Compressors and sand blasters (again)

[MrFluffy]

I run 40int in my ARNO, I spent a couple of hundred on three sizes of clarkeson autolock's and the various size collets to suit. I bought a 50 int clarkson by mistake you want to see the size of that bugger!
Ive got a load of old mills of the round with a flat on variety that Ive never bothered getting the chucks for, as the autolocks are so easy. Although they're not too impressed with being ran backwards (it was the flycutter head, in a moment of brain faliure) as the bits just unscrew and fall out. Maybe thats why people have the normal ones...

 

[lexi]

I've ordered ER14/50 from Shiremore. Thanks for the link Wozzaaah. Oddly enough I had the old compressor running continuously for air grinding for an hour and a half this morning and it slowed down and stopped. Probably a duty cycle thing - oops

Not a fan of those KMS folk that sell the 20 gallon sandblaster thing - was daft enough to order one before finding out they wouldn't post to a work address. Should still be OK if their courier is half decent.

Looking at that compressor myself Malcom. Is it Chinese? Looks like Sealey and all the rest I suppose, but belt drive and separate motor for that money is good.

Alex

 

[malcolm]

I've taken some blurry pictures for you Lexi. Build quality looks good (better than I was expecting) with the only plasticky bit in the on/off switch. Appears to be made in Italy which is a good sign. One of the many stickers even suggests Shiremoor offer a spare parts backup but it looks like they are the sole importer.

Gave it a run up today. Seems fine on a 13 amp plug so it is actually mobile. <edit - quickly found out it had a tendancy to blow fuses - needs a dedicated feed from the consumer unit as the dealer recommends> Tank fills amazingly quickly compared to my airmaster tiger 8cfm 50L. It's possibly slightly quieter than the airmaster too. The literature supplied with the Shiremoor compressor is poor so I've no idea what the specs are apart from their 3hp 14cfm description.

Here are the photos. I'll be back shortly with yet another question.

 

[malcolm]

One thing that had me stuck - the regulator/filter is offered as an extra (and is necessary if you don't already have one) They supply it with a little U bend presumably to attach it to the end of the tank as in my photo, but I think it's really supposed to be wall mounted.

I've been interneting and it seems one advantage of wall mounting above the compressor is it allows moisture to drain back into the compressor. Other advantage would be to make it less knockable.

I'm thinking about connecting a hose from the compressor tank to the regulator which I could fasten on a little clip on the wall. I could have clips on the wall wherever I wanted to use the compressor. From there use some of the rubber style hose to reach my air tools. Does that sound sensible?

The sandblasting kit has been delayed (seems the seller wasn't selling from stock) so I've not been able to test that out yet, but if I were to connect 2 compressors together then tank to tank would be the best way?

Assuming that makes sense anyone know of a decent supplier for all the hoses and connectors? The compressor is marked 1/2 inch and the regulator output is the normal airline connector screw thread (would that be 3/8 inch?). I'm guessing the thread is BSP but I'm a bit lost. Err - help!

 

[MrFluffy]

Malc, what makes you say its made in italy? I thought it had to be made in the uk to have a union jack plastered on it like it has in one of the pictures...

 

[malcolm]

I took that to be decoration. Possibly it's made in the UK with Italian components, but it came with a few certificates of "conformita" for the various bits and pieces all in Italian.

 

[rtbcomp]

One thing that had me stuck - the regulator/filter is offered as an extra (and is necessary if you don't already have one) They supply it with a little U bend presumably to attach it to the end of the tank as in my photo, but I think it's really supposed to be wall mounted.

I've been interneting and it seems one advantage of wall mounting above the compressor is it allows moisture to drain back into the compressor. Other advantage would be to make it less knockable.

I'm thinking about connecting a hose from the compressor tank to the regulator which I could fasten on a little clip on the wall. I could have clips on the wall wherever I wanted to use the compressor. From there use some of the rubber style hose to reach my air tools. Does that sound sensible?

The sandblasting kit has been delayed (seems the seller wasn't selling from stock) so I've not been able to test that out yet, but if I were to connect 2 compressors together then tank to tank would be the best way?

Assuming that makes sense anyone know of a decent supplier for all the hoses and connectors? The compressor is marked 1/2 inch and the regulator output is the normal airline connector screw thread (would that be 3/8 inch?). I'm guessing the thread is BSP but I'm a bit lost. Err - help!

Regulators & filters should be mounted as close to the work as practical so that as much air as possible is under high pressure and so moves down the pipe quicker.

Also if you have a long pipe-run the warm high pressure air can cool and so condense moisture.

Pipework should slope away from the compressor so any condensate is pushed along the pipe into any water traps you have. If you slope towards the compressor it is possible for a standing puddle to form and water will evaporate into the air.

Also if you have permanent pipes (metal or plastic) take the air from the top of the pipe to prevent water being picked up.

