modified Rennaker butt plate

Does anybody know of a reliable machine shop that can make a ¼”, stainless steel U bolts 2-3” longer than the standard U bolts that come with the standard Rennaker plate? I tried unsuccessfully to use the only shop in town that deals with stainless steel. If you want to know why I need them longer, read on.
I am 5’4” tall weighing 150 pounds; I have relatively long legs (for my height), small behind and very large chest. I use the DR sidemount harness with the Trek wing. I have tried the soft DR butt plate and I have tried no-plate but didn’t have much success with neither. I am very comfortable with the Rennaker plate (which keeps the tanks away from my hips) but, in order to have the Rennaker plate situated against my butt and not against my legs, I have to place it behind the harness and behind the wing instead of the common arrangement where it is below the harness and below the wing. (This is because this equipment is designed for considerably taller individuals or for those with shorter legs.) While diving, I am very comfortable with that arrangement. However, because the plate is situated farther away from the body than in the standard arrangement, it is quite difficult to reach so far back and attach the tanks to the harness (unless your arms are as long as a monkey’s arms and/or you practice yoga everyday, which I should but I don’t). Longer U bolts, which I intend to bend, will allow me to have the edge of the U bolt at the same position and level that most sidemounters have them. Rennaker says that, whoever makes the plate for him, cannot provide longer bolts. I tried Highland but they are only interested in manufacturing large quantities. I considered doing it myself from brass instead of stainless but it seems to me that the longer brass U bolts will be too weak.

[ARY]

Hi Doron, why don't you just clip tanks on your harness belt. Welded 90 deg D-rings? It seems to be closer to reach by hands. Otherwise i would think of non-ellastic band with 45 deg welded D-rings at the left and right ends. Make a brass grommet in the middle or two grommets apart from the middle. Connect it by chain links or otherwise. Adjust the length between connection points and D-rings at the ends moving 45 deg D-rings. Just a thought, don't know if it really will work that way.

Are you diving this weekend?

[mpoucher]

Have you tried a hardware store for stainless u-bolts? I bought some for my sidemount and had to cut quite a bit off and you would probably have a lot of the threaded portion exposed.

[johnm]

here is a supplier I use for all my stainless hardware, some is a pricy but top quality.

http://www.bosunsupplies.com/default.cfm