Oops.  I responded to Mike's message on the same topic.  Please see that
response.  If it's not comprehensive enough, ask again.

Lee

----- Original Message -----
From: "john" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2003 10:37 AM
Subject: Re: [SCUBA-SE] Aluminuminum


> Hi Lee,
> Interesting post.
>
> I'm not sure what your relationship to Catalina might be. The original
post
> did state:
>
> > Of the millions of
> > such cylinders manufactured, there was not a very large percentage,
> > well less than 1%) that developed such cracks, but it was enough to
> > cause aluminum cylinder manufacturers to stop using this alloy.
> > Luxfer, Walter Kiddie, and Norris Industries, among others used this
> > alloy (Catalina has never used it).
>
> Are you saying that Catalina is the honest tank manufacturer?
>
> I truly know nothing when comes to tank preferences outside of size,
> pressure and what valve that I need for my reg. Is the type of aluminum
used
> included in the stamp?
>
> John
>
>
>
> On 9/10/03 9:00 PM, "Automatic digest processor" <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
> > Date:    Wed, 10 Sep 2003 12:11:21 -0400
> > From:    Lee B ell <[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: Aluminuminum
> >
> > It might not have been covered here, but it's been covered pretty much
every
> > place else.  Regardless, it's worth covering again.  Here's some
additional
> > information:
> >
> > 1. Catalina has never used 6351 alloy.
> > 2. The machine that was first developed to test for sustained load
cracking
> > was developed by Luxfer and sold, along with training, to the dive shops
who
> > would do the testing.  The machine is quite expensive and we, the
consumers
> > are paying for it.  So, Luxfer put out inferior tanks and rather than
simply
> > recalling them, invented a machine that they sold for a lot of money,
which
> > would test their inferior tanks for cracks that had already been blamed
for
> > a couple of tank explosions that costs lives and or limbs.
> > 3. Luxfer bought out Walter Kidde and, at least for a while, was
handling
> > warranty claims for their products as well as their own.
> > 4. Catalina has never used 6351 alloy.
> >
> > Lee Bell
>