I am looking for suggestions on what type (model/brand) of air compressor and accessories to purchase for my shop. Uses will be for cleaning bowls and equipment and small project spray finish.
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Small Shop Compressed Air
- Thread starter Tony Maness
- Start date
Not sure about the cfm for a spray gun (I haven't got there yet and want to) but I do have a tip. Since we are always looking for more floor space in our shops, I put my small pancake compressor in the corner about 6 ft up off the floor. I ran it to an outlet with its own on/off switch and hung a hose reel next to it. I can use air anywhere in the shop and it's out of the way when I don't need it.
Let me know what spray gun you have or purchase. I am totally confused on that discussion.
Let me know what spray gun you have or purchase. I am totally confused on that discussion.
Tony, in my small shop I've went thru 4 different compressors, was trying to keep in the 110v range
this guy did a decent job above the others for cleaning and spraying:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_340269-4365...L=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=
but it couldn't keep up with me and pneumatic sander, I get tired of waiting for compressor to catch up with me, so now use this, which is 220v and tops on my list:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_337408-2830...L=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=
this guy did a decent job above the others for cleaning and spraying:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_340269-4365...L=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=
but it couldn't keep up with me and pneumatic sander, I get tired of waiting for compressor to catch up with me, so now use this, which is 220v and tops on my list:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_337408-2830...L=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=
I just recently bought a new compressor for my shop. I got a California Air Tools oil-free compressor. My main reason for picking that brand is that they are super quiet, but they also work quite well. You don't need a lot of capacity (tank volume or CFM) for simple shop clean up stuff (blowing out bowls or chips off the lathe). If you are going to be doing spray finishes then you should pick your spray gun first then get a compressor that will keep it happy. You might also consider getting a dedicated HVLP spray setup if you are going to get serious about spray finishes.
Using air tools (sanders, grinders, whatever) can be really nice. But they need big compressors. Might be overkill in a hobby shop. I'm happy with electric tools and a small quiet compressor to blow things around and to pressurize casting pots.
Ed
Using air tools (sanders, grinders, whatever) can be really nice. But they need big compressors. Might be overkill in a hobby shop. I'm happy with electric tools and a small quiet compressor to blow things around and to pressurize casting pots.
Ed
I had a noisy porter-cable pancake compressor. Super noisy and no air filter that in a woodworking shop I believe is a must. I recently changed with a MAC2400 by Makita: air filter, reasonable noise, and fast to recover. Excellent for cleaning and blowing things and chips. 50% duty cycle, which is OK for my purposes.
I bought it on line at Home Depot. Free delivery and best prize I found.
I bought it on line at Home Depot. Free delivery and best prize I found.
Thanks for your insights.
I also have the Makita 2400; bought it the summer of ’08 and have been extremely pleased with it. Using pneumatic nailers, I reframed my 2.5 car garage, have sprayed an old bandsaw with a “touch-up†gun, used it for blowing dust and shavings from turnings and the surfaces in my turnery, not to mention the myriad inflatings.
Be warned though, this is not a lightweight compressor, at 80 pounds, lugging it around will test the strength of your back.
Be warned though, this is not a lightweight compressor, at 80 pounds, lugging it around will test the strength of your back.
believe it or not, larger compressors are quieter. And you will need it. For years, I had a 2 HP 220V Craftsman compressor, it would put out 7.2 CFM at 60 psi- that is just barely enough to run a decent spray gun, and it will run an air drill or sander, again barely. I got a 5 HP Quincy pump with an 80 gal tank, that will put out 19.1 cfm at 160 PSI and it makes a huge difference - because it has an intercooler there is no water in the air, and it turns slower so it's quieter.
If you just want to blow off bowls and things, you could get a small wobble piston pump (see my web site under vac pumps to see what I"m talking about - www.wbnoble.com) they are reasonably quiet but they won't run a spray gun (well, they will run a very small spray gun).
Do not look at horsepower except to determine if your electric circuit will support the pump. The big box stores (and harbor freight) buy cheap motors and pair them with undersized compressors - the big box 5 HP compressors put out about 2/3 of the air of my Craftsman 2 HP - you want a "real" compressor turning at the optimal speed.
And absolutely stay away far away from those horrible oilless compressors - they are OK for a construction site to run a nail gun (not much air needed) but really not good for much else except an anchor.
If you just want to blow off bowls and things, you could get a small wobble piston pump (see my web site under vac pumps to see what I"m talking about - www.wbnoble.com) they are reasonably quiet but they won't run a spray gun (well, they will run a very small spray gun).
