Air System status. Trying not to Hijack a thread...

[dbhost]

Okay here goes nothing...

I have gotten ALL of the seeps, leaks, and other fusses out of my air system. It took throwing out 2 Harbor Freight quick couplers. They were both quite old, and have never been right since day one. I should have taken them back but I didn't... I now have a few extra plugs, but all the quick couplers are in use. I populated a brass tee I had in my toolbox from years ago with 3 of them, and hoses, etc...

I opted for another Polyurethane hose. This time a cheapie from Harbor Freight. So far so good, except it wants to stay coiled which is gonna tick me off. All it needs to do though is connect the compressor to the filter. The filter / regulator was treated to a simple chunk of pine screwed to the mount to create a hook allowing me to hang the filter from my ladder, allowing me to use the larger filter and better regulator in a portable manner. Not so good for use in the shop, but great for painting the living room...

I will continue to use my Hitachi hose from the filter to the tool..

My air system is pretty close to where I want it, okay lacking the compressor of my dreams, but honestly the compressor 'o my dreams probably doesn't exist... Big air flow, at least bigger than what I have now. Say a minimum of 12 SCFM @ 90 PSI, 30 gallon minimum tank, affordable, and fits under the stand that my current 8 gallon model fits under...

[cabinetman]

All it needs to do though is connect the compressor to the filter. The filter / regulator was treated to a simple chunk of pine screwed to the mount to create a hook allowing me to hang the filter from my ladder, allowing me to use the larger filter and better regulator in a portable manner. Not so good for use in the shop, but great for painting the living room...

I thought you had that worked out with the bulb filter and small regulator on the gun.

My air system is pretty close to where I want it, okay lacking the compressor of my dreams, but honestly the compressor 'o my dreams probably doesn't exist... Big air flow, at least bigger than what I have now. Say a minimum of 12 SCFM @ 90 PSI, 30 gallon minimum tank, affordable, and fits under the stand that my current 8 gallon model fits under...

There are many low (like horizontal) compressors with large capacities that might fit. What dimensions do you have to work with?

.

[dbhost]

I thought you had that worked out with the bulb filter and small regulator on the gun.



There are many low (like horizontal) compressors with large capacities that might fit. What dimensions do you have to work with?

.

I didn't have a small regulator already... It was quicker, and easier just to rig the big regulator up that I already had...

My shelf has about 25.5" clearance from the floor... and I can come out 4 to 5 feet in one direction.

I need to verify the height availability. I don't really care if it is a squeeze to get it in there... As long as there is plenty of air flow around it... I see the Ingersoll Rand Garage Mate SS3F2GM looks pretty decent, but it's pretty spendy for a 30 gallon compressor...

[cwsmith]

That is "pretty spendy" compared to many other units out there. If you don't mind my asking, are there any particular reasons why you picked I-R over the many others?

(I worked at I-R Painted Post from 1973 to 1986 at which time I-R separated. I stayed at Painted Post until 2003, transferring to the new "Dresser-Rand", which was thier joint-venture company.

From 1966 to 1973, I was the subcontract illustrator for most all T-30 and stationary air products equipment manufactured at Painted Post and later was the writer/illustrator for all technical publications in support of T-30 (Campbellsville, KY) and Air Compressor Products (Painted Post, NY and Davidson, NC) up until they moved out of Painted Post.

So, just curious I guess.

CWS

[cabinetman]

I didn't have a small regulator already... It was quicker, and easier just to rig the big regulator up that I already had...

My shelf has about 25.5" clearance from the floor... and I can come out 4 to 5 feet in one direction.

I need to verify the height availability. I don't really care if it is a squeeze to get it in there... As long as there is plenty of air flow around it... I see the Ingersoll Rand Garage Mate SS3F2GM looks pretty decent, but it's pretty spendy for a 30 gallon compressor...

If you look at IR or Quincy (for example) they will be up there in price. For what you are looking at (2hp...20-30 gal), will likely be 110V possibly dual voltage...220/230. Going to a greater HP, it will likely be 220V/230V only. For that size compressor the range seems to be between 4. 5-6.5 CFM @90PSI/40PSI.

.

[dbhost]

36" x 48" x 29" high.

This would be easier without the separator.

[dbhost]

Okay dumb question... My big problem really is the 8 gal tank runs low faster than I like... Is there a way like adding a bigger tank I can expand this?

[LCHIEN]

Sure you just need to plumb a pipe between the tanks. The easiest way is probably to locate the Pipe from the compressor pistons to the tank and Tee into that pipe by replacing it with two short nipples and a "T". Also Teed into the same pipe you will probably find the Tank gauge & the pressure regulator. A short hose can be used from the Tee to the new tank. There will be some air flow between the tanks of course, depending on how variable the CFMs are. So don't be too skimpy on the hose. Probably best to locate the short nipples between the big tank and the regulator and the hose to the smaller tank.


