Air Compressor - NCRS Discussion Boards

Air Compressor

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • Chuck S.
    Expired
    • April 1, 1992
    • 4668

    #16
    Re: Air Compressor

    Originally posted by Terry McManmon (3966)
    Getting 3-phase power may cost you more than you think. Most residential power is 1-phase and depending on how you receive your power, 3-phases may not be available...Talk to your neighbor about the cost of bringing even a single phase 220 volt power line to your garage/workshop. Tell him what you want to do. Depending on when your home was built, your electrical system may need some upgrades to deal with that power draw.
    Terry's right about the power; I think that compressor is a little beyond what you need in your garage, and the price is not exactly cheap for a Craigslist offering.

    If you house has a modern breaker box, it should have had some excess capacity built into the service. Breaker boxes are often mounted in the garage, so adding a 220V circuit is generally pretty simple. Typically after an appropriately sized double throw breaker is installed, you will have a short run of three conductor cable to a remodel box. If your compressor has a power cord, you can either use a receptacle in the box, or discard the power cord and wire the compressor direct using three conductors in flex conduit.

    Select a receptacle to match the power cord on the compressor if it's not direct wired. In recent years, 220V receptacle types have proliferated...you no longer have simple three prong dryer and range receptacles in residential construction. I finally gave up trying to find one that would work with my old power cord in my new house, and just wired it direct with flexible conduit...nicer installation anyway.

    Size the breaker to exceed the current draw of the compressor motor, and verify that cable ampacity matches or exceeds the breaker rating. The single phase 220V combines two single phase 110V volt hot wires, black and typically red, to each side of the double throw breaker. The green conductor goes to the ground bus. A 220V circuit tester can be used to confirm the installed circuit is correct.

    Shouldn't cost a lot of beer and BBQ. If the garage is finished, the biggest job is fishing and pulling wire through the walls and ceiling (good helper training), but you can probably have the job done before the meat is ready.

    Comment

    • Joe R.
      Extremely Frequent Poster
      • May 31, 2006
      • 1822

      #17
      Re: Air Compressor

      Todd,

      Here's one I'm thinking about getting once my garage construction is a little further along:

      http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w..._211720_211720

      Maybe it would work for you. Please let us know what you wind up getting and your results with it.

      Joe

      Comment

      • Dick W.
        Former NCRS Director Region IV
        • June 30, 1985
        • 10483

        #18
        Re: Air Compressor

        Adding to Terry's post, when I built my shop I knew that 5 h.p. was marginal for my use. I investigated having 3 ph power pulled to my building. I am about 3/10th of a mile from the main line. The estimate was almost $10k as they would have to totally rebuild the line down my street. At that time I chose to use the new 5 hp and and old 3 hp that I had.

        Another thing to note is what pressure that the maximum CFM is rated at. I noticed the one at Northern was rated at 90 psi, the Quincy is rated at 175 psi. The higher the pressure for the same volume means that the output of the compressor is quite a bit more
        Last edited by Dick W.; February 3, 2010, 09:18 AM.
        Dick Whittington

        Comment

        • Chuck S.
          Expired
          • April 1, 1992
          • 4668

          #19
          Re: Air Compressor

          Originally posted by Joe Raine (45823)
          Todd,

          Here's one I'm thinking about getting once my garage construction is a little further along:

          http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w..._211720_211720

          Maybe it would work for you. Please let us know what you wind up getting and your results with it...
          That's a very nice compressor, and IMO a good price too...not to mention NT provides "free shipping". The layout is identical to my 6.5 HP Black Max special.

          Ingersoll Rand has always been among the best known, highest quality manufacturers of air compressors; but in the past, they were always a little on the pricey side. A diy restorer couldn't justify the cost unless they snagged some kind of hefty commercial discount. I began to see IR getting competitive a few years back...makes me wonder if they're still made in the USA.

          Comment

          • Todd L.
            Expired
            • August 26, 2008
            • 298

            #20
            Re: Air Compressor

            Joe,

            Is the compressor able to handle the needs of the weekend restorer, I just don't want to re-do things. I would rather have, as we say, "have and not need than to need and not have".

            I appreciate all the input everyone is providing, Only one more month to go and I can get back to work on the car.

            Todd

            Comment

            • Chuck S.
              Expired
              • April 1, 1992
              • 4668

              #21
              Re: Air Compressor

              Originally posted by Todd Lloyd (49373)
              Joe,

              Is the compressor able to handle the needs of the weekend restorer, I just don't want to re-do things. I would rather have, as we say, "have and not need than to need and not have".

              I appreciate all the input everyone is providing, Only one more month to go and I can get back to work on the car...
              Todd, I believe it is implicit in Joe's recommendation that he believes it to be adequate for his needs, and I agree that it would certainly work for me. I would like to have an 80 gal reservoir, but if the compressor is adequate for the task, the smaller reservoir should not be a problem.

              Eigthteen cfm is a fair amount of air for a home workshop. You will probably only be able to use one large consumer at a time, which is reasonable for the diy restorer. I believe you'll be fine with this compressor unless you have the wife bead blasting parts as you remove them with air tools.
              Last edited by Chuck S.; February 3, 2010, 11:16 AM.

