air compressors

[Robin427]

I bought mine second hand - it was old but really heavily engineered. Cost me £50 and is about 120l. A friend of mine bought 2 100l compressors at a local auction for £22 (for the pair!!) - keep a look out in the free-ads, get the biggest one you can reasonably fit in your garage.

I'd also recommend choosing a connector standard and buying from the same source. I've got a mixture of SIP and Chinese connectors and they leak slightly. The PCL ones might be better

[dolphinboy400]

Originally Posted by JonnyBoy147

My top tip would be buy two cheap 2.5HP (think that is about 1.9kW) compressors with 25L tanks. Then butcher a couple of cheap airlines to make up an airline with a male connector at each end. Plug it into one outlet on each compressor. That your compressors working in paralel. The equivelant of a 5HP compressor with a 50 L tank and 19cfm though i think thats free air delivery.

I have two 2.5HP wolf compressors from aldi. £60 a pop. Had one of them about 2 years and have given it a very good thrashing, had one prolem with it that cost me £30 in parts to repair. Both compressors now nicely support a die grinder that i struggled with with one compressor. I havent tryed it with a large sand blast gun i have yet though.

For £120 quid i dont think you will get a single machine for anything like that money.

Just an idea.

Jon

that is interesting, did you need to buy a seperate regulator to fit after the join?

[dolphinboy400]

Originally Posted by Robin427

I bought mine second hand - it was old but really heavily engineered. Cost me £50 and is about 120l. A friend of mine bought 2 100l compressors at a local auction for £22 (for the pair!!) - keep a look out in the free-ads, get the biggest one you can reasonably fit in your garage.

I'd also recommend choosing a connector standard and buying from the same source. I've got a mixture of SIP and Chinese connectors and they leak slightly. The PCL ones might be better

Cheers Robin, it seems when ever i want something, every other bugger does as well and cant seem to get a bargain hehe

I will keep my eyes peeled!

i got my eye on a parts cleaner too at the moment as i think that would be a useful tool , fingers crossed!

[JonnyBoy147]

Originally Posted by dolphinboy400

that is interesting, did you need to buy a seperate regulator to fit after the join?

No, as you are just connecting the standard air outputs from the compressors together the regulators on the compressors handle that. It just means the pressures in the cylinders equalise out, and the regulators on each compressor maintain the pressure in the cylinder as originaly intended turning each compressor on and off. The compressor that you have the tool connected in to will tend to turn on first as the pressure in that tank will be dropped little bit quicker.

Only complication would be if your compressors only had one air output connector, though you could put a T piece on your airline and put another Male connector on the end of it, so your air line has two male ends on it one to plug into each compressor.

My only health warning would be make sure you use correctly sized jubilee clips and appropreate connectors T-Pieces as this is compressed air at 8/10 bar. Though i have had no problems using jubilee clips.

WRT the comments on electrical supplies a single 2.5mm square cable twin and earth to your garage will be good for 32 amps or there about, depending on what it is installed in and how long the run is, which is 7.7kW. Though motors will have far higher starting currents, i would suggest you would get away with 4kW motor load no probs. If you have a ring that will be double that incable capacity 64 amps, though would be rather surprised if you had a circuit breaker or fuse larger that 32 amps protecting your garage supply which will be the limiting factor.

Jon

[stu e]

Originally Posted by JonnyBoy147

My only health warning would be make sure you use correctly sized jubilee clips and appropreate connectors T-Pieces as this is compressed air at 8/10 bar. Though i have had no problems using jubilee clips.

Jon

Air hoses now should only be crimped with the correct fittings, fitting jubilee clips is a big Health & Safety and Insurance no no. Of course what you do in your own garage is up to you.
Stu.

[dolphinboy400]

no probs on the electric supply , i got a 4 mm armoured cable going to the garage from the main board with an additional fuse box in the garage

[dolphinboy400]

well i finally got one its a 2.5 hp , 25 L toolmaster. £35

went to machinemart today and got some toys for it, air blower kit with spray gun, tyre jobbie and parts washer. I also bought an air ratchet and it runs the ratchet not too bad considering its a smallish tank. Does anyone use air shears for cutting stainless, if so , are they any good? and do they use more than 4 CFM (FAD)?

[route66]

I bought a cheapo Am-Tech air metal shear from eBay to cut some aluminium sheet - about £15!
A great tool which claims to require 4cfm. I have a 2.5hp compressor on a 50 litre tank and yes, the shear draws a reasonable amount of air but the compressor seems to keep up.

My compressor is about 12 years old and I use air ratchets, drills, cut off tools etc on it at around 8 bar.
A 3 hp compressor is about the highest load you can get away with on a 13 amp plug. Any higher and you would need a dedicated hard wired circuit or (if you're fortunate) a 3 phase supply.

Periodically check the free movement / servicability of the safety valve and regularly drain any accumulated condensate from the receiver - this WILL eventually pit and perforated modern, thin, air receivers if left.

[Sparticus]

if you can stretch to at least a 50Ltr. Air capacity is really import. I have a 25Ltr and it keeps running out of air for important tools e.g. air angle drill and its a pain in the ass waiting for it to stop and start. I would say for air riveter the 25Ltr is perfect and also the air saw, but go 50Ltr its not much bigger is size so its still portable but not so small in air capacity.

Si

PS i might be able to get you some sort of deal on a new Sealey one. Give me a phone if you want 01698 821111

[Sparticus]

oops, forgot to read post above. ANYWAY, things i've found invaluable for the compressor are:

Air angle drill
Air Body Saw
Air Rivet Gun (easily the most fun bit of equipment i have)

I have air shears and an air nibbler but never used either (YET)

Si