Above 1200 Sq/FT Ernie's Place
- Thread starter StormcrowAz
- Start date
Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.
OP
StormcrowAz
Well-known member
Mike – Definitely worth mentioning, I’d rather be safe than sorry! Thanks again!
PugetDude – Swaging cables…I had to look that up, too. I’ve seen the ferrules at Home Depot next to the cable clamps, but was never sure how to crimp them. Guess there’s another tool out there that I probably won’t be able to live without, at some point. I suppose the ferrule is a better way to go, cleaner looking, less to snag on, and probably a stronger connection? Looks like I’d have to strip the plastic coating off the cable on the ends to make a proper connection. Don’t think I’ll have time to do that before our trip, so I’ll fix the clamps and live with that for now. Thanks for your input! I hope the tube clamps work out for you, do you have a build thread?
Losdudes – 50 years later I finally learned that lesson!
Thanks for stopping by!
Bolted up the tire carrier last night and things went about as smooth as I think they can be.
For the hinge pins, I’m using 7/16” grade 8 bolts that had a very long shoulder. Cut off the threads, rounded off the end, and drilled a hole for a cotter pin.
All loaded up and ready to ride. Even threw the whip on there and ran a temporary power cord to it.
And last, but not least, this little safety item tucks away nicely underneath the tire. I got an aluminum quick-release mount off Amazon that hose-clamps to the frame.
That should do it for now. I might take it around the block tonight and hit some speed bumps at speed to make sure nothing falls off.
PugetDude – Swaging cables…I had to look that up, too. I’ve seen the ferrules at Home Depot next to the cable clamps, but was never sure how to crimp them. Guess there’s another tool out there that I probably won’t be able to live without, at some point. I suppose the ferrule is a better way to go, cleaner looking, less to snag on, and probably a stronger connection? Looks like I’d have to strip the plastic coating off the cable on the ends to make a proper connection. Don’t think I’ll have time to do that before our trip, so I’ll fix the clamps and live with that for now. Thanks for your input! I hope the tube clamps work out for you, do you have a build thread?
Losdudes – 50 years later I finally learned that lesson!
Thanks for stopping by!Bolted up the tire carrier last night and things went about as smooth as I think they can be.
For the hinge pins, I’m using 7/16” grade 8 bolts that had a very long shoulder. Cut off the threads, rounded off the end, and drilled a hole for a cotter pin.
All loaded up and ready to ride. Even threw the whip on there and ran a temporary power cord to it.
And last, but not least, this little safety item tucks away nicely underneath the tire. I got an aluminum quick-release mount off Amazon that hose-clamps to the frame.
That should do it for now. I might take it around the block tonight and hit some speed bumps at speed to make sure nothing falls off.
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Todd, the swage tool the GJ forced me to buy wasn't that expensive and I've only used it a few times. I'm sure there's a Snap-On version but I chose the cheap chinesium version and so far it has worked great.
I was also forced to buy those Knipex cutters because they allow my creaky old hand to cut cable with very little pain or effort. The hydraulic crimper came from Amazon but it has gone up significantly from the $31 I paid four years ago.
Amazon.com: 10 Ton Hydraulic Wire Battery Cable Lug Terminal Crimper Crimping Tool Total 9 Dies for Crimping wires and butt connectors: Home Improvement
Amazon.com: 10 Ton Hydraulic Wire Battery Cable Lug Terminal Crimper Crimping Tool Total 9 Dies for Crimping wires and **** connectors: Home Improvement
www.amazon.com
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Z: thanks for the Saddle Tip. I too didn’t know it made any difference!!
Todd: Mexican beach sounds fun so hope you find a good pool cause I don’t know about you but I’m not a fan of swimming in the ocean any more. My gramps was a logger and he used to make those loops on his 1 inch and bigger cables on chokers and such by hand so I should have paid mo
your projects seem to be getting done nicely. Keep up the great work!!
Bob: I actually just found two of those HF crimpers when cleaning out one of my storage areas. They are both new in packaging cause I bought a cell site installers unit years ago when he retired. They should come in handy.
Todd: Mexican beach sounds fun so hope you find a good pool cause I don’t know about you but I’m not a fan of swimming in the ocean any more. My gramps was a logger and he used to make those loops on his 1 inch and bigger cables on chokers and such by hand so I should have paid mo
your projects seem to be getting done nicely. Keep up the great work!!
Bob: I actually just found two of those HF crimpers when cleaning out one of my storage areas. They are both new in packaging cause I bought a cell site installers unit years ago when he retired. They should come in handy.
bugnut
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Todd that looks super. I like the extiguisher being at hand. Only change i'd suggest is get rid of the cotter pin and use an R clip, some day you'll need to remove it.
OP
StormcrowAz
Well-known member
Well it’s been a minute since last post. Spent a few days in Mexico on the beach, which was awesome.
With those cables saddled correctly, the ramp worked great. Hangin’ out over the beach.
Put the spare tire carrier through its paces and it held up through some decent bumps, hill climbs, and a small bit of crawling. Very happy with it.
