KT Frame Buildup

Kent Tooling Frame Build-up and Impressions
By John Katerenchuk


After much research I decided to purchase the Kent Tooling frame for my Inspiration Classic. I now have about 25 dives with the frame and thought it might be useful to post some pictures of how the frame is put together and setup with my Inspiration.

There are many good aftermarket frames available for the Inspiration. Each one has advantages and disadvantages. I do a significant amount of travel particularly to Asia but also when not traveling I dive off the NC and NJ coast. So I wanted a frame that could be broken down and easily packed into a carry on bag and was also robust enough to stand up to everyday use.

This is a picture of all the frame parts stacked for easy packing in a carry on bag.


This is a picture of all the frame parts laid out and separated.


The first step is to screw the base support rods into the base. It’s important to make sure you have them oriented properly to allow the unit to stand up on its own once complete.


Next the scrubber base plate is pushed down over the threaded portion of the rods so that it sits in the top ledge were the treading ends. Be sure to orient the base so that the first stages and hose cutouts are closest to your back.


And the side view. The scrubber base plate is secured to the rods with a few washers and nuts.


The back plate is now attached to the scrubber base with three bolts, lock washers and nuts.


The sides can now be attached to the back plate and the scrubber base. Be careful with the center bolt head and the location of your cylinder so that the bolt head does not rub the finish off your tank and expose the bare metal.


Here it is with both sides attached. Do not tighten the bolts fully until the back plate has been attached so that things get properly aligned.


The back plate is secured by a combination of a metal piece that slides over the lip of the scrubber base and two spring loaded clips that slide into holes on the top corner of the sides. Here is a picture of the back plate showing the metal piece on the bottom and the spring clips on the top.


Here is a picture of the spring clips engaged into the side plate.


Notice also the metal tabs along the side of the back plate which keep the side plates secured. This system works very well to keep the back protected. It is quite easy to remove for access to the scrubber but provides a secure connection and rigidity to the frame. It is not secure enough to serve as a handle to lift the full weight of the unit. Here are pictures from all sides.


It takes about 10 mins to assemble the frame. Now we need to attach the Inspiration parts.

First the straps to hold the scrubber and tanks are threaded. There are several different methods to secure tanks to the frame and holes are provided on the side plates to assist.


The gas distribution block and all dil/O2 hose can be attached.


Now the unit can be place flat and the wing, harness and BP can be installed. The back plate has several holes to allow for custom installation. I have used the unit with a BP and with just the soft back harness.


Now we can install the scrubber and breathing loop.


Finally all hoses can be properly secured and the tanks attached. Here are some pictures of the finished assembly.


Now for some of my impressions comparing the Kent Tooling frame to the standard yellow plastic box. I should first qualify that I had about 20 dives on the standard yellow case before changing to the Kent Tooling frame. I now have about 25 dives on the Kent Tooling frame. So I am not an expert by any definition.


Good Points with the Frame

• Well constructed SS and provides a very secure frame for everyday use.
• Can be easily packed into a small volume for ease of traveling.
• Easy and not time consuming to assemble.
• Can drop about 6 lbs of weight while diving.
• Ability to customize tank sizes, number and mounting methods.
• Easy to access scrubber to change sorb or maintenance.
• Good visibility during initial bubble check.
• Flexibility to easily attach a variety of harnesses, wings and BP’s.
• Allows the unit to stand on its own with fear of falling.
• Raises the unit to provide easier gearing up.
• Additional room in the scrubber compartment for a light battery pack.
• Room to mount additional tanks, battery canister on the side of the frame.

Items to be Aware About

• Scrubber plate screw heads can contact side of tanks and expose bare metal with use.
• This frame is quite heavy for the small volume it takes up when in a carry-on bag.
• Trim weight or adjustment of the harness may be necessary to balance the unit.
• The weight of the frame may be a significant factor in some gear configurations and dive situations.
• There is no easy way for the unit to be lifted easily up into a boat. (Glad to see a new bolt on handle is now available)
• If you are in the USA and you purchase this frame the shipping cost from the UK is very high. (about $140)

I have also attached some pictures below of the packing of my carry on bag for a recent trip to Florida. I was able to pack the entire Inspiration into this bag except the wing and counter lungs (I did not use the BP for this trip). The bag weighed almost 50 lbs which was about 10 lbs over weight but the size was within regulations.


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