My on going air compressor saga...

[Lssix]

I am currently trying to assemble a decent garage shop, one major step is getting a decent air supply.

I have had a small contractor grade compressor for years and it has been very good to me. An inspection recently showed a shockingly good condition pump.


After 15+ years of often unkind use I was happy to discover this.

But as reliable as it may be it simply lacks the capacity I need. Enter the first of my several decent Cl scores...



A PorterCable 60 gallon unit with a bad motor and a Craftsman oil_less 30 gallon unit with a bad pump. First the C-man, the prblem was obvious.

 

[sberry]

Its the name of the game, some risk with used. I bought a genset on spec, so far it doesn't work,,, ha

 

[Lssix]

The two units did only cost me $50 plus a jaunt across town, but before i sank any more $$ into the effort I wanted to be sure the Cman actually worked other than the fragged pump, so I improvised a leather compression ring.



It lasted all of 30 seconds...


Perhaps a heavier leather and a cleaned up bore with some lube would have made a longer lasting hack repair but a repair kit was all of $30 so satisfied the rest of the compressor worked I placed the order.

 

[Lssix]

And it worked... beautifully! Another few bucks to replace the mia regulator, guages and crappy old petcock and I had a working unit that might actually run something more than a brad gun.

Its currently up for sale though as I am looking forward to getting the 60gal unit up and running. If it sells for a fair price I will more than cover the investment so far and even have some scratch to invest in the shop to boot!



I would need to replace the 240V motor anyway so it didnt particularly bother me that it was toast, The pump looks minty though. It,ll get a filter and oil change before being put back into service.



As for that replacement motor...

 

[Lssix]

I picked up another pair of compressors for a grand total of... $10!

One is an Older BlackMax unit with iirc a 13 gal tank, It may get a similar rebuild to the Cman and serve as a truck compressor. its ugly/cheap enough I wouldnt have to worry about it getting stolen.


Picture is after tearing it down, it,s funny that this thing has about double the compressor volume as the Cman

The other is an older machine of mysterious origin, The tank has a hole along with an obviously swelled seam along the bottom.



I did run it a bit to diagnose the compressor, it ran quieter and build pressure (only ran it up to 30 psi, I,m not suicidal!)faster after an oil change so I think I,ll keep it on a shelf for now.

Ill cut the mounting pad off for future use and the tank will be cut up and used as a scrap steel receptical.

The motor on the other hand is a score, it happens to be exactly what I need for the big gal. it,ll need some work to fit the porter Cables odd mounting setup but otherwise seems an ideal solution since I only have 120V available.

 

[Lssix]

"sberry" Yup, thats why I keep hobby money seperated from "house" money lol. If a gamble doesnt pay off it wont effect my ability to pay the bills.

At this point though Im all of $100 invested and I have an essentially brand new 30 gallon compressor, so I,ll call that a win even if the rest turns out to be scrap.

 

[Lssix]

I think old bed frames just may be the most versatile material available for free today!

Tapatalk dont seem to like uploading videos, or it might be a forum thing. But she fires right up and moves the air! Havent stuck the drain and regulator on yet so im not sure how well it,ll build pressure. As it sits it relies entirely on the motor self tensioning (inspired by my new to me table saw) so i may be fiddling with a tensioner of some sort before I call it done and move on.

I dont have any pics but i did find upon cleanup that the intake of the pump had quite a lot of saw dust in it. The filter element does not make a positive seal so I imagine quite a lot has passed through the machine, hopefully its got life left in it. But a proper air box and filter may be another project in the future.

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[theoldwizard1]

Its the name of the game, some risk with used. I bought a genset on spec, so far it doesn't work,,, ha

Yeah, no follow up !

 

[Lssix]

Sadly the 110v motor doesnt seem up to the task it bogs down as the tank pressure reaches about 20psi.

It would also need a tensioner of some sort as it starts hopping around in the single digit psi range and I had to help it a bit.

Am I asking to much of this motor running this 2 cyl pump? I see similar spec motors running similar compressors.

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[ptschram]

Sadly the 110v motor doesnt seem up to the task it bogs down as the tank pressure reaches about 20psi.

It would also need a tensioner of some sort as it starts hopping around in the single digit psi range and I had to help it a bit.

Am I asking to much of this motor running this 2 cyl pump? I see similar spec motors running similar compressors.

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I WAS AFRAID YOUD EXPERIENCE Both of those problems,s.

You need a tight belt and more horsepower

 

[brianh]

I would invest in 240 there are many things you will want it for.

A pump that size needs a big motor unless you change pulley sizes to gear it down defeating the purpose of the bigger pump.

I have the same craftsman 30 gal it wont die but I hate the noise it makes.

 

[fourjeepin]

I have the same craftsman 30 gal it wont die but I hate the noise it makes.

Those oil less units are deafening.

 

[Roberts210]

.....I think old bed frames just may be the most versatile material available for free today! [/QUOTE]

Ditto that! I've used old bed frames for raw material for years. Generally they accumulate in alleys and can be had for nuthin'.

 

[Lssix]

Ditto that! I've used old bed frames for raw material for years. Generally they accumulate in alleys and can be had for nuthin'.

Indeed, i have plans to fabricate a base with casters for a cabinet the walker turned drill press out of the same frame, an extended top for my grinder column so I can stick two grinders on it back to back and if I score another of decent sized one I would like to make up a few diagonals to stiffen up the work bench and use a length to trip the front edge of the bench for durability.



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[Lssix]

I WAS AFRAID YOUD EXPERIENCE Both of those problems,s.

You need a tight belt and more horsepower

I anticipated both my self, thats why I didnt worry about a tensioner right away.

More "real" HP pretty much means 240v am I right?

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[Lssix]

I would invest in 240 there are many things you will want it for.

A pump that size needs a big motor unless you change pulley sizes to gear it down defeating the purpose of the bigger pump.

I have the same craftsman 30 gal it wont die but I hate the noise it makes.

Agreed, my wife and I just decided to have our home electrics updated and to have 240 installed in the garage at the same time.

It may not happen until next spring but its good that I dont have to pass on any 240 tools in the future.

The house and particularly the garage need updating anyway, the lights in the garage clicker with strong wind and I can only run one or two things of significant amperage at a time without popping the breaker.

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[Lssix]

Indeed, i have plans to fabricate a base with casters for a cabinet the walker turned drill press out of the same frame, an extended top for my grinder column so I can stick two grinders on it back to back and if I score another of decent sized one I would like to make up a few diagonals to stiffen up the work bench and use a length to trip the front edge of the bench for durability.



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Not sure what happened there but it should read "for the walker turner drill press to sit on"

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