Do not look at horsepower except to determine if your electric circuit will support the pump. The big box stores (and harbor freight) buy cheap motors and pair them with undersized compressors - the big box 5 HP compressors put out about 2/3 of the air of my Craftsman 2 HP - you want a "real" compressor turning at the optimal speed.
And absolutely stay away far away from those horrible oilless compressors - they are OK for a construction site to run a nail gun (not much air needed) but really not good for much else except an anchor.
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I vehemently disagree ... they are much too light to make a decent anchor. 😀
They might work as a trotline float, however.
Air compressors for small shop
If you can afford it, go with at least a 60 gallon aircompressor, oil bath, cast iron heads.
They have long life and are much quiter than the aluminum compressors in the 2 gal -40 gal range. Yes these larger ones are almost always 220, but that's just the nature of the beast.
In 30+ years of turning, I have tried to be as frugal as possible. Early on I purchased the cheapest tools, cheapest chucks, cheapest lathe, etc/ You know what I got .... cheap stuff that doesn't not work well and does not last. After a few years I realized that I was spending more on replacing cheap stuff than if I had gottwen the better stuff to begin with.
Even my wife agreed once I pointed out to her that cost of the cheap-o anle drills i sued for power sanding vs, the coct of a good sioux drill. After that, she just said, /// "If you really need it ... not just WANT it ... buy the good stuff" ... so I have, with one exception. Yep, the Aircompressor. I started with a Sears 2o gallon. Burned it up. Got it fixed. Burned it up. Traded Up to a Sears 33 gal. Used it up, repaired 2x/ Traded up to a Husky 33 gallon. It has been repaired 3 times. The next time that sucker even hiccups, its getting replaced with a 60 or 80 gallon Ingersol Rand from Northern Tools.
I know the initial outl;ay will hurt my Scottish-Jewish_Ferengi frugal nature, but, in the lonh run I know I'll be happier.
Sorry aboit the typing. I really can spell, but these cancer meds they hav me on are playing hell with my eyesight. Everything shidts around.
If you can afford it, go with at least a 60 gallon aircompressor, oil bath, cast iron heads.
They have long life and are much quiter than the aluminum compressors in the 2 gal -40 gal range. Yes these larger ones are almost always 220, but that's just the nature of the beast.
In 30+ years of turning, I have tried to be as frugal as possible. Early on I purchased the cheapest tools, cheapest chucks, cheapest lathe, etc/ You know what I got .... cheap stuff that doesn't not work well and does not last. After a few years I realized that I was spending more on replacing cheap stuff than if I had gottwen the better stuff to begin with.
Even my wife agreed once I pointed out to her that cost of the cheap-o anle drills i sued for power sanding vs, the coct of a good sioux drill. After that, she just said, /// "If you really need it ... not just WANT it ... buy the good stuff" ... so I have, with one exception. Yep, the Aircompressor. I started with a Sears 2o gallon. Burned it up. Got it fixed. Burned it up. Traded Up to a Sears 33 gal. Used it up, repaired 2x/ Traded up to a Husky 33 gallon. It has been repaired 3 times. The next time that sucker even hiccups, its getting replaced with a 60 or 80 gallon Ingersol Rand from Northern Tools.
I know the initial outl;ay will hurt my Scottish-Jewish_Ferengi frugal nature, but, in the lonh run I know I'll be happier.
Sorry aboit the typing. I really can spell, but these cancer meds they hav me on are playing hell with my eyesight. Everything shidts around.
Quality Names
I've had an Ingersol-Rand SS3-L3 for better than 10 years. With 3 hp, 12 CFM, and continuous-duty rating on both the single stage pump and motor it's all the compressor I really need. I bought mine from Northern Tools during a sale that included free shipping. I use synthetic compressor oil and about 10 months into the 2nd year, it started getting noisy. I-G sent a tech out to my home, and not only did he replace the entire pump, but also changed out/ upgraded the pressure regulator to give me a better working pressure range of 115-150 psi. I do have it on a 25amp dedicated 220 circuit because it's located in the garage (basement shop) that is unheated so it needs the extra juice to get started in the winter.
While I can't say enough good about I-G, I'd have a bigass 2-stage Quincy if I were buying today. Northern also sells them as well.
Just a note on air tools: Consider that your electric drills and sanders and such run nicely with 1/4 -1/3 hp electricity. When you switch to air tools your are defacto using a 3-