              Comment

              • Robert M.
                Frequent User
                • January 1, 1992
                • 78

                #22
                Re: Air Compressor

                Hi Todd;
                Check out TP tools and equipment website they have special pricing on compresser/blast cabinet packages, I have one of their Skat-Blast cabinets which are USA made works great. I forgot to mention my compressor is single phase and I had to run about 80 feet of electrical wire from the panel to the garage.
                Bob

                Comment

                • Todd L.
                  Expired
                  • August 26, 2008
                  • 298

                  #23
                  Re: Air Compressor

                  Originally posted by Chuck Sangerhausen (20817)
                  I believe you'll be fine with this compressor unless you have the wife bead blasting parts as you remove them with air tools.
                  Ha,
                  I'll be lucky to get the approval for the air compressor, let alone her using it in any fashion.

                  Todd

                  Comment

                  • Joe R.
                    Extremely Frequent Poster
                    • May 31, 2006
                    • 1822

                    #24
                    Re: Air Compressor

                    Originally posted by Todd Lloyd (49373)
                    Joe,

                    Is the compressor able to handle the needs of the weekend restorer, I just don't want to re-do things. I would rather have, as we say, "have and not need than to need and not have".

                    Todd
                    Todd,

                    I think that compressor would be suitable to my needs. Your needs could be more or less demanding than mine.

                    I first bought one at Sears based on the recommendation of my former neighbor. It was OK for running an impact wrench, but would not be up to the task of running a sand blaster. So, I sold it at a loss to a friend at work. I don't recommend that path.

                    I would suggest looking at all the air tools you think you might ever use, then go from there. Find the one that is the worst case and use its pressure @ flow rate as your guide. For me, it's a sand blaster.

                    I don't have a lot of patience waiting around for the tank to fill, so the bigger the tank the better. Maybe you're more patient that I am.

                    Joe

                    Comment

                    • Todd L.
                      Expired
                      • August 26, 2008
                      • 298

                      #25
                      Re: Air Compressor

                      Originally posted by Joe Raine (45823)
                      Todd,
                      I don't have a lot of patience waiting around for the tank to fill, so the bigger the tank the better. Maybe you're more patient that I am.

                      Joe
                      One of my faults, no patients. The sandblaster is going to be the biggest consumer of air. Is each manufacturer of cabinets going to be a different flow rate? Or is there a general rule of thumb?

                      I see the two primary sizes for tanks are the 60 and 80 gallon tanks. So the larger the tank the better.

                      When I am able to decide and get it ordered, I will let the forum know. There will be more questions, I'm sure between now and then.

                      Thanks


                      Todd

                      Comment

                      • Joe R.
                        Extremely Frequent Poster
                        • May 31, 2006
                        • 1822

                        #26
                        Re: Air Compressor

                        Originally posted by Todd Lloyd (49373)
                        The sandblaster is going to be the biggest consumer of air. Is each manufacturer of cabinets going to be a different flow rate? Or is there a general rule of thumb?

                        I see the two primary sizes for tanks are the 60 and 80 gallon tanks. So the larger the tank the better.

                        Todd
                        Todd,

                        Here's another air compressor I contemplated:

                        http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...Product%20Page

                        Plus this one, quite a bit more money, but it looks to be pretty capable:

                        http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...Product%20Page

                        Here's a couple sand blasters at Harbor Freight.

                        http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=94274

                        http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93608

                        The air consumption varies quite a bit, so I suspect there is no rule of thumb. If it were me, I would want to have the blast cabinet in da house before buying the compressor.

                        Joe

                        Comment

                        • Chuck S.
                          Expired
                          • April 1, 1992
                          • 4668

                          #27
                          Re: Air Compressor

                          Originally posted by Todd Lloyd (49373)
                          ...Is each manufacturer of cabinets going to be a different flow rate? Or is there a general rule of thumb?...
                          Air consumption is only indirectly related to manufacturer...the parameter that sets the air consumption is the ID of the media and air nozzles. If the manufacturer provides no options for changing the nozzle sets, then the air consumption is fixed, and they should tell you how much it's going to use.

                          In a professional quality cabinet, you will have options on the sizes of nozzle sets best suited to the capacity of your air compressor. Manufacturers like TP Tools sell interchangeable nozzle sets, and specify the quanity of air needed for each nozzle size, i.e. small, medium, large. (I like their cabinets, but you can find better value than their cabinet/compressor combo packages). See here: http://www.tptools.com/p/289,22_Cera...mbo-Packs.html

                          For the size compressor most recommended earlier, you are looking at a medium nozzle set which is adequate for most restoration jobs. The small nozzle set, if you are tempted to reduce your compressor size, is very slow and marginal for restoration tasks; e.g. bead blasting a rally wheel. A large nozzle set will require the compressor you saw on Craigslist...overkill. Buy ceramic nozzles; their life exceeds steel or carbide enough to warrant the additional cost IMO.

                          Comment

                          Working...
                          Searching...Please wait.
                          An unexpected error was returned: 'Your submission could not be processed because you have logged in since the previous page was loaded.

                          Please push the back button and reload the previous window.'
                          An unexpected error was returned: 'Your submission could not be processed because the token has expired.

                          Please push the back button and reload the previous window.'
                          An internal error has occurred and the module cannot be displayed.
                          There are no results that meet this criteria.
                          Search Result for "|||"