DIY air drying system

[captain-destructo]

At my last place I needed dry air for a cnc machine tool. I rigged a 15 mm pipe to run co-axially inside a 22 mm pipe using 15 22 22 tees. Usually the air just ran though the 15 mm pipe, but when I wanted to run the machine I had cold water running to waste through the 22 mm - it only needed a trickle. The arrangement was screwed to the wall like yours at 45 degrees with a drain at the bottom

something like this???

 

[awemawson]

Remarkably similar !

Is that one you've just done or did we evolve it independently Mine was actually a pair of them bent back on each other like a trombone up the wall !!!!

 

[captain-destructo]

Remarkably similar !

Is that one you've just done or did we evolve it independently Mine was actually a pair of them bent back on each other like a trombone up the wall !!!!

its been bouncing around my head for years!!!!! (lots of stuff in there, thats why i cant remember what im suposed to be doing most days) first saw one a used veg-oil procesor only the inner air pipe was kinked dented about every inch so the air buffeted about i think

 

[premmington]

Why use copper pipe? I always use 10mm or 12mm nylon air pipe with push fit fitings.

I have it everywhere, blue with black armour cable wall clips. Looks smart over white walls!

 

[burrows1980]

Why use copper pipe? I always use 10mm or 12mm nylon air pipe with push fit fitings.

I have it everywhere, blue with black armour cable wall clips. Looks smart over white walls!

Cool the air, removing the moisture

 

[brightspark]

Why use copper pipe? I always use 10mm or 12mm nylon air pipe with push fit fitings.

I have it everywhere, blue with black armour cable wall clips. Looks smart over white walls!

copper gives good heat dissipation and better cooling than plastic

 

[optima21]

I ended up using silica gel dessicant in a clear water filter housing as an air dryer

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1kg-Bag-S...pt=UK_Packaging_Materials&hash=item58aca639e1

the filter on the left removes most of the moisture, the air then goes into the water filter housing (be weary of the operating pressure of them). and the silica desicant absorbs the rest of the moisture. the dried air goes goes from the bottom of the housing through a stopped tube which goes through the top to the filter/regulator on the right.

and the descicant trurns blue as it absorbs mositure. its worked well so far, and the desicant with moisture in it has only gone down the first cm in the housing. (the picture below is after shaking it up

the desicant can be recycled and dried out in an oven, but so far Ive not had to do that

 

[burrows1980]

I ended up using silica gel dessicant in a clear water filter housing as an air dryer

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1kg-Bag-S...pt=UK_Packaging_Materials&hash=item58aca639e1

the filter on the left removes most of the moisture, the air then goes into the water filter housing (be weary of the operating pressure of them). and the silica desicant absorbs the rest of the moisture. the dried air goes goes from the bottom of the housing through a stopped tube which goes through the top to the filter/regulator on the right.

and the descicant trurns blue as it absorbs mositure. its worked well so far, and the desicant with moisture in it has only gone down the first cm in the housing. (the picture below is after shaking it up

the desicant can be recycled and dried out in an oven, but so far Ive not had to do that

That's ace, just looked at water filters on a auction site, the ones I looked at are rated to 10 bar..

Do you run this straight off the compressor? And has this been successful with spray painting, no eyes etc?

Gaz

 

[awemawson]

I like that idea a lot. Only suitable for relatively low volumes I expect. Any links to the source of the water filter housing? Great for paint spraying.

I'm having issues with damp air in the current weather with outdoor sand (actually glass) blasting. My 'three tool' 140 CFM road compressor has three water separators embodied, which I run with the drain cock half open to blow water out constantly. The Hodge Clemco blast pot has another water separator and again I run it with the drain cock partly open so that the water doesn't build up. Still occasionally water carries through. You can see a darker haze on the work then the crushed glass stops flowing until I rattle the pot to clear it !

 

[optima21]

Ive not used it directly on a compressor, but on the end of an air hose. my filter on the compressor never has any condensate in it, but the water vapour condenses in the air hose and the filter on the left of the housing can be 3/4 full with water in an hour. Ive only sprayed a few small parts (front grill of car, cam belt and camshaft covers etc) but had no problems with finish. dessicant driers are used quite a bit in the states and australia from what I've seen online.

I only have a 2.5hp compressor, so it can deal with all the air I throw at it. I did used to have problems with moisture when grit blasting, but had no issues since using this dryer

 

[Bladevane]

@optima21 - Your idea is just what I've been searching for. All the filter housings I have found are only rated to 6 bar. Is yours rated to 10 bar? Is so where did you get it? Thanks.

 

[optima21]

aquafilter do 10 bar filters I think I used one with 3/4" bsp fittings but you can get them with 1/2bsp fittings from ebay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/232989135372

this is a later post about my set up

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum...ompressor-and-dryer-setup.73079/#post-1029325

 

[Bladevane]

Many thanks, very useful.