# compressor



## TANNERS (Jul 15, 2007)

hi just been given a compressor, and want to set up in my garage.

seen filter pots, and regulators, and different connectors, ??????????

got a 15M hose and a devilbiss gun tyre pump and blower thing

where do i start ?? basic set up suggestions please??????

i think its about 80 litre tank 5 horse power .........i think:speechles


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## Franzpan (Mar 2, 2009)

What are you using it for? If its just blowing the odd tyre up just run your hose from the compressor to your tyre inflater. (dont know the correct name for it)


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## jubileebug (Jan 25, 2008)

5HP is going to need a suitable power supply - probably 30 amps plus.


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## TANNERS (Jul 15, 2007)

power is not a problem i got a dis board in the garage ,

i will be using it for paint spraying mostly with a sander and nail guns 

cheers i'm still looking for the pics i took of it all:thumb:


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## TANNERS (Jul 15, 2007)

do i need to run some hard pipe around the workshop????????


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## sean20 (Jan 17, 2011)

how big is the workshop? aldis did have the hoses on a reel and all tools the other week


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## Shinyvec (Feb 12, 2010)

If you have a Aldi near you keep a eye open for the weekly deals as they have a Compressor and Airtool week and its good stuff and it all comes with a 3yr warranty. Its not top of the range stuff but its not bottom of the line either, its in the mid range and more than ample for the DIY / carbuff guy.
I have there self recoiling airhose which is very handy indeed, I also have there Air Chisel, Impact gun for wheel nuts etc and the air ratchet. If you need a tyre inflator I do recommend paying that bit more as you do get what you pay for with them and I have gone through 3 cheap ones but the one I have now is very good and the guage is almost spot on but I always check the pressure readings with a known reliable guage anyway


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## TANNERS (Jul 15, 2007)

i'll keep an eye out


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## mr paint (Jul 11, 2009)

The air compressor should be the heart of your workshop BIGGEST you can afford 

you should also not have the compressor in the same room while painting this can cause some issues while painting re-circulating solvents etc 
also the risk of explosion 

you will also need water/oil trap and air fed mask for 2k primers and clears 

tommy


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## Andyb0127 (Jan 16, 2011)

+1 to the above.


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## TANNERS (Jul 15, 2007)

this is what concerns me the water and oil traps and regulators ive heard about but dont fully understand:thumb:


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## Andyb0127 (Jan 16, 2011)

TANNERS said:


> this is what concerns me the water and oil traps and regulators ive heard about but dont fully understand:thumb:


would it be easier if I took a pic of the regulators we have at work, to give you a better idea of what you should be looking at. :thumb:


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## TANNERS (Jul 15, 2007)

that would be awesome andy cheers:thumb:


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## mm289 (May 25, 2011)

Hi Tanners,

just set up my workshop earlier this year to do similar so here are my thoughts:

Your main enemies are water, oil and other particulates as well as the volume of air your spray setup will eat!

My basic rig is:

Clarke SE16C150 (3HP, 1PH, 150L, 14 CFM), my workshop is wired for 30A but this unit doesn't need that much anyway. Typically 3HP is as high as you can go on single phase so i doubt your unit is 5HP?

The compressor has an isolator valve and then couples in about 50cm up a vertical drop pipe (15mm copper) with its own valve at the bottom. This is used to help collect and drain off any water that comes out of the compressor (drops to the bottom of the vertical pipe and when comp is off valve can be opened and water drips out)

Run pipework over to where you intend spraying (need to put filters as close to spray area as possible). For me this is the other side of the workshop and I use a 10mm heavy duty air hose pinned to the rafters, but you can use specialist plastic hose (search Norgren) or copper pipe.

Terminate this feed into your filter setup. I split the feed at this point as I use the supply for air tools and spraying. I also terminate in another drop pipe arrangement like at the compressor so I can collect water here as well.