Went to a few live performances and was forced to park a good distance away. Someone went through my glove box one night and stole the Can Am tool kit that came with the car. I forgot it was in there. Not a huge loss, a couple wrenches and the belt change tool. While functional, my understanding it was a marginal tool and I’ll take this as a learning experience to not keep anything important in there and an opportunity to purchase the upgraded tool. Fortunately all the expensive stuff locked in the trunk was still there, safe and sound.
Made it back home and the Magical Brown Truck dropped this little beauty off
With those cables saddled correctly, the ramp worked great. Hangin’ out over the beach.
Put the spare tire carrier through its paces and it held up through some decent bumps, hill climbs, and a small bit of crawling. Very happy with it.
Went to a few live performances and was forced to park a good distance away. Someone went through my glove box one night and stole the Can Am tool kit that came with the car. I forgot it was in there. Not a huge loss, a couple wrenches and the belt change tool. While functional, my understanding it was a marginal tool and I’ll take this as a learning experience to not keep anything important in there and an opportunity to purchase the upgraded tool. Fortunately all the expensive stuff locked in the trunk was still there, safe and sound.
Made it back home and the Magical Brown Truck dropped this little beauty off
OP
StormcrowAz
Well-known member
Hmm...have a Part 2 for this, but am getting an OOPS error message when trying to post it.
jollygreengiant
Well-known member
Are those old railway spikes that you repurposed as drawer handles?
OP
StormcrowAz
Well-known member
Jollygreengiant – Yes, those are re-purposed railroad spikes. They do make great handles
Previous owners of the house must have had a garbage compactor or wine fridge under the kitchen island (outlet underneath) and I thought it would be a great place for a tall trash can, instead of the standard smaller one under the counter. I built a rolling bin for it, which I would post another picture of, but I'm still getting "Oops" errors, something about browser consoles. Anyways, thanks for stopping by!
Previous owners of the house must have had a garbage compactor or wine fridge under the kitchen island (outlet underneath) and I thought it would be a great place for a tall trash can, instead of the standard smaller one under the counter. I built a rolling bin for it, which I would post another picture of, but I'm still getting "Oops" errors, something about browser consoles. Anyways, thanks for stopping by!
OP
StormcrowAz
Well-known member
Ok, lets try this
OP
StormcrowAz
Well-known member
So looks like maybe I was trying to link file sizes that were too big. Let see if these go through..
I wanted to clean up the shop a little bit and tackle another project that has been percolating for a while now. Currently I have all of my long raw material (metal tubing, 2x4’s etc) leaned up against my scrap metal storage shelf in the back of the shop. Plan is to take some of that well pipe donated by the mother-in-law and turn it into a horizontal storage rack.
Went to use the band saw, and the downfeed cylinder seems to have bled out. I get a little resistance and it holds at the bottom of the stroke, but otherwise not very functional. My guess is maybe something to do with the 110+ degree temps we’ve been having. Either way, I somehow (!) don’t have any hydraulic fluid or even any ATF to do a re-fill…so I ended up making all of these cuts by lowering the saw by hand. Not a deal-breaker, but was inconvenient and not much fun.
Cleaned and notched the ends using the belt sander and started assembly
Due to size, I did the majority of the work on the ground unfortunately. I was only really able to weld these main upright sections on the table
Maybe not professional Welding Web quality, but hopefully will do the job.
Putting the cross supports in and trying to keep everything square and level.
All finished. I also welded a few heavy-duty washers to it so I can anchor it to the wall for anti-tip concerns.
Spent pretty much all day Saturday and Sunday to finish it up, but didn’t have the energy to actually move it outside and load all the material on it. The heat can really take it out of you.
I wanted to clean up the shop a little bit and tackle another project that has been percolating for a while now. Currently I have all of my long raw material (metal tubing, 2x4’s etc) leaned up against my scrap metal storage shelf in the back of the shop. Plan is to take some of that well pipe donated by the mother-in-law and turn it into a horizontal storage rack.
Went to use the band saw, and the downfeed cylinder seems to have bled out. I get a little resistance and it holds at the bottom of the stroke, but otherwise not very functional. My guess is maybe something to do with the 110+ degree temps we’ve been having. Either way, I somehow (!) don’t have any hydraulic fluid or even any ATF to do a re-fill…so I ended up making all of these cuts by lowering the saw by hand. Not a deal-breaker, but was inconvenient and not much fun.
Cleaned and notched the ends using the belt sander and started assembly
Due to size, I did the majority of the work on the ground unfortunately. I was only really able to weld these main upright sections on the table
Maybe not professional Welding Web quality, but hopefully will do the job.
Putting the cross supports in and trying to keep everything square and level.
All finished. I also welded a few heavy-duty washers to it so I can anchor it to the wall for anti-tip concerns.
Spent pretty much all day Saturday and Sunday to finish it up, but didn’t have the energy to actually move it outside and load all the material on it. The heat can really take it out of you.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Your trip looks and sounds like fun!! I’m always looking for better places to put long items (pipes, lumber, …) and hope that fixes your problem. Good luck and stay cool!!
OP
StormcrowAz
Well-known member
Drives – I think this rack should do me just fine. A lot more organized, the materials are easier to get to, and it’s out of the way. Not a whole lot of keeping cool in the shop right now. The swamp cooler does help, but it’s difficult to stay motivated and out there past late morning.
Mounted the new storage rack outside shop and relocated the material.
