I'm looking for a recommendation for an air filter/dryer/regulator. I've made some modifications to my small blast cabinet to improve performance but I'm still using the small jet/nozzle combination on the TP tools trigger gun which is rated for 4-8 cfm. My compressor makes an honest 15 CFM and I would like to upgrade the jet/nozzle to the medium set but I think my current regulator/filter if restricting my flow. I have half inch hose/fittings/black pipe/ all the way from the compressor to the reg but the reg has 1/4" ports (in and out). I have a flow meter connected after the reg and I can't get more than about 5-6 CFM at the meter so I'm pretty sure something's choking it up.
In addition to blasting, I recently got a Devilbiss FinishLine HPLV gun and I plan to try my hand at painting. Painting will be a relatively infrequent use so I'm not looking to spend $500 - $1,000 on a filter setup, but I want something with 1/2" ports and probably a desiccant filter in addition to a particulate/coalescing filter/ water trap.
In searching so far, I have stumbled upon the Eastwood "Rockwood" 2 stage filter/dryer. The 1/2" version is significantly more expensive than the 3/8 version but the 3/8 version is rated at 10CFM so it seems crazy to upgrade to something that still won't let my compressor stretch its legs all the way. The 1/2" version is also much larger so I'm thinking I wouldn't need to replace the filter/desiccant as frequently. I would need a separate regulator but that's fine.
I also see Eastwood's "Complete Filtration System" which looks like copy of the Devilbiss QC3 and is capable of accepting the QC3 cartridges. I could also just purchase the Devilbiss which comes with the more expensive cartridge. I have a couple hang ups with this system however. First of all, it's an "all-in-one" cartridge. This bugs me because it seems like you end up replacing the cartridge based on the first thing that gets saturated. For example, if you have a lot of water in the system for some reason the desiccant gets saturated and needs to be replaced so you have to replace the whole cartridge vs just replacing the desiccant. My other issue is that both of these units have a 1/4" outlet and I don't see CFM ratings so again I'm worried I'm limiting flow, especially because Devilbiss advertises this for "light duty, low volume uses". It may be fine for painting but I'm trying to run a blast cabinet through this as well.
Open to any other ideas as well as feedback on those above.
Cheers!
In addition to blasting, I recently got a Devilbiss FinishLine HPLV gun and I plan to try my hand at painting. Painting will be a relatively infrequent use so I'm not looking to spend $500 - $1,000 on a filter setup, but I want something with 1/2" ports and probably a desiccant filter in addition to a particulate/coalescing filter/ water trap.
In searching so far, I have stumbled upon the Eastwood "Rockwood" 2 stage filter/dryer. The 1/2" version is significantly more expensive than the 3/8 version but the 3/8 version is rated at 10CFM so it seems crazy to upgrade to something that still won't let my compressor stretch its legs all the way. The 1/2" version is also much larger so I'm thinking I wouldn't need to replace the filter/desiccant as frequently. I would need a separate regulator but that's fine.
I also see Eastwood's "Complete Filtration System" which looks like copy of the Devilbiss QC3 and is capable of accepting the QC3 cartridges. I could also just purchase the Devilbiss which comes with the more expensive cartridge. I have a couple hang ups with this system however. First of all, it's an "all-in-one" cartridge. This bugs me because it seems like you end up replacing the cartridge based on the first thing that gets saturated. For example, if you have a lot of water in the system for some reason the desiccant gets saturated and needs to be replaced so you have to replace the whole cartridge vs just replacing the desiccant. My other issue is that both of these units have a 1/4" outlet and I don't see CFM ratings so again I'm worried I'm limiting flow, especially because Devilbiss advertises this for "light duty, low volume uses". It may be fine for painting but I'm trying to run a blast cabinet through this as well.
Open to any other ideas as well as feedback on those above.
Cheers!