ever seen a compressor like this?

[stumpy-blair]

hi all , just joined the site , used the search function , couldn't find a "what comp is this " section , so. ... I just bought this oldish compressor , its a twin piston , 60 gal tank , belt driven , electric motor is 1.5 hp , our power input is 240 volt standard ...im going to pull it to bits to clean up and paint it , I have never seen the type of cutout switch that it has , .... not sure on pressure out settings . anyone seen anything similer .... I love the look of the old tank ...now it takes an age to fill up , if I put a 2hp or 3hp motor on It .. would it fill quicker ? or should I just stick with it ? ... any help on identifying it will help , also how much oil? , no dipstick anywhere ... fill to input hole ? .... the guy I bought it off died before I could ask him .
cheers for any help

 

[stumpy-blair]

more pics ..

[URL=http://s197.photobucket.com/user/kiwilegend/media/20130806_172433_zps9b6f345c.jpg.html]

 

[jerryd68]

standard honeywell pressure switch, I have worked on many of them on boilers over the years, they have been phased out and replaced with a different switch that does not contain mercury. no info on the compressor

 

[Scott K]

I want that tank!

 

[CNGsaves]

I want that tank!

+1 . . . . . WTH is that, welded in rivets . . . or what ??

Damn cool whatever it is!! Is tank ASME pressure rated for max pressure??

 

[stumpy-blair]

welded on the end caps , rivets all around , no markings on tank , the Honeywell came with a little manual , the pressure gets to around 120 pounds then cuts out ..... was thinking of putting a regulator on the end to see the output , I too love the tank .... the whole thing is super quiet as well , I will be mounting hockey pucks under the feet to isolate a little more .

 

[sr71]

love the tank and mercury pressure switch...very kool

 

[1/2 Cup]

That's a gem and a golden oldie to boot.
The Crompton Parkinson motor looks like a later addition.
If you intend to use it you may want to have the pressure vessel tested.
Cheers.

 

[zcar751]

That's a gem and a golden oldie to boot.
The Crompton Parkinson motor looks like a later addition.
If you intend to use it you may want to have the pressure vessel tested.
Cheers.

+1 On testing the tank before use. Looks like an old, old, boiler tank. I would see if there is a boiler makers union around and see if they can help.

 

[1/2 Cup]

The options are either to do an internal visual inspection if it has an inspection plug, hydrostatic pressure test above the nominal working pressure or an ultrasonic thickness test.
There are Aust/NZ standards for pressure vessels which spell out what is required in terms of compliance.
Should it not pass you could always freight forward it to me across the ditch
I forgot to mention it doesn't look like it has a pressure relief valve.

 

[Old Steamer]

I want that tank!

Ditto!

Looks like a riveted lap seam. Look for something like a cloverleaf anywhere on the tank. This would make it ASME certified.

That type of seam is good in the antique steam world for 125 - 150 psi without any issues. I don't think this was a boiler as I see nothing for a firebox or water addition and steam extraction. Without the presence of these things, it looks to me like an old tank that was an air compressor tank or was converted to one.

This could have been some type of auxiliary steam tank. My guess for a safety valve would be where the pressure gauge is currently attached. But again, I don't see any penetrations for an inlet and outlet that would indicate this was used for steam storage capacity.

I am hesitant to think this tank has seen the thermal stress that an old boiler with a seam like this would see. Those stresses will work the seam back and forth over the years as the boiler goes through heating/cooling cycles and can fatigue the seam.

There is probably just rust and scaling on the inside. If you know anyone with an ultrasonic test meter, you can go over the tank in a 6-inch grid pattern and find out if there are thin spots.

A hydrostatic test is what is called a destructive-type test as it will fatigue the metal, seams and rivets if not done properly. I would stick with the ultrasonic testing if possible, as this is a non-destructive type of test.

 

[stumpy-blair]

cheers for the answers guys , there is a pressure relief in one end ,, it has been in continuous use for years by the previous owner , and holds well .....does the actual pump look like a name type ? ....only has a serial number on it ... any info on it will help

 

[plow]

Is it possible for a compressor to be ****?





















































I think so.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Very cool old tank. I am guessing the pump is a Brunner.

Sent from my SGH-I727R using Tapatalk 2

 

[larry_g]

...now it takes an age to fill up , if I put a 2hp or 3hp motor on It .. would it fill quicker ?

Adding a larger HP motor will not fill the tank any faster. You have to spin the pump faster also and this requires a faster motor or a larger drive pulley plus more HP. Then you run into the problem of overspeeding the pump, maybe. You need to identify the pump head and then find out the max speed that it can turn. Once identified then with luck you will find a spec sheet that gives you the HP needed to turn what RPM. A lot of manufactures would use the same pump head and just drive it slower with a low HP motor and speed it up using more HP and faster pulley's.