Before:
After
Also moved the shelf that held the small scrap and drops outside with the lesser-used items
That freed up some space along the wall. Not sure if that will be the permanent home for the band saw, but for now it stays. The Workmate, hand truck, and oil can are only there temporarily. I think that will be a good spot for a plasma table.
Managed to make a little more progress on the shop air lines. Ran copper lines out back to hook up the hose reel under the new shade area. I also repaired the Coxreels unit I got off Craigslist. Needed a new brass swivel, dog spring, and hose. The swivel was completely missing, looks like someone broke it off and left the stud still threaded in the axle. Welded a small nut to it and was able to extract it without any issues.
I had a small section of stainless all-thread the right size, so cut a small piece of that for a stud and installed the new swivel. Replaced the broken spring and wound a new hose on there and everything seems to be working just fine. Still need to run the copper air lines inside the shop, but it’s been insufferably hot. Especially 12 feet up on top of a ladder. Doubt I’ll be up for anything during the week after work, but maybe early mornings on the weekend I’ll be able to make some progress.
Mounted the new storage rack outside shop and relocated the material.
Before:
After
Also moved the shelf that held the small scrap and drops outside with the lesser-used items
That freed up some space along the wall. Not sure if that will be the permanent home for the band saw, but for now it stays. The Workmate, hand truck, and oil can are only there temporarily. I think that will be a good spot for a plasma table.
Managed to make a little more progress on the shop air lines. Ran copper lines out back to hook up the hose reel under the new shade area. I also repaired the Coxreels unit I got off Craigslist. Needed a new brass swivel, dog spring, and hose. The swivel was completely missing, looks like someone broke it off and left the stud still threaded in the axle. Welded a small nut to it and was able to extract it without any issues.
I had a small section of stainless all-thread the right size, so cut a small piece of that for a stud and installed the new swivel. Replaced the broken spring and wound a new hose on there and everything seems to be working just fine. Still need to run the copper air lines inside the shop, but it’s been insufferably hot. Especially 12 feet up on top of a ladder. Doubt I’ll be up for anything during the week after work, but maybe early mornings on the weekend I’ll be able to make some progress.
OP
StormcrowAz
Well-known member
Not sure how almost three weeks have gone by since my last posting. Perception of time is a fickle thing, it seems.
Progress on and in the shop has slowed considerably. The heat has been keeping me in the A/C mostly, doing only little projects here and there. It has been overcast and raining for the past few days, so I took advantage and got some good QST in this weekend. More measuring, cutting, measuring, and sweating of copper. Oh, and even though the temps dropped a few degrees…all the monsoons have just made it both hot and humid, so the human sweat factor feels like it’s increased. Gotta stay hydrated.
Managed to get the ¾” airline loop sections run up top on the south and west walls, and one of the ½” drops for a hose reel. The corners are fun, with all the fittings and custom bends. This section is the transition from the main compressor line to the loop up top.
Also cutting and installing short sections of unistrut to support the airlines where needed.
Doing as much as I can on the bench, as firing up the torch on top of the ladder isn’t super fun. Fortunately the fire risk is pretty low as cinder blocks are pretty resistant to such things. Any time needing to sweat a sections that’s close to one of the electrical conduits, I just wrap the conduit in a wet rag to prevent any melting of insulation inside the EMT.
This piece goes in the corner by the roll-up door. That stubbed and capped section is in anticipation for a future sand blast cabinet on the other side of the wall.
Not a huge update, but some progress is better than none.
Progress on and in the shop has slowed considerably. The heat has been keeping me in the A/C mostly, doing only little projects here and there. It has been overcast and raining for the past few days, so I took advantage and got some good QST in this weekend. More measuring, cutting, measuring, and sweating of copper. Oh, and even though the temps dropped a few degrees…all the monsoons have just made it both hot and humid, so the human sweat factor feels like it’s increased. Gotta stay hydrated.
Managed to get the ¾” airline loop sections run up top on the south and west walls, and one of the ½” drops for a hose reel. The corners are fun, with all the fittings and custom bends. This section is the transition from the main compressor line to the loop up top.
Also cutting and installing short sections of unistrut to support the airlines where needed.
Doing as much as I can on the bench, as firing up the torch on top of the ladder isn’t super fun. Fortunately the fire risk is pretty low as cinder blocks are pretty resistant to such things. Any time needing to sweat a sections that’s close to one of the electrical conduits, I just wrap the conduit in a wet rag to prevent any melting of insulation inside the EMT.
This piece goes in the corner by the roll-up door. That stubbed and capped section is in anticipation for a future sand blast cabinet on the other side of the wall.
Not a huge update, but some progress is better than none.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
May not look like a ton of work done but I bet more than a little prep and thinking went into this work. Nicely done as per usual and stay cool and hydrated!!
best of luck getting AC hooked up and running inside the shop cause with your summer’s heat it will be a game changer for you.
best of luck getting AC hooked up and running inside the shop cause with your summer’s heat it will be a game changer for you.
j p smith
Well-known member
Wow Todd the awning areas look great. We got 2 1/2" of rain yesterday, Saturday wasn't too bad with the breeze. Yesterday I don't think I drank enough, feeling it a little today, good thing I am at work inside
OP
StormcrowAz
Well-known member
Drives – no A/C in the shop for me, do not think it would be feasible or cost-effective. I meant that I had been staying inside the house enjoying the A/C. I’m still jealous of you guys that have it in your garage/workshop.
