Airline layout - submitted for approval

[carcentric]

Here's the plan for my shop/garage:

I use a disposable inline filter right before the HVLP spray gun - do I need a water separator on the wall in addition?

Any other problems evident?

Thanks,

 

[bmwpower]

How high up is this layout?

 

[bobbyd]

Depends on what you're painting I guess. Water will leave a nasty fish eye on your brand new paint if it goes through the gun. The seperator seems like cheap insurance versus sanding down an entire body panel and re-shooting.

 

[carcentric]

How high up is this layout?

The horizontal pipes (from L to L to L, 40' altogether) are a couple inches below ceiling level (~8' above the floor).

If I add a water separator, I presume it should be between the compressor and first vertical pipe (in other words, down where I can reach it and before hose reel 1 which the HVLP gun is used with).

 

[Bill K]

Add a drop and drain where the flex line joins the hard line. I would use the best water,oil filter,seperator I could afford.
Bill

 

[carcentric]

Add a drop and drain where the flex line joins the hard line. I would use the best water,oil filter,seperator I could afford.
Bill

The only wall units I've seen (HF is where I start) combine an air filter, water separator, and "oiler" with a regulator.

I don't want to introduce oil upstream of Reel 1 (the hose I'll be using to spray paint with). I can just put a few drops in each tool the first time I use it each day.

Can someone direct me to an online source of a reasonably priced air filter, water separator, and oil separator WITHOUT an oiler? Don't really need another regulator, either, as there's one on the compressor and one on the gun (between the gun and hose, actually).

Thanks again,

 

[AndrewM]

You can read my copper plumbing thread here:

http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=480039

I have links to the Harbor Freight regulator/watertrap for $19.99 in there (along with the Sharpe and MotorGuard filters I'm running). Another guy is using the Harbor Freight unit right now on his paint gun (he got the same gun I have, DeVilbiss GFG-670), and he's not happy with the HF trap at all - so I'll probably be pulling it out and replacing it with either a DeVilbiss or Sharpe unit from Spraygunworld.com

My last piece of the puzzle is the hose that connects from the compressor to the copper tubing. I'm waiting on a custom piece from McMaster-Carr. I could probably temp one in, but I'm probably just going to wait for it.

I did my paint drop at the very end, and the tool drop in the middle. Opposite of yours. I also put a tool drop on the paint end (one of the extra outlets on the HF regulator). The other outlet goes through my wort chiller and then on to the extra filters for paint.

I don't use any inline oilers. I just keep a bottle of oil in the tool chest.

 

[red caddy]

You might have thought of this already, and not showed it in the drawing,If you take the taps from the top of the line, you will have much less vapor and particulate carry over. Taps from the top, drip legs and end runs from the bottom... RED

 

[neblinc]

Some good tips here on air supply.

http://www.tptools.com/statictext/tech_notes.asp?mscssid=KCGKA0BS19M28KU845DFEPKCH7JV6TC9

 

[carcentric]

Okay, taking all the input so far into account, here's my REVISED PLAN (with yellow showing the garage/shop walls - roof removed):

The highpoint of the tubing is at the left end of the overhead door run (condensed water would run both directions from there, back to the tank and to the end-of-line drain).

Anything else need changing?

I'm thinking that I'll put the TPTools 3404 separator and 3405 filter ($150 for the pair) before hose reel 1 (for painting), but is a top quality separator/filter really needed at hose reel 2 (for tires and cheap air tools)? Would a $20 HF filter do for that location?

Thanks again,

 

[Slide]

If it were mine, I'd make the highest point close to the compressor... above the "F" in the corner closest to the compressor in your drawing. Then all the "horizontal" from there would contunually go slightly downhill the whole run.

As for water traps, you can usually get a combo of a water trap/filter and regulator (no oiler). This one from Grainger, part #4ZK76:

 

[AndrewM]

My take on the air filters was this...

I've had a compressor for 8 years now (a rattle trap Campbell-Hausfeld, cost me $250 back in 1998). I've run the same tiny goofy Sears filter/watertrap most of that time, about a foot from the outlet of my compressor (no condensing / "cool down" plumbing at all). I'm still using the same impact, same air ratchet, same air hammer, same air drill, same DA, same die grinder (have never had to replace any of the tools). If anything, my tools will be incredibly shocked to get actual filtered air, even if it's done by a $20 Harbor Freight filter. I don't have super-expensive air tools (Chicago Pneumatic & Campbell-Hausfeld)... I figure they'll be fine with the H-F filter.

I primarily did the tubing and filtering for painting, as 5 of my 6 vehicles need paint. I've not skimped on anything for that side of it.

So my vote is a HF filter on the tools side, and good filters on the paint side. You may have to mod the HF filter for air flow though (I'm going to investigate that, probably tonight).

 

[BoilermakerFan]

The filters will remove water that has already condensed, but they won't remove the water vapor that can cause the fish eye when used with spray guns. In order to dry the air, you will need either a refrigerated dryer or desicant dryer. Both are pricey, but you can buy desiccant snakes that handle 15cfm for about $25. Put a 5 micron filter before the snake, the desiccant snake, then a pressure regulator. The pressure drop across the snake is pretty high, so you'll want it to see 90-100psi so you will end up with 60-70 psi after the snake. Then you can use the regulator to drop the pressure to the 25-35psi range for a HVLP gun. The snakes are basically a one-time use item, depending on how much you spray and how much moisture is in the air.

I know Eastwood carries the desiccant snakes branded as DiVilbiss, but a Cam Air or Airtek dryer distributor can get them as well. They also make a small dessicant bag dryer that can handle 30cfm @ 90 psi for about $350-$400 and the replacement desiccant bag is $45-$50.

 

[Willy Victor]

carcentric I believe the web site says to use black pipe not copper or PVC, check it out.

Willy

 

[carcentric]

carcentric I believe the web site says to use black pipe not copper or PVC, check it out. - Willy

I presume you're referring to the TPTools site - they cite "easy to damage" and "soldered joint" failure as reasons to avoid copper, but they seem to be targeting the pro shops with their remarks.

Another thread posted above - http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=480039 - suggests copper is the way to go in a home shop because black pipe will rust out too fast (probably more from non-use periods than in-use).

Either way, I already bought the copper and fittings, so that's what I'll use. And if I have any problems, you can count on me to post what they were in this thread.

Thanks everybody,

 

[oldskewl61]

tp tools is right down the road from my shop its the same stuff at HF or swap meets trust me