For air tools I have a combined regulator/filter/oiler which you often see come up on e-bay (I use a Norgren which is top quality) or you can get something like this http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cmf3-filter-regulator-lubricator

My other supply goes into a dedicated spraying filter array. These are made by Sata, Devilbiss etc and can cost a fortune! I ended up going with a "cheaper" version that you can see here http://www.spraygunsdirect.co.uk/product.php?tid=105&products_id=5094 This filters in 3 stages down to 0.01 micron and has an activated carbon filter as well. I went for this as I spray 2k as well as celly and need an air fed mask so wanted a filter set that could supply my mask air as well as spray gun.

Then it is just running a pipe to your spray gun/air fed mask set up.

Points to note:

Keep couplings on filters/regulators to 1/2" minimum and use largest bore pipe/connectors you can as this maximises air flow.

Use a seperate hose from the filters to supply air tools vs spray guns or you will get contaminants into your paint! I use different coloured hoses so I can't get them confused 

Regularly drain your compressor and water traps, you will be surprised how much water is produced especially in hot months.

If you are spraying 2K in my opinion you need an air fed mask. This doubles the amount of air you need (typically 7-8 CFM for a mask plus the same for your gun) Althought a 3 HP comp is "rated" at 14 CFM the free air delivery (FAD) is way less than this so you may struggle with a single compressor, and especially if you tank is only 80l as it will be used up very quickly and the pump will be running flat out to keep up.

Be aware that the comp will have a duty cycle, typically they need a break after 15-30 mins continuous running (especially the "hobby" ones) or they will overheat.

I have actually got a secondhand 3HP 50l comp that I have coupled in line with my big one. This gives me in essence 200l and 20CFM FAD, I only run on the 2nd comp when I am spraying or doing high air use tasks like media blasting, but it helps to share the load with the big unit.

Hope this helps, for filters/guns I found Spray Guns Direct as per the above link very good and if you want to read more then I am on the mig welding forum which has an excellent totorial on this subject http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/spray-painting.htm and and has loads of posts on people doing similar to you.

Hope this helps

Cheers,

MM:thumb:


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## Andyb0127 (Jan 16, 2011)

The regulators are sealy, which we use for our prep decks, which is basically the same extraction system as a spray booth floor.










The regulator below is devilbiss, which we have fitted in our spraybooths, these are not cheap at all, but we need them as they filter out all the all the contaminants that could cause problems with the paint work.










I'd also take the advice that mm29 has written, that's some good advice and write up which should help you. :thumb:


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## TANNERS (Jul 15, 2007)

would it be ok to run 22mm copper with soldered fittings 

also is there a solder fitting to attach to the regulators and outlets


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## TANNERS (Jul 15, 2007)

TANNERS said:


> would it be ok to run 22mm copper with soldered fittings
> 
> also is there a solder fitting to attach to the regulators and outlets


and finally what connectors should i get for the hoses and tools ????:thumb:


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## dazfr (Dec 23, 2011)

doubt you will get a solder on conection for regs but you should be able to get some sort of compression fitting one that goes on the pipe that seals with an olive and you tighten up with spanners there are 2 types of conector i know of both are widely used


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## TANNERS (Jul 15, 2007)

at the mo i have 1/4" npt which keep snapping:buffer::buffer::buffer:

looking at 1/4" bsp but also see pcl?????? which confuses me (not hard):wall:

so compression is ok but no solder> i seen mm289 used compression on his set up on the mig write up and had fittings into the regs and filters


oh i have a reg/drain too. clarke one with a gauge:thumb::thumb::thumb:


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## Skeet (Jan 7, 2010)

TANNERS said:


> at the mo i have 1/4" npt which keep snapping:buffer::buffer::buffer:
> 
> looking at 1/4" bsp but also see pcl?????? which confuses me (not hard):wall:
> 
> ...


Can I ask; what do you want to achieve with your setup? Meaning, what level of finishing?

Do you know much about painting?

What is the environment like, where you intend to spray (workshop) and what level of control do you have over it (downdraught spray booth being the optimum)?