Jeff – Thanks for stopping by and glad to hear you are keeping cool!
Reached a bit of a milestone. Finally finished running the copper airlines. Approximately 200 linear feet of ¾” copper and about 60 feet of ½”. Just need to make mounting brackets and install a few hose reels in strategic areas. But, it’s all plumbed and ready to rock for the most part. Hooked up the single original hose reel I’ve been working with to the new compressor and airline system. No longer reliant on the old oil-less unit.
Thinking about pulling the pump off and saving the tank for some extra capacity for if/when I get a sand blast cabinet. Can’t hurt to have an extra 30 gallons plugged in when needed, right?
Been working on this project a couple hours each day after work, and sweating profusely to get it done. It helps to have a goal to work towards. Here’s one of the hose reel drops, placed next to the lift and south side door of the shop:
This was a last-minute change to The Plan. Added a dedicated drop for the CNC plasma table (I’m still patiently waiting on delivery of). In retrospect I probably should have tee’d this off lower and ran the line upwards for drainage purposes, but the plasma will have its own dedicated desiccant drier and being in the desert not sure how much water, if any, will bypass the first set of filters I put up-front.
The upstairs office posed a challenge for making a full 360° loop up top. Here’s my solution. The other end comes out in a similar fashion in the storage area next to the office.
Pile-O’-Fittings. Left-overs for future shenanigans.
And of course not everything went 100% smoothly. Some mistakes were made. Bad solder joints, bad measurements, or bad placement decisions. Not too bad considering the scope of the project and I’m just a dude, and not exactly a professional.
Here’s another mistake, realized after-the-fact
I think I was focused on getting the extra stub-out for future blast cabinet that I didn’t think about proper drainage here. The hose reel drop is on the west wall next to the roll-up door. I should have ran the large line over from the south wall to drop into that first before heading up and across the door. Potential area for water build-up, maybe. Might need to chop that up and re-do at some point.
So that’s as far as I got, hooking up the one reel. But it’s now putting out air and should meet my bare-minimum needs. Next step is to take a spray bottle of soapy water to each fitting/joint.
Threaded fittings should be cake, but I’ve only Googled: “how to sweat copper fittings” and haven’t yet got to the: “how to fix leaky copper fittings” content. With as many fittings as I have here, I don’t think the law of averages is on my side for everything being perfect and leak-free. Maybe I’ll be lucky. I doubt it, though.
P.S. I turned 50 today.
Jeff – Thanks for stopping by and glad to hear you are keeping cool!
Reached a bit of a milestone. Finally finished running the copper airlines. Approximately 200 linear feet of ¾” copper and about 60 feet of ½”. Just need to make mounting brackets and install a few hose reels in strategic areas. But, it’s all plumbed and ready to rock for the most part. Hooked up the single original hose reel I’ve been working with to the new compressor and airline system. No longer reliant on the old oil-less unit.
Thinking about pulling the pump off and saving the tank for some extra capacity for if/when I get a sand blast cabinet. Can’t hurt to have an extra 30 gallons plugged in when needed, right?
Been working on this project a couple hours each day after work, and sweating profusely to get it done. It helps to have a goal to work towards. Here’s one of the hose reel drops, placed next to the lift and south side door of the shop:
This was a last-minute change to The Plan. Added a dedicated drop for the CNC plasma table (I’m still patiently waiting on delivery of). In retrospect I probably should have tee’d this off lower and ran the line upwards for drainage purposes, but the plasma will have its own dedicated desiccant drier and being in the desert not sure how much water, if any, will bypass the first set of filters I put up-front.
The upstairs office posed a challenge for making a full 360° loop up top. Here’s my solution. The other end comes out in a similar fashion in the storage area next to the office.
Pile-O’-Fittings. Left-overs for future shenanigans.
And of course not everything went 100% smoothly. Some mistakes were made. Bad solder joints, bad measurements, or bad placement decisions. Not too bad considering the scope of the project and I’m just a dude, and not exactly a professional.
Here’s another mistake, realized after-the-fact
I think I was focused on getting the extra stub-out for future blast cabinet that I didn’t think about proper drainage here. The hose reel drop is on the west wall next to the roll-up door. I should have ran the large line over from the south wall to drop into that first before heading up and across the door. Potential area for water build-up, maybe. Might need to chop that up and re-do at some point.
So that’s as far as I got, hooking up the one reel. But it’s now putting out air and should meet my bare-minimum needs. Next step is to take a spray bottle of soapy water to each fitting/joint.
Threaded fittings should be cake, but I’ve only Googled: “how to sweat copper fittings” and haven’t yet got to the: “how to fix leaky copper fittings” content. With as many fittings as I have here, I don’t think the law of averages is on my side for everything being perfect and leak-free. Maybe I’ll be lucky. I doubt it, though.
P.S. I turned 50 today.
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Justin, hope you have a leak-free 50th!
Think how much easier it would have been if you had just used PVC...
I have that same Craftsman compressor; it really is a noisy *******; I cringe every time I have to use it.
