Installing black pipe compressed air system in shop

[PeterT]

Can someone tell me which type of female connectors I should use,, I bought a bunch of these Milton Type G 1/2" (thinking they were 1/2 for the black pipe),, but the female 'hose side' has a much larger opening than the few air tool hose 'male ends' I have.

Should I use these or go with the 1/4" female,, I would need 1/2" on the pipe end.

Thanks,

These are the big ones I have, are these the standard ? All my hose couplers are smaller than this opening. Ideally I would like the high flow 1/4" female 'hose side and 1/2" npt male.

 

[John Deere 5425]

I have some of those but only use them for my 1" impact with 1/2" hose. That size fitting is used to flow a lot of air. For the rest of my air tools I have 1/4 " couplers.

 

[ItsNemo]

Better off to step down to 1/4" at your drops, everything in 1/2" gets expensive and you won't see any benefit on most normal tools. 1" impact wrench sure, 1/2" not even worth it.

 

[Cyberbear]

I'm not a real big fan of black pipe air lines because of the rust problem and clogging my filters. I've had much better luck with galvanized pipe.

 

[Farrier]

A few years back, I finally was buying the 2 stage compressor I always wanted. I first wanted black pipe over head air lines, settled on copper pipe instead. The tool shop I bought the compressor from was trying to sell me a smancy fancy aluminized piping with plastic water trap t's and plastic elbows etc etc. When I filled up my cart with copper fittings and pipe, it was more than the aluminized system hands down. I ended up with the aluminum pipe and plastic push fitting system in my shop. It took me about 3 hours to install roughly 100 feet of pipe and never looked back. I've never had a leak, never a clogged filter and what I like the most......very, very little condensation buildup. I have a ball drain valve at the end point of my system. Whenever I crack open the valve, 95% of the time I get clean and dry air blowing out.

 

[matt_i]

Couple of options, you can buy a 1-piece female/male reducing coupler, check McMaster-Carr # 50925K316, to get from the 1/2" male pipe to a 1/4" female QC.

Or install a pipe coupling, install a hex bushing, then a hex ******.

In the copper system I built once, I simply turned the threads off a hex bushing and soldered it into the copper.

 

[PeterT]

Ok thanks for the replies

 

[Falcon67]

I ran 1/2" black everywhere and as above, when I "T"d out to a fitting I used a 1/2 to 1/4 bushing.

I'm not a real big fan of black pipe air lines because of the rust problem and clogging my filters. I've had much better luck with galvanized pipe.

I've been using black pipe for a total of around 16 years and have never noted any problem with rust. Building a properly designed system and doing your best to take the water out at or near the tank will minimize any rust issues.

 

[MFolks]

Be aware,the China made pipe may leak,as more than one company makes the pipe and fittings. You may have to get a tap and die before installing the pipe,to clean up the threads. I'd use the pipe dope, and not the Teflon tape,as the threaded pieces are not well formed.