Home build compressor ?

[Fiji]

Is it do-able ?
I need a big compressor to run blasting gear off. Over here (NZ) anything light industrial size is silly money, think NZ3000 + new and second hand is no cheaper. Is it possible to build one using truck air brake cylinders and single phase supply ? Possibly moving workshops so MAY be able to get 3 phase.
Going to be mainly using in a big blast cabinet with soda, garnet and plastic.

 

[brightspark]

anything under 80 cfm is going to be for hobby use . depends on what u are blasting size wise and volume of work .give more details

 

[knighty]

you could just use a few smaller compressors and join them together (few people here do that already)

 

[8ob]

Sounds like you need a road tow diesel compressor for that kind of cfm, no power supply issues with one of those

Bob

 

[james butler]

can you get hold of one of those wet blasters?
no need for a compressor then

 

[rcx132]

Over here the 3HP motors and 14CFM pumps are cheapest, especially second hand, I would buy several to get the CFM you need. Bigger CFM and bigger HP the price goes up dis-proportionally.

 

[dannyp]

if you want to do blasting, and youve got enough to do to warrant setting up. you need a diesel screw compressor.

thought about doing what your thinkng of doing years back and tryed it on a smaller scale it just dosent work, blasting needs lots of air, lots of air needs power.

6mm jet is going to need about 90 CFM say a 2.2 kw pump gives you 12 cfm on a good day ? you'll be needing 8 pumps and motors to run that. 18KW on singel phase you'll also need to sequence there startup, tho if you did it with 9 pumps and motor it'd convert to 3 phase well, but surely you can get a big old pump and some engine or a diesel screw compressor it'll be simpler more compact and proably more relibale i find its cheeper to run

 

[KemppiFrog]

I was thinking about this, so rigged a 1.8 Ford Diesel to a small Renault 4 pot. Mucked around with the valve gear and modded the spark plugs as NRVs. Puts out around 80/100CFM. There is a thread on this a while back.

To add: Since I had both engines, cost was minimal.

 

[james butler]

would having a large air reciever help?
bigger the better for blasting?

 

[brightspark]

would having a large air reciever help?
bigger the better for blasting?

no use without a large pump. the pressure needs to be constant for an even flow of air and media

 

[james butler]

i was thinking seeing as some compressors go up to 150 psi when im blasting i use typically 85psi but only hobby use so blaster has a 1.5/2mm nozzle so would take some time to run down to that pressure.
must be different kettle of fish commercially.

 

[dannyp]

for blasting a tank is of no use, even with a massive tank it runs down in seconds bigger tank lasts a few seconds longer and takes an age to pump back up. the compressor needs to be capable of supplying more air than the jet needs, of continous run type and with 100% duitu cycel

 

[dannyp]

small nossels clog