Shop is really coming together.
Think how much easier it would have been if you had just used PVC...
I have that same Craftsman compressor; it really is a noisy *******; I cringe every time I have to use it.
Shop is really coming together.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Happy birthday. Our oldest just turned 47.
great work on the copper plumbing and air lines and design. Since it’s air if you do have a leak it won’t be nearly the pain in the **** as a wet joint Re do would be. Take it all apart if leaking, and replace if necessary or just sand flux snd Re solder (sweat) it back like you did when it wasn’t new is what I’d do.
Good luck and just do you know when it was 111 here fir a few days in June the inside of our home was 94 and AC in my pilot needed a charge cause blowing hot air inside it too those days. Luckily we don’t have those hot days here often and barely even hit 95 or 100 so wishing you the best.
great work on the copper plumbing and air lines and design. Since it’s air if you do have a leak it won’t be nearly the pain in the **** as a wet joint Re do would be. Take it all apart if leaking, and replace if necessary or just sand flux snd Re solder (sweat) it back like you did when it wasn’t new is what I’d do.
Good luck and just do you know when it was 111 here fir a few days in June the inside of our home was 94 and AC in my pilot needed a charge cause blowing hot air inside it too those days. Luckily we don’t have those hot days here often and barely even hit 95 or 100 so wishing you the best.
OP
StormcrowAz
Well-known member
PugetDude – Justin? My shop is not nearly as nice or clean, nor are my projects done at such high level of quality and cool-ness. So I’ll take that as a compliment. I’m pretty sure that nobody here on GJ would speak to me again if I’d went the PVC route. Thanks for stopping by!
Drives – Thanks for the leak-fixing advice. Hopefully I won’t need to do too much. The Mrs. is taking me out to a steak dinner tonight so doubt I’ll get to finding out for another day or two. Thanks for checking in and the well-wishes. Enjoy that warm weather while it’s there!
I’m pretty sure that nobody here on GJ would speak to me again if I’d went the PVC route. Thanks for stopping by!Drives – Thanks for the leak-fixing advice. Hopefully I won’t need to do too much. The Mrs. is taking me out to a steak dinner tonight so doubt I’ll get to finding out for another day or two. Thanks for checking in and the well-wishes. Enjoy that warm weather while it’s there!
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Todd, first of all, happy 50th. My daughter thought it would be fun to let the world know I was 40, hanging this from my mother's condo...
Revenge is sweet. She will turn 60 in 2022.
Re-purposing that tank is great. If you have a lot of air hose hanging around, a cheap hose reel can make a great addition to the tank. A regulator is also handy so you can adjust the pressure when you are out in the far corners of the yard.
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Happy birthday Todd!! 
j p smith
Well-known member
Hey Todd. Happy Birthday!!! Darn it, leaks ****. Is that leak in the threads or the solder joint? If it is the threads can you pull the line out a little and tighten the regulator/filter set up? If not can you cut the line and use a slip over coupling(no center stop in the coupling) so you can tighten the fitting into the regulator/filter and then solder the coupling keeping the heat away from the regulatorDrives – no A/C in the shop for me, do not think it would be feasible or cost-effective. I meant that I had been staying inside the house enjoying the A/C. I’m still jealous of you guys that have it in your garage/workshop.
Jeff – Thanks for stopping by and glad to hear you are keeping cool!
Reached a bit of a milestone. Finally finished running the copper airlines. Approximately 200 linear feet of ¾” copper and about 60 feet of ½”. Just need to make mounting brackets and install a few hose reels in strategic areas. But, it’s all plumbed and ready to rock for the most part. Hooked up the single original hose reel I’ve been working with to the new compressor and airline system. No longer reliant on the old oil-less unit.
Thinking about pulling the pump off and saving the tank for some extra capacity for if/when I get a sand blast cabinet. Can’t hurt to have an extra 30 gallons plugged in when needed, right?
Been working on this project a couple hours each day after work, and sweating profusely to get it done. It helps to have a goal to work towards. Here’s one of the hose reel drops, placed next to the lift and south side door of the shop:
This was a last-minute change to The Plan. Added a dedicated drop for the CNC plasma table (I’m still patiently waiting on delivery of). In retrospect I probably should have tee’d this off lower and ran the line upwards for drainage purposes, but the plasma will have its own dedicated desiccant drier and being in the desert not sure how much water, if any, will bypass the first set of filters I put up-front.
The upstairs office posed a challenge for making a full 360° loop up top. Here’s my solution. The other end comes out in a similar fashion in the storage area next to the office.
Pile-O’-Fittings. Left-overs for future shenanigans.
And of course not everything went 100% smoothly. Some mistakes were made. Bad solder joints, bad measurements, or bad placement decisions. Not too bad considering the scope of the project and I’m just a dude, and not exactly a professional.
Here’s another mistake, realized after-the-fact
I think I was focused on getting the extra stub-out for future blast cabinet that I didn’t think about proper drainage here. The hose reel drop is on the west wall next to the roll-up door. I should have ran the large line over from the south wall to drop into that first before heading up and across the door. Potential area for water build-up, maybe. Might need to chop that up and re-do at some point.