If you go into the advanced search function here and search out compressor or pump and put my user name in the user box you will find a few other threads where I have explained this and linked to places that will give you some more information.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Garage Dog]

Without knowing the engineering design standards, those tank rivets look under sized for the pressures of the compressor in the pictures.

It looks really cool, but it could be really dangerous.

You should immediately send it to me for further testing against current world wide compressed air and ancient steel fatigue standards to ensure your safety.

I will be happy to return it after extended testing to all known international standards related to compressed air, steel stress and sarcasm.

 

[G_P]

If that were mine I would give it a fresh coat of paint, polish up the copper and brass and then drool over it!

You don't see many riveted tanks in use these days!

Sent via carrier pigeon.

 

[stumpy-blair]

seems legit ...... whats your address?

Without knowing the engineering design standards, those tank rivets look under sized for the pressures of the compressor in the pictures.

It looks really cool, but it could be really dangerous.

You should immediately send it to me for further testing against current world wide compressed air and ancient steel fatigue standards to ensure your safety.

I will be happy to return it after extended testing to all known international standards related to compressed air, steel stress and sarcasm.

 

[DavesGarage]

larry g is spot on. Ive been doing a lot of research on building a compressor with the parts I have VS. buying one and pump size is where its at. If you have a smaller pump you are limited. Very cool compressor though!

 

[nehog]

I want that tank!

I had a tank like that once. I didn't trust it so I went to a big compressor refurbishing and parts company and asked. They laughed, and said that the old riveted tanks were exceptionally dangerous and that they usually won't even pressure test them as almost all fail.

I got a great deal on a new tank and scrapped the old riveted one and didn't look back. (The new tank only cost a bit more than a proper certified hydrostatic test, it was a 'reject' that had a problem with the motor mounting plate--and all I had to do was drill new holes for the motor and I was set.)

 

[dbonne]

That compressor is a referigeration compressor. The front rotating shaft seal assembly and the 2 bolt inlet and outlet flanges are a dead giveaway. It will work well as an air compressor, one must make sure it does not run out of oil, these compressor pumps usually do not have oil rings on the pistons, allowing oil to lubricate the referigeration system.

That tank is bad to the bone, certainly a collector.

 

[sberry]

Second the refrig stuff, the switch is a pressure differential switch

 

[sands35]

That thing is awesome. You need to clean it up and then go full steam punk paint scheme.

 

[stratman977]

The comment about them not wanting to hydrotest this tank is right on. The ASME boiler and pressure vessel code was started because tank explosions were very common in the early 1900s. Alot of people died due to faulty designs. The tank might be nice to look at but I would not use it.

Yes it's working now but you have no way of knowing if that tank is at the end of its fatigue life or not. There are no inspections that you can do to test for fatigue damage in the metal unless there are already fatigue cracks present. Even if it wasn't a boiler like someone suggested just the cycling of the pressure in the tank could fatigue the metal.

It's the same thing as storing a stick of dynamite in the basement of your house. It was fine before until one day its not. Google air compressor explosions if theres any doubt if you should use this tank.

 

[kams1973]

Very cool old tank. I am guessing the pump is a Brunner.

Sent from my SGH-I727R using Tapatalk 2

I agree with Jim. Definitely a Brunner design.

 

[ford33]

Not sure if it is safe to use but what a cool looking piece of machinery. Clean it up and display it or sell it.

 

[nehog]

I figure this thread is where I post the most bizarre and unsafe compressor/tank combination that I've ever seen. I don't recall what I paid for this monster, and no I didn't even try to put air in the tank.

Some of the things wrong included of course an incredible tank, the pressure cutoff switch had no unloader, the plumbing was beyond belief, almost a work of art!

The actual compressor head and motor are still in use, they were the only things that I salvaged from this contraption. Oh, I did save the wheels that it rolled around on, and used them in another project.

 

[G_P]

Looks like a water tank! With the water releif valve still on top!

Sent via carrier pigeon.

 

[nehog]

Looks like a water tank! With the water releif valve still on top!

Sent via carrier pigeon.

Might have been! BTW, ten extra GJ points to anyone who can identify that compressor...

 

[stumpy-blair]

ok , so now im reaching out to you brunner experts , I have removed the pulley wheel due to leaks from output shaft , and under the flange is an acordian type tube , a large spring , and a brass? type of bearing seal thing .... any ideas on getting a nice oil tight seal on this bad boy ...will upload photos when I finish caulking the bathroom ...
cheers