Compressors and sand blasters (again)

[snowcat]

No worries Lexi.

I'm moving forward on this. Don't know who suggested galv pipe - that's £10 per metre!

quite frankly then they were takeing the P***, galv should be around £35 for 6m 3/4bsp, tho im normaly buying the black because I want to weld it..

 

[rtbcomp]

Have you priced Thorite's plastic system? It uses push-fit connectors so you can alter it and the Tees have baffles in them to divert water into the traps.

 

[malcolm]

Still messing around with this. Looking like copper pipe with compression joints is the cheapest option for fixed pipe - those Thorite connectors are really expensive.

Started on the project though - spend much of the weekend building a little house from old fire doors for my compressors. I've decided they can live outside. They are going in a lean-to so the house is only there to make it inconvenient for people who might want to pinch them. Such a shame.

Getting more ambitious with the pipe system - decided today that it would be nice to have the sand blasting cabinet in another workshop. Shall post with progress.

 

[rtbcomp]

I used solder capillary and Yorkshire joints with copper pipe. You have to be a bit more careful as air can get out easier than water if there is a slight leak.

Keep an eye on the temperature inside the compressor houses, they could overheat and warm air isn't much use anyway.

 

[Welderpaul]

I was going to use steel pipe for my installation but when i scratched through the box of fittings and rack of pipes there wasnt enough small stuff to do it.
Having seen someone on here had done it in copper - so did i. I used capillary joints as they are quicker cheaper and as rtb says, less likely to leak!
System is up and running ok. Once you've finished it, pressurise it and run round all the joints with leak detection fluid just to make sure everythings sound - TBH you would hear any leak.
if your using compression fittings, nip the fitting up, then slacken off and wrap ptfe tape or jointing paste between the fitting and the olive and tighten back up - should never have any problems with leaky fittings!

 

[malcolm]

It's funny - took me ages to figure out that water fittings have to run to the same pressure as air fittings (water isn't compressible and water hammer fairly increases the pressure). Still went for compression fittings - Not that much more expensive.

 

[performancepolishing]

Look in screw fix for the 20mm mdpe blue pipe it can take up to 12bar and only costs around £20 for about 50mtrs i think, thats what i kitted out my workshop in as a quick fix and that was over a year ago....had no probs what so ever...

My compressor puts out 210 cfm to a 1000 ltr air reciever @ 8bar also have a back up air compressor with 350ltr tank connected to the system.......

 

[rtbcomp]

Look in screw fix for the 20mm mdpe blue pipe it can take up to 12bar and only costs around £20 for about 50mtrs i think, thats what i kitted out my workshop in as a quick fix and that was over a year ago....had no probs what so ever...

My compressor puts out 210 cfm to a 1000 ltr air reciever @ 8bar also have a back up air compressor with 350ltr tank connected to the system.......

12 bar water pressure maybe, but using the incorrect material for compressed air can be dangerous. I understand that some plastics can shatter, producing dangerous shards, is given a sharp blow.

 

[Welderpaul]

12 bar water pressure maybe, but using the incorrect material for compressed air can be dangerous. I understand that some plastics can shatter, producing dangerous shards, is given a sharp blow.

The blue mdpe (water) is exactly the same as the yellow mdpe (gas) except for the colour!!

 

[performancepolishing]

MDPE is okay for airlines its pvc pipe work that should never be used....

I'm glad i used the mdpe push fit fittings the amount of times i've put new equipment in and changed the pipe work would have took ages with galv or black.. the fittings can be a bit expensive though...

 

[Satsuma]

Malcom I think the pump on your new compressor is ABAC which is Italian. It looks similar to the one on my compressor.

I was put off electric as i only have 240V plus I wanted to sandblast away from the house, so I went for a second hand petrol one. I managed to pick up a good one on ebay, £300 for 110ltr cylinder, 24CFM with a 8HP Honda engine. Starts first time and pumps from empty to 150 PSI in 2 minutes I just need to install an exhaust so I can shut the garage door in winter and not asphyxiate.

Ben

 

[malcolm]

Thanks to everyone (especially Roger) who helped me in this thread and all the others. I sand blasted my chassis yesterday using the 20 gallon eBay sand blaster, J-Blast Supafine grit, and two compressors 3.5hp and 1.5hp coupled together.

Took all day! Wanted to finish it as the forcast wasn't great for the weekend so didn't get in until 9pm last night. There's probably still some fine tuning I could do to the set up as I didn't really have enough air for my (increasingly worn) nozzle - semed to settle out at about 60psi.

No chance of panel distortion with this DIY set up. Just not enough air pressure. Chassis is being painted today with 90% zinc paint. When the forcast improves I'll have a go at the shell.

Here's a pic of the chassis. After my previous experience of DIY blasting (little compressor, big suction gun) I wouldn't have thought it possible.

 

[rtbcomp]

That's great - even a clean chassis with holes in looks better than the same rusty one with holes in.

A tungsten nozzle will sort the drop in pressure problem.

 

[ouchmyfinger]

rtbcomp

Given that you and others have said that the larger bore airlines from the compressor are better and more efficient i.e 22mm galv or black, as opposed to i assume the 12mm copper pipe that some of the photos show, would you go for the larger bore !, even though its more expensive. Lets say the line would facilitate, air tools, spraying and blasting.
paul

 

[brightspark]

Given that you and others have said that the larger bore airlines from the compressor are better and more efficient i.e 22mm galv or black, as opposed to i assume the 12mm copper pipe that some of the photos show, would you go for the larger bore !, even though its more expensive. Lets say the line would facilitate, air tools, spraying and blasting.
paul

make the run in 22mm copper and tee off or finish in15mm. copper is a better heat conductor than plastic or rubber . and at 22mm no loss of cfm by the way its 4 years old this post

 

[ouchmyfinger]

Thanks brightspark, i know its old but i did,nt want to start a new thread on the same theme, i figured others like me who read interesting old posts would take pity on me and answer, and you did ......cheers mate.
paul

 

[Shox Dr]

The bigger the better, it acts as a bit of an extra reservoir, and as other have said you can run bigger tools: that is subject to your compressor been able to keep up with demand once the pressure drops