Finished Air piping project

[rjprice]

Just finished piping my shop for air. 3/4" header, 1/2" drops. 2 reels inside and one outside on the lean-to. 4 double drops inside. 3/8" I/M connectors.

Never got really neat with the soldering but I had ZERO leaks (except for 2 threaded brass connections which I fixed).

Lessons learned: think about how to do it with fewer fittings!

Need a better compressor now. Some pictures:

 

[like2wheel]

Nice job!
Agree about the compressor. I recently upgraded from similar to a Quincy QT5.

Also like your walls. Plywood?

 

[tpierce]

Very sanitary, nice job! What did you use for the stand-offs?

 

[95vette]

Hello, Very neatly done job.

 

[rjprice]

Thanks. 3/4 T&G plywood.

I used split-ring pipe hangers, a base and a piece of threaded rod for hangers. Bought online, about $3 each. Ouch.

 

[orangeblood]

Vintage Klipsch Heresy in the shop...pure badness.

No speaker more deserves its name.

 

[rjprice]

Vintage Klipsch Heresy in the shop...pure badness.

No speaker more deserves its name.

Four of them, one in each corner and a pair of advents in the middle.

 

[APEowner]

Very nice. That'll give you decades of trouble free service.

 

[infinkc]

very nice. only comment would be, i dont think you needed a drain drop by the hose reel like you did since you really cant drain out that hose, if anything put a water trap going to the reel. If you do swap out the compressor, add a disconnect pre-regulator, it can be nice to have full pressure when you may need at a later point.

like that you left the ends with pipe for future expansion instead of ending with an elbow.

 

[MrSurly]

Sweet sweet install! Loving the Klipsch! I have Choruses on the home theater along with K5 in-walls

 

[rjprice]

very nice. only comment would be, i dont think you needed a drain drop by the hose reel like you did since you really cant drain out that hose, if anything put a water trap going to the reel. If you do swap out the compressor, add a disconnect pre-regulator, it can be nice to have full pressure when you may need at a later point.

like that you left the ends with pipe for future expansion instead of ending with an elbow.

Thanks. The reels are in the center of the building and each side slopes to the middle where the reel is (the low point in the system). The drain comes off the bottom of the header whereas the feeder for the reel comes off the top of the header. Water should drain into the drain leg which should hold quite a bit. Hard to see but there is a 3/4" ball valve at the compressor.

 

[GooberMcNutly]

Came here to look for ideas on piping the drops for my new air system, and there you go, same system and some good ideas! I love this board.

I'm doing the same 3/4 run and 1/2 drops. If you were going to sweat the fittings, you could have saved a lot of money and just used a 4-way sweat and 3 threaded adapters and also avoided a couple of threaded joints.

 

[sberry]

Nice craft work and a good place to learn something took me a long time and seems you come to the conclusion,,, can do it with way less fittings.
I have been designing air for a long time, done it a lot of ways. If you need a hydrant 1 is plenty but plumbed to a whip or reel like you have is the real way to do it so a man never has to move a section of charged hose and screw all of it you can without connectors. Having 1 connector at the tool is the very best, people worry endlessly about a little loss thru connectors then put 2 or 3 in series where it only needs the 1.
Keep a few minor fittings on hand,,, and absolutely don't be scared to change it if it makes for most convenience. Air is all about that, ease of use. Doesn't need the amount of outlets electric does, not so much parasitic attatchment.

 

[sberry]

My last upgrade I actually removed pipe and fittings, moved a reel to a better location and eliminated 50 ft of pipe.

 

[HPRifleman]

In the past I have done air lines using black steel pipe. Is there an advantage to using copper?

 

[twistedstang]

Its cleaner air. No oil residue from the black pipe.

 

[665.0coupe]

In the past I have done air lines using black steel pipe. Is there an advantage to using copper?

Copper wont rust from the inside out. To me, it's easier to cut and sweat copper than to cut and thread black iron. Also easier for me to get joints to not leak with sweated joints. Copper is more expensive.

My last couple installs I used PEX. That's what I will use in the future.