What will you be painting? Small cars, or big trucks? What type of Devilibiss gun do you have? Is it Gravity fed or syphon?

If you really want to know how to setup your equipment, I strongly suggest you read http://www.amazon.co.uk/Advanced-Custom-Painting-Techniques-Kosmoski/dp/1929133146/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1325546094&sr=8-3 Click on look inside and you can see some of the first chapter which covers the actual workshop, including air distribution and cleaning.

I read that when I started a bit of painting and later attended one of his Seminars. He is the creator of the House Of Kolor brand of paint, and what he doesn't know about painting, you could write on the back of an atom!

The Kestrel filter set is a good start, but you also need to consider some means of drying the air for best results on the paint and also if you are using an airfed mask. Devilbiss do a cheap-ish dessicant dryer, that uses bags of dessicant inside, its called the CT30. Or the DAD500 is a full filtration and dessicant dryer.

You do not want to use large diameter tubing, right through as this will cause a pressure drop, so maybe start larger and then come down to 15mm.


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## TANNERS (Jul 15, 2007)

the set up will be a workshop running basic tools gun,da,inflator
painting gun 

will have a section set up for painting 
will mainly be painting small car parts bumpers and wheels

(practising) and learning


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## squiggs (Oct 19, 2009)

Have you checked out all the HSE regs for spraying .... and you'll also need to contact your local council to check out the building/venting regs
It's not quite as easy (or safe) as buying a compressor, a gun and some products. 
Among other things your 'booth' (in whatever form it may take) will need venting ... keeping a door open won't satisfy HSE for either your own or others safety. And you're going to need proper PPE - an air fed breathing mask with properly maintained filters.
That's basic H&S just for starters!


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## Skeet (Jan 7, 2010)

As a private individual or hobbyist, you can almost do as you please, but...if you want to keep the neighbours happy, you should consider the odour and make some effort to filter air coming from your painting area....otherwise you could fall foul of the local council. You can find plenty of "paint shops" that don't have a stack that extends 3m above the roof line of neighbouring properties!

You should construct some sort of booth, just for cleanliness sake and to help maintain quality but if you actually do it properly...even a small booth has massive considerations.

It is very easy to blow yourself up in a booth...not joking either.

You will see people who use big axial fans in and out, with filters which look the part and chances are will be absolutely fine, but they aren't intended to move explosive vapours around...so there is potential there for a big bang.

If you construct a small (small) booth inside your workshop, you may be able to get away with a 600x1000mm downdraught table to do your spraying on/over, but this will require 50 linear ft per minute of airflow, which means a fan that can move about 850 cubic meters an hour.

Of course, if you filter the air coming in and filter what goes out, you will get a much better finish on what you paint.

If you need to consider drying (baking) then look at infra red patio heater light things...like a security light but actually an IR heater...it doesn't warm the air, it only warms solid things, so you can maintain airflow for drying purposes and to prevent solvent pop etc, without having to use heated air.

Also, you don't need a large spray gun, for small items. I have a 1.8mm gravity for primer and usually use a selection of 0.8-1.2mm gravity fed Mini Jet guns which only use 4-6 cfm, obviously the primer gun uses more.

Look for HVLP or LVLP mini jet spray guns on the bay. There are some called R100 or R500 around, that are very good. Not as good as my Sata or GTi but very good.

If you are painting things like motorbikes or small parts etc, you want to adjust your gun, so that it gives you good coverage (meaning, time to do what you need without rushing) with a 4 inch wide fan, 4 inches from the surface...measure it. Cars 6-8 inches. Spraying around a 14 inch pattern doing cars, is not how I have got the best results. 


And as I said about that book I linked to...very worth £14.


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## TANNERS (Jul 15, 2007)

found a pic


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## Skeet (Jan 7, 2010)

TANNERS said:


> found a pic


I would probably service that first if you can. New seals and filters.

That won't be oil free either, so for painting you need those Kestrel filters or similar and certainly a coalescing filter (for oil), or you will be breathing in and spraying oil onto your work...very bad.


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