Air compressor - hobby mechanic and painting

[MJA]

Hi,

I'm looking to buy an air compressor for my garage for general tool use and eventually once I get through my welding I'd like to use it for painting (going on a course later this year to polish up my hours of youtube learnings).

I know I need at least 14CFM and also I need something that will plug into a standard socket.

This seems a good starter kit for a reasonable ish price - thoughts?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Air-Comp...105852?hash=item25b4bd77fc:g:p3EAAOSwArFbtdy2

If not this what else for about the same money. SGS seem reasonable too. I think I'd rather buy new for this item as don't know enough about them to vet out rubbish from facebook/ebay etc

Cheers,
Matt

 

[optima21]

a few of us have used wolf dakota compressors in recent years

https://www.ukhs.tv/Dakota-14-CFM-Air-Compressor

you'll find that the belt drive compressors like the dakota seem to be alot quieter than the direct drive ones that you have linked as the compressors run slower. there may only be 1 or 2 decibels difference in the noise levels but belt drive do seem quieter.

if you do for a "starter kit" to go with it, you might find you're better off getting better hoses/connectors in the first place.

 

[armalites]

One thing you need to be aware of is I doubt you will be getting 14CFM FAD from a standard socket(unless it's a twin pump unit). That 14CFM will be displacement so you won't be getting 14CFM.

So if you have based your compressor requirement on the air needed to run the tool you need to be looking at FAD.

 

[MJA]

The Dakota looks good and you're right I am probably better off buying better hoses/kit as and when i need it rather than the starter kits which probably is lesser quality gear.

FAD - learning as a I go here. Yes it will be a standard 3 pin socket I'll be using so what FAD should i be looking at if I wanted to paint a car (or at least half of it).

 

[richie00boy]

Either of those would be more than fine for painting a car as long as you use a modern gun. I did the back half of an Astra with 3hp 50L v-twin Sip compressor and Anest Iwata AZ3 mk2 gun.

edit: the wolf and burisch are both twin cylinder and with 3hp are really about as good as you are going to get from a 13A socket.

 

[tom2207]

a few of us have used wolf dakota compressors in recent years

https://www.ukhs.tv/Dakota-14-CFM-Air-Compressor

you'll find that the belt drive compressors like the dakota seem to be alot quieter than the direct drive ones that you have linked as the compressors run slower. there may only be 1 or 2 decibels difference in the noise levels but belt drive do seem quieter.

if you do for a "starter kit" to go with it, you might find you're better off getting better hoses/connectors in the first place.

3 db drop is halving the volume , so there is no only in a 3 db drop.

 

[richie00boy]

Half volume to the ears is actually 10dB drop. 3dB is half the sound pressure, to the ear it's a drop but it's a small one.

 

[tom2207]

Half volume to the ears is actually 10dB drop. 3dB is half the sound pressure, to the ear it's a drop but it's a small one.

totally correct ,,, you normally notice a drop of about 6db . the root mean square thing messes things up a lot , like doubling the volume takes ten times the power ,,, again , roughly speaking.

 

[Spark plug]

Is fitting a bigger supply totally off the cards?

Some work now sorting a bigger supply could not only help with compressor choice but open door for other toys down the road.

 

[optima21]

also the sound is different with direct drive compressor to a belt drive one, as the belt drive compressor runs slower, they tend to make a lower pitched tone which blends into the background compared to the higher pitched tone of a direct drive compressor.

 

[badabec]

This any good?

https://www.sgs-engineering.com/sc90b-90-litre-air-compressor-14cfm

 

[jackjosh]

This any good?

https://www.sgs-engineering.com/sc90b-90-litre-air-compressor-14cfm

That looks very much like my Wolf Dakota, just rebadged. Never had a problem with it. I also have a 3hp 50l direct drive compressor from SGS, which is also good.

 

[MetalMonkey]

If you want 14CMF you will need to be looking at something a little beefier.
I can recommend the triple cylinder W compressors from Air Industrial Equipment e.g. (http://www.aiedirect.co.uk/page9.html). I have this one twinned up with what is essentially a Sealey version of that Dakota.

The AIE delivers a lot more air than the Sealey at less rpm/noise. If I need a serious amount of air for example when I'm blasting I will run both.

If you are spraying, you don't really need a vast amount of air unless you are going HVLP. Even on a full respray, unless you are very experienced, the chances are you are not going to outpace the compressor.
However, if you are using an air fed mask (for example when spraying isocynates), then you will find any of those compressors will struggle to keep up.

Even though these 3hp compressors can technically be run from a 13a plug, invest in putting in a 16A or 32A supply on a C or D curve breaker.
My Sealey would often blow 13a fuses, especially when the weather was cold - it runs so much better on a 16A supply - and you will have it available for your welder too.

 

[brightspark]

good advice above but dont be putting d type breakers in

 

[WorkshopChris]

For a small portable of a 13A socket, you cant get much better than this.
https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-xepv1650-industrial-air-compressor-230v/
If the budget won't stretch then at least of for a belt-driven set up rather than a direct drive.

 

[tlovatt]

For spraying I use an LVLP spray gun and a 2.5hp 50l compressor which can keep up with the gun. My paint spraying abilities are limited but I do not notice much difference between a siphon traditional gun and the LVLP other than having to keep stopping for the vompressor if I use a traditional gun.

Other alternative is to get a turbine type HVLP system, I had a 2 stage Apollo system and my Father has a 3 stage Apollo system - both quieter, more portable and can continuously spray, but then they will not drive any air tools.

 

[johnyev]

good advice above but dont be putting d type breakers in

I wasn’t ever planning to but just wondered why? Are they just pushing the boat too much?

3-5
5-10
10-20 times and all that sparkery stuff

 

[johnyev]

a few of us have used wolf dakota compressors in recent years

https://www.ukhs.tv/Dakota-14-CFM-Air-Compressor

you'll find that the belt drive compressors like the dakota seem to be alot quieter than the direct drive ones that you have linked as the compressors run slower. there may only be 1 or 2 decibels difference in the noise levels but belt drive do seem quieter.

if you do for a "starter kit" to go with it, you might find you're better off getting better hoses/connectors in the first place.

I believe as it a logarithmic scale that every 3 Db is twice a loud.
So 95 Db is twice as loud as 92 Db.

 

[Seadog]

And 6dB is four times.

 

[tlovatt]

With db normally 6db is doubling, but if you are working with a power then 3db is doubling. 3db is doubling of sound power, but our hearing response is not linear so it will not appear to be twice as loud to an individual.