So that’s as far as I got, hooking up the one reel. But it’s now putting out air and should meet my bare-minimum needs. Next step is to take a spray bottle of soapy water to each fitting/joint.
Threaded fittings should be cake, but I’ve only Googled: “how to sweat copper fittings” and haven’t yet got to the: “how to fix leaky copper fittings” content. With as many fittings as I have here, I don’t think the law of averages is on my side for everything being perfect and leak-free. Maybe I’ll be lucky. I doubt it, though.
P.S. I turned 50 today.
OP
StormcrowAz
Well-known member
Bob – No embarrassing signs for me yet, but the day is young…
I was thinking of hanging the tank up high on the wall to get it out of the way…but throwing a section of hose on it for a portable unit sounds like a good idea, too. Might need to find a matching set of wheels for it now. Thanks for the suggestion and stopping by!
Dan – Thank you!
Jeff – Thanks! I think that leak at the regulator is just at the threads. I try not to monkey-fist fittings if I can help it, so sometimes all it takes is a little more persuasion to seal it up. I used a union on either end of the filter/regulator for future maintenance and/or replacement, so can easily undo it and tighten that side down. If not, I may have to take more drastic measures. Thanks again!
I was thinking of hanging the tank up high on the wall to get it out of the way…but throwing a section of hose on it for a portable unit sounds like a good idea, too. Might need to find a matching set of wheels for it now. Thanks for the suggestion and stopping by!
Dan – Thank you!
Jeff – Thanks! I think that leak at the regulator is just at the threads. I try not to monkey-fist fittings if I can help it, so sometimes all it takes is a little more persuasion to seal it up. I used a union on either end of the filter/regulator for future maintenance and/or replacement, so can easily undo it and tighten that side down. If not, I may have to take more drastic measures. Thanks again!
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Oops, sorry Todd!
Last edited:
drivesitfar
Well-known member
j p smith
Well-known member
Todd, I pretty much use the thicker teflon tape and Rector seal on all joints
drivesitfar
Well-known member
When I’m doubt I tend to use yellow gas Teflon but your call
jollygreengiant
Well-known member
Happy birthday!
Man that is a lot of copper tubing. What made you go with copper vs other products?
I can't imagine being in your climate without AC! I melt when it gets above 90.
And is that a new set of wheels behind the compressor in the top pic?
Man that is a lot of copper tubing. What made you go with copper vs other products?
I can't imagine being in your climate without AC! I melt when it gets above 90.
And is that a new set of wheels behind the compressor in the top pic?
OP
StormcrowAz
Well-known member
Drives and Jeff – My standard go-to has just been regular Teflon tape, maybe some Home Depot pipe dope thrown in for good measure. In continuing efforts on self-education, I recently went down the rabbit hole (here and on The Google) for sealing stuff…and there seems to a variety of opinions on what to use. After much reading I decided to try this:
We’ll see how well it works, hopefully it does the job. As always, your help and input is greatly appreciated!
Jollygreengiant – Thank you! My decision to go copper was based on several factors. First, I like playing with metal so seemed like a natural fit. I also do get some measure of satisfaction on the soldering. The flame, the flux, getting the temperature of the copper just right, and then the solder wicks itself into the joint…just feels good. Not saying I’m a master craftsman at it…it’s a bit frustrating when it goes sideways…but such is life. There’s also the long-term and durability aspect of it. I know the technology is there with the newer pex-type materials from Rapid Air and such…but in my head it’s still “plastic versus metal” and metal usually wins out.
Yes, it’s pretty brutal here in the summer. I don’t particularly enjoy outdoor activities this time of the year, but think I’m fairly acclimated enough where I manage if necessary. Just need to stay hydrated and know your limits.
Good catch on the truck. With the new toy hauler and side-by-side it kinda felt like the 2015 gasser we had was struggling a little up those big hills. Probably not deal-breaker struggling, but enough to where we thought we would try out the Duramax. Plus with the whole chip shortage going on, they offered a substantial trade-in value for our old truck. Felt like we were losing money not to buy it. It’s brand new so still putting in the break-in mileage before we hook up the trailer and test it out.
We’ll see how well it works, hopefully it does the job. As always, your help and input is greatly appreciated!
Jollygreengiant – Thank you! My decision to go copper was based on several factors. First, I like playing with metal so seemed like a natural fit. I also do get some measure of satisfaction on the soldering. The flame, the flux, getting the temperature of the copper just right, and then the solder wicks itself into the joint…just feels good. Not saying I’m a master craftsman at it…it’s a bit frustrating when it goes sideways…but such is life. There’s also the long-term and durability aspect of it. I know the technology is there with the newer pex-type materials from Rapid Air and such…but in my head it’s still “plastic versus metal” and metal usually wins out.
Yes, it’s pretty brutal here in the summer. I don’t particularly enjoy outdoor activities this time of the year, but think I’m fairly acclimated enough where I manage if necessary. Just need to stay hydrated and know your limits.
Good catch on the truck. With the new toy hauler and side-by-side it kinda felt like the 2015 gasser we had was struggling a little up those big hills. Probably not deal-breaker struggling, but enough to where we thought we would try out the Duramax. Plus with the whole chip shortage going on, they offered a substantial trade-in value for our old truck. Felt like we were losing money not to buy it.