It's OK to connect compressors together, try to have switch at slightly different pressures to avoid mains surges

 

[malcolm]

Mounting the reg closer to the work would also mean the length is in the larger diameter pipes - again a good thing.

So I could put wall mountings for the regulator wherever I'm likely to work (only a couple of places) and make sure the pipe goes upwards sharply from the compressor and then gradually downwards so I can catch the water in the regulator.

That should improve my spraying no end - up until now all the cars I've painted have had microblisters from the water. There was no water trap on the output of that airmaster so it's something I'm keen to get right.

Where do you buy the bits for your pipework?

 

[snowcat]

I have my filter dryer by the compresser, then run a short flexi hose (hydralic swaged) followed by a 3/4" bsp steel pipe cliped all round the workshop with a selection of small pcl's and 1000 serries for the big cfm stuff, dont know if this is strictly the best way to plumb, but has been like that for years with no problems at all, it also meens that I only ever need a max of 10' of flexi hose, so im not forever triping over and burning the stuff, I get all my airline stuff from my hydralic hose firm. They do mail order,I think so if you get stuck il give you the no.


Oh forgot, your a car man so dry air is crucial i guess if your spraying.

 

[rtbcomp]

Where do you buy the bits for your pipework?

I'm using copper pipe, mostly from skips!

Duncan Rogers do a very good mail order service Duncan Rogers

or look in Yellow Pages for a local branch of Thorite.

 

[oddball90]

Malcom you want a water trap/ filter at the start of your fixed line. If you then put pcl fittings around the workshop in the fixed line you can put your regulator into any one of them by a male pcl fitting. You can get larger pcl fitting to go from compressor to water trap in a large bore flexible pipe. Then an adapter to take the smaller airline, if you want to move the compressor around.

 

[snowcat]

I'm using copper pipe, mostly from skips!

Duncan Rogers do a very good mail order service Duncan Rogers

or look in Yellow Pages for a local branch of Thorite.

skips !!!! you must have a very poor quality of pikey round there.

BSP galv gas barrel is faily inexpensive, and the malable iron Ts and reducers are 10 a penny.. Which is why a poor old fabricator used it

 

[malcolm]

Thanks for all that. Wasn't even sure to start with what type of threads these were. Found a BSP data chart which is very handy for identification.

I'm leaning towards doing something properly. Put both compressors outside in the lean to, and connect the tanks via a valve that comes inside the workshop. That way I can choose 50L or 250L of tank, and a bit of pipework in the workshop. Should only take a weekend if I get organised.

Any cheap alternatives for the water trap? Spotted a few driers but they are all around £100.

 

[rtbcomp]

Thanks for all that. Wasn't even sure to start with what type of threads these were. Found a BSP data chart which is very handy for identification.

I'm leaning towards doing something properly. Put both compressors outside in the lean to, and connect the tanks via a valve that comes inside the workshop. That way I can choose 50L or 250L of tank. couple of power switches inside to sort out turning them on, and a bit of pipework in the workshop. Should only take a weekend if I get organised.

Any cheap alternatives for the drier? Spotted a few but they are all around £100.

Useful chart, also central heating fittings have BSP threads

8mm fittings 1/4 bsp
10mm 3/8
15mm 1/2
22mm 3/4 (I think!)

I was considering an old fridge or freezer as a drier. You could dry the air on the inlet side, but would probably be best on the outlet. The air coming out of the pump is at high temperature so a simple fan will shift quite a bit of heat before going into the fridge.

I made a serpentine arrangement on one of my compressors out of copper piipe with a fan from a microwave.

Keep the inlet away from the compressor and motor, no point in sucking warm air in to start with!

 

[malcolm]

Some ideas I've found for installation on oldsmobility. In the diagram at the bottom of the page droplegs are being used to catch water, and I guess the long runs are aimed at cooling. There's a water filter on my reg so I ought to be able to see how much is still coming through.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Good find Malcolm, just bought a new compressor myself and want to plumb in a proper air line. I went for the Clarke se16c150 in the end as my local MM had a vat free day last Sun.

 

[malcolm]

Great - we can share shortcuts and suppliers. Just costed up the bits and pieces to do something reasonably basic with 2 outlets and the bits come to more than the compressor! Though a lot of that's in the made up rubber hoses. Might pop to the shops next weekend to see what's available more cheaply (I'm no plumber).

 

[rtbcomp]

Look at that Duncan Rogers site above, they do nylon airline cheap as chips

 

[lexi]

Thanks for pics Malc.

Alex

 

[malcolm]

No worries Lexi.

I'm moving forward on this. Don't know who suggested galv pipe - that's £10 per metre! Planning copper pipe with compression fittings as rtbcomp's recommendation which saves a whole load of the cost. Need to simplify my design to remove all the nice to have things and re-cost. Screwfix compression fittings are quite cheap. Shall report back once I get things together.