate the exterior volume of your float. This is the volume of water you will displace. The weight of this amount of water (minus the weight of the float itself) is how much pos bouyancy the floats will give you.

Mike G.


(This post was edited by mikeG on Feb 12, 2006, 7:08 PM)