It’s brand new so still putting in the break-in mileage before we hook up the trailer and test it out.rattle_snake
Well-known member
Happy Birthday young man!
Pipes are looking great Todd. Looking back I would have done non-rusting pipe and a single large filter.
I hope I do too!
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Todd, the copper is a much better conductor of heat than plastic or even steel pipe. The compressor heats up the air and the hot air can hold lots of water. Cooling the air down while keeping it compressed will condense the water. With all your water drops you probably won't need a powered dryer. The desiccant dryer should be plenty. There should be 50 feet of pipe between the compressor and the desiccant dryer, helping the beads last longer. Here's a table showing the heat dissipation abilities:
Thermal Conductivity of Tubing Materials
(Manufactures Monthly, 2009) (Thermal Conductivity of Some Common Materials, 2005) (EMCO Industrial
Plastics, 2009)
Thermal Conductivity of Tubing Materials
| Piping | Material | W/mK |
| Steel | Carbon Steel | 54 |
| Copper | Copper | 401 |
| PEX | Cross-linked High Density Polyethylene | 0.51 |
| CPVC | Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride | 0.14 |
| PE | Polyethylene | 0.38 |
| PVC | Polyvinyl Chloride | 0.19 |
Plastics, 2009)
OP
StormcrowAz
Well-known member
Bob – Good info, thanks! Another added benefit of copper.
We took a two week vacation to Cancun. Went to one of those all-inclusive, adult-only, resorts. Totally worth it.
While there we did a few excursions:
And also spent a lot of time just relaxing on the beach or by the pool
But alas, now we’re back to the real world of work and the day-to-day grind.
I did manage to finish up with hanging the two hose reels. Was finishing up the mounting bracket for the Reelcraft when the overhead T8 fixture flickered and went out. I reached up and just barely touched the bulb and it fell out of the socket.
Not sure how it worked itself loose, but after clean-up and bulb replacement I finished painting the hose reel bracket and installing it by the lift.
We took a two week vacation to Cancun. Went to one of those all-inclusive, adult-only, resorts. Totally worth it.
While there we did a few excursions:
And also spent a lot of time just relaxing on the beach or by the pool
But alas, now we’re back to the real world of work and the day-to-day grind.
I did manage to finish up with hanging the two hose reels. Was finishing up the mounting bracket for the Reelcraft when the overhead T8 fixture flickered and went out. I reached up and just barely touched the bulb and it fell out of the socket.
Not sure how it worked itself loose, but after clean-up and bulb replacement I finished painting the hose reel bracket and installing it by the lift.
OP
StormcrowAz
Well-known member
Made a similar bracket for the Cox Reel. This one is going 1n the corner in front of the shop by the roll-up door.
Happy to report I now have three functioning hose reels hooked up to the new compressor. I still want to install one more in the rafters, over where I plan on putting a real work/weld table. But that’s future plans, and for now I’m calling the compressor project completed. Yay!
Next up on The List is working on the Can Am. A (Jeep) friend invited me to wheel with him in Moab in October, so this motivates me to add a bunch of accessories I’ve been sitting on for a while now. First up is to organize my recovery gear and tools. I used to keep all of this in one big bag, but it got pretty heavy, so thought I’d break it up into two different bags for weight reduction and make it easier to locate whatever piece of kit I’m looking for.
Recovery gear and misc. junk goes in the HF bag. The sockets, pliers, drivers, etc. go into the green tool roll pouches. That plus the wrench set tool roll and everything fits inside the Dewalt bag. The flat black bag holds a spare belt and belt change tool.
Everything fits nicely in the trunk with some room to spare
Also managed to mount the back-up pod lights
And figured out where the horn goes. Mounted to what I’m guessing is some sort of splash shield (looking in the passenger fender-well past the shock).
So much more to do. A lot of wiring and some fabrication work to make it all happen like I want it to. I have a feeling October is going to get here quick.
Happy to report I now have three functioning hose reels hooked up to the new compressor. I still want to install one more in the rafters, over where I plan on putting a real work/weld table. But that’s future plans, and for now I’m calling the compressor project completed. Yay!
Next up on The List is working on the Can Am. A (Jeep) friend invited me to wheel with him in Moab in October, so this motivates me to add a bunch of accessories I’ve been sitting on for a while now. First up is to organize my recovery gear and tools. I used to keep all of this in one big bag, but it got pretty heavy, so thought I’d break it up into two different bags for weight reduction and make it easier to locate whatever piece of kit I’m looking for.
Recovery gear and misc. junk goes in the HF bag. The sockets, pliers, drivers, etc. go into the green tool roll pouches. That plus the wrench set tool roll and everything fits inside the Dewalt bag. The flat black bag holds a spare belt and belt change tool.
Everything fits nicely in the trunk with some room to spare
Also managed to mount the back-up pod lights
And figured out where the horn goes. Mounted to what I’m guessing is some sort of splash shield (looking in the passenger fender-well past the shock).
So much more to do. A lot of wiring and some fabrication work to make it all happen like I want it to. I have a feeling October is going to get here quick.
rattle_snake
Well-known member
Glad you enjoyed your trip.
Nice work on the hose reel mounts, and all of the piping. I bet your good at copper joints now, haha.