Look for a 8, 10, or 26 or 30 gallon Air compressor with a burned out motor to get a cheap or free tank. Remove the compressor and motor and regulator parts until you just have a tank with a port on top and a drain port at the bpttom. You can also use those tanks they sell at HF like this 11-gal tank for $35
http://www.harborfreight.com/11-gall...ank-65595.html
(hint - search "portable air tank")

You will pay a penalty - when you turn the compressor on with 2 8-gal tanks instead of one, it will take twice as long to come up to full pressure. With a 26 gallon auxiliary tank, it till take 4- to 5 times as long to get that sucker up to full.

Another way of using an auxiliary tank is not as good but easier to do. Just take a tank, put a T on its fitting and put a QD female and a male stud on the Tee, Now hook a spare hose (short might be better here) between the complete compressor and the tank. THen hook our normal hose and tool to the female QD on the aux tank. This arrangement is easily taken off and requires no disassembly of your compressor, but the aux tank will be at the regulate pressure, not the tank pressure so there will not be as much energy stored. Also when you change the regulator you will bleed some pressure off or charge some pressure to the aux tank. The total regulation of pressure will be much less but whether that is bad depends on your usage of the air.

IN the end you'll have a system that has no more continuous CFMs than you had before. Just the ability to get a few more peak CFMs if you let your compressor cycle longer and use it more intermittently.

[cabinetman]

Okay dumb question... My big problem really is the 8 gal tank runs low faster than I like... Is there a way like adding a bigger tank I can expand this?

I've posted this previously...

The size of the tank or tanks is inconsequential to the CFM of the compressor. Air from a compressor can be compared to water in a hose. The CFM of a compressor is like how much water can flow through the hose. The PSI of a compressor is how fast the water comes out of the hose.

In understanding CFM's, a tank need not be part of the discussion. The CFM's are what air volume the compressor can put out. Lets assume for a moment you got a compressor with no tank. Then you hooked up an airline and operated an air tool of some sorts. And along with this scenario, lets say that the air tool to run at max requires 5CFM, and the compressor output is 5CFM. Well, what would happen is that the tool will be supported, and the compressor will run continuously.

Adding a tank permits a storage of air to run the tool when the compressor has built up the pressure beyond the demand (CFM's of the tool). The regulator deals out the air (PSI's). When the supply of air in the tank gets to the "kick on" (pressure switch), the compressor will then again start and this little story begins again.

While the tank is being refilled, the compressor has to fill the tank, and support the tool at the same time. So, if the CFM requirement is higher than the output of the compressor, the tank will deplete, and the compressor will run continuously because it can't catch up.

What happens then? Well, you will get hot air being pumped out because the compressor is constantly running and doesn't get a coffee break. The air tool will lack in performance due to lower air pressure, and in the end you have a bad day.

What can save your day is to stop periodically if the compressor remains running, and let it catch up. At least it will have a short break, and have a chance to cool off. Of course, as it always happens, you find yourself having to stop right in the middle of a beautiful finish.

As for joining two compressors, I wouldn't do it. You would likely run into the overlap of the smaller on reaching peak and shutting off, and the larger one not starting. It's likely that two supporting compressors can supply a greater SCFM than each of the two. I would suggest a single compressor and tank with sufficient output for the tool(s). Tank size and compressor are pretty well matched for the output.

.

[dbhost]

Perhaps my expectations are being a bit unrealistic for a small compressor. I'm not talking a tiny 2 or 3 gallon pancake job which I actually expect to run almost constantly in use...

As you may know, my first career was in auto repair, which of course used compressed air extensively in the shop. Now the shops I was in were busy, multi bay arrangements with typically 6 to 8 mechanics working full time. And we would typically hear the compressor kick on 2 to 3 times per hour. Now the compressors we were using were typically large, 80 to 120 gallon units with heaven only knows how powerful of a motor to drive the compressor pump.

I don't expect to run multiple tools off of a cheap little Harbor Freight air compressor, and at least so far, I have been getting good results with it. And due to its size I do expect to have it run more frequently than the big commercial compressors I am used to dealing with. But what I was not expecting was how often the compressor kicks on. I have never been left with a tank at full pressure not being able to drive whatever tool I have thrown at it, but some tools drain that tank MUCH faster than others. Die Grinder etc... srping to mind...

I am finding with my spray gun, which is a conventional type, not an HVLP, that my air usage, while not nothing, is actually quite reasonable. I did try one of those purple HF HVLP guns, it WILL make it spray, and do a reasonable pattern, but it makes the compressor kick on very quickly...

I don't use the die grinder all that often, so I am not worried about it. My worry really is with spraying, and running the impact wrench. Which it does reasonably as long as I stay away from HVLP, and don't go trying to run off all the bolts to my transmission at once...