Long post alert, sorry!
I'm currently looking at purchasing a compressor, but I'm getting confused with it all (I've read just about every other thread on compressors on here, I think)
The background story is that I like metal working and car stuff in general and hence I'm out in the garden / garage whenever I get a chance, occasionally making a hell of a racket with the angle grinder etc.
I don't want to upset my neighbours too much, as I can imagine that it's quite annoying to hear and angle grinder if you're not interested in metal / old rusty cars etc
I do try to keep the noise down as much as possible, but you'll all appreciate that an angle grinder is particularly noisy.
Now, I'm thinking that a solution to the noise problem would be to get a belt drive compressor and a plasma cutter (that would also enable me to get some other air tools) etc eventually.
I understand a compressor is noisy as well, but a belt drive should be less noisy than a direct drive, right, and certainly less noisy than an angle grinder?
My plan is to stick the compressor in a shed (already got the shed) at the end of the garage and run an airline into the garage, and build some form of padded enclosure for the compressor to further keep noise pollution down. This also moves the compressor further away from any neighbours windows (Can't really fit the compressor in my garage, as it's too small to fit engine stands, work benches etc already).
Now then, I have a couple of questions:
1. Is the idea of a belt drive compressor + plasma cutter being quieter than an angle grinder sound? Especially if the compressor is in an enclosure of some kind.
2. How much CFM do I realistically need for a plasma cutter? I'm only ever cutting steel up to 3mm with the angle grinder, and I don't think I'll really have a need to cut 12-13mm steel ever. If I did, it would be for exhaust manifold flanges etc, but I can always buy those anyway.
3. Would something like the Clarke 15c150 or 16c150 be good enough? I have lots of clarke gear already, and for a hobbyist such as myself they seem to work OK for the money.
I will have a budget up to about 500, but spending less would be a huge bonus. On the other hand, I keep reading that almost everyone changes their first compressor, and I'd rather buy the right one first (for once!).
As a total curve ball, I've seen an upright clarke compressor on ebay that claims to be about 5 CFM FAD with a 50l tank and only 72db, and for less than 200... Would this be good enough for plasma? I understand I wont be able to run most tools off it.
I'm currently looking at purchasing a compressor, but I'm getting confused with it all (I've read just about every other thread on compressors on here, I think)
The background story is that I like metal working and car stuff in general and hence I'm out in the garden / garage whenever I get a chance, occasionally making a hell of a racket with the angle grinder etc.
I don't want to upset my neighbours too much, as I can imagine that it's quite annoying to hear and angle grinder if you're not interested in metal / old rusty cars etc
I do try to keep the noise down as much as possible, but you'll all appreciate that an angle grinder is particularly noisy.Now, I'm thinking that a solution to the noise problem would be to get a belt drive compressor and a plasma cutter (that would also enable me to get some other air tools) etc eventually.
I understand a compressor is noisy as well, but a belt drive should be less noisy than a direct drive, right, and certainly less noisy than an angle grinder?
My plan is to stick the compressor in a shed (already got the shed) at the end of the garage and run an airline into the garage, and build some form of padded enclosure for the compressor to further keep noise pollution down. This also moves the compressor further away from any neighbours windows (Can't really fit the compressor in my garage, as it's too small to fit engine stands, work benches etc already).
Now then, I have a couple of questions:
1. Is the idea of a belt drive compressor + plasma cutter being quieter than an angle grinder sound? Especially if the compressor is in an enclosure of some kind.
2. How much CFM do I realistically need for a plasma cutter? I'm only ever cutting steel up to 3mm with the angle grinder, and I don't think I'll really have a need to cut 12-13mm steel ever. If I did, it would be for exhaust manifold flanges etc, but I can always buy those anyway.
3. Would something like the Clarke 15c150 or 16c150 be good enough? I have lots of clarke gear already, and for a hobbyist such as myself they seem to work OK for the money.
I will have a budget up to about 500, but spending less would be a huge bonus. On the other hand, I keep reading that almost everyone changes their first compressor, and I'd rather buy the right one first (for once!).
As a total curve ball, I've seen an upright clarke compressor on ebay that claims to be about 5 CFM FAD with a 50l tank and only 72db, and for less than 200... Would this be good enough for plasma? I understand I wont be able to run most tools off it.