I've got the same Dewalt bag for same purpose in my truck!
Nice work on the hose reel mounts, and all of the piping. I bet your good at copper joints now, haha.
I've got the same Dewalt bag for same purpose in my truck!
Woffski
Well-known member
Wow!!! You are super talented man!!! Looks awesome, great work!!!
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Todd, I really like that corner bracket you built for the Cox reel.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
I never expect too many garage updates from you during the summer and happy to hear you were able to cool off a bit in the beach. I bet rates are great in Mexico during the summer too. Here’s to a great race or good few days in your rig at the can am.
I’m still looking to have just one big compressor and one hose reel and you’ve got a nice one and 3 and planning for more. Nicely done!!
I’m still looking to have just one big compressor and one hose reel and you’ve got a nice one and 3 and planning for more. Nicely done!!
j p smith
Well-known member
Hey Todd. Which Fireball square did you get, Mega? What size and material? Still use it, like it? Would you get a different one?
Thanks, Jeff
Thanks, Jeff
OP
StormcrowAz
Well-known member
Justin – Thanks! And like most things, it seems like the cleaning and prep work is the most important and difficult part of the job when it comes to the copper joints. Great minds think alike! I knew that little bag would come in handy some day.
Woffski - Thank you! Still learning and standing of the shoulders of giants here, doing the best I can. Appreciate the visit!
PugetDude – Thanks! I wanted that hose to point into the middle of the shop and that seemed like the best way to go about it. Necessity, mothers, inventions, and all that jazz. Thanks for stopping by!
Drives – Yes, I’ve been trying to stay motivated in the heat and not doing too badly. It looks like we’re now out of the 105° plus weather, which I’m really happy about. 100° is definitely more manageable. I’d been looking and researching compressors for the past year or two. Since I’ve been using just the one hose reel for a long time, that kind of tells me that is all I really need…but man, I think it will be really nice and convenient to have multiple options available. Thanks for dropping in!
Jeff – I went with the 8” cast iron Fabricator package, which includes the two regular triangles (Monster Squares) and two of the Mega Squares. A buddy gifted me one of the aluminum Magic Squares a while back, too. I use these squares all the time, a lot more than I thought I would and definitely don’t regret the expense. At first I thought maybe the 8” would be too small and should have gotten the 12” version, but after a couple projects where the 8” was actually just a tad too big to fit in certain areas, I think bigger would not necessarily be better for me. There’s pros and cons in the “aluminum versus cast iron” debate and ultimately I went with the iron for durability. I don’t see myself doing a lot of overhead lifting with these where the aluminum weight savings would make the difference. Overall I highly recommend!
Not much in the way of updates. Last weekend was yardwork in the heat and recuperating from said yardwork. I have acquired some additional parts and tools for the Can Am build:
Picked up this ratcheting crimper set from DX Engineering. Need to crimp on a fitting for the ham radio antenna. Along with the crimp dies for coax cable fittings, this kit also comes with dies for standard insulated and un-insulated crimp type connectors plus Powerpole connectors and Molex connector pins.
Also bought a Cleco set and this Astro rivet nut setter to support the overly-complicated roof build I have planned.
Looking forward to this long weekend. With a lot of QST I hope to make a dent in this pile of stuff needing to be installed.
Woffski - Thank you! Still learning and standing of the shoulders of giants here, doing the best I can. Appreciate the visit!
PugetDude – Thanks! I wanted that hose to point into the middle of the shop and that seemed like the best way to go about it. Necessity, mothers, inventions, and all that jazz.
Thanks for stopping by!Drives – Yes, I’ve been trying to stay motivated in the heat and not doing too badly. It looks like we’re now out of the 105° plus weather, which I’m really happy about. 100° is definitely more manageable. I’d been looking and researching compressors for the past year or two. Since I’ve been using just the one hose reel for a long time, that kind of tells me that is all I really need…but man, I think it will be really nice and convenient to have multiple options available. Thanks for dropping in!
Jeff – I went with the 8” cast iron Fabricator package, which includes the two regular triangles (Monster Squares) and two of the Mega Squares. A buddy gifted me one of the aluminum Magic Squares a while back, too. I use these squares all the time, a lot more than I thought I would and definitely don’t regret the expense. At first I thought maybe the 8” would be too small and should have gotten the 12” version, but after a couple projects where the 8” was actually just a tad too big to fit in certain areas, I think bigger would not necessarily be better for me. There’s pros and cons in the “aluminum versus cast iron” debate and ultimately I went with the iron for durability. I don’t see myself doing a lot of overhead lifting with these where the aluminum weight savings would make the difference. Overall I highly recommend!
Not much in the way of updates. Last weekend was yardwork in the heat and recuperating from said yardwork. I have acquired some additional parts and tools for the Can Am build:
Picked up this ratcheting crimper set from DX Engineering. Need to crimp on a fitting for the ham radio antenna. Along with the crimp dies for coax cable fittings, this kit also comes with dies for standard insulated and un-insulated crimp type connectors plus Powerpole connectors and Molex connector pins.
Also bought a Cleco set and this Astro rivet nut setter to support the overly-complicated roof build I have planned.
Looking forward to this long weekend. With a lot of QST I hope to make a dent in this pile of stuff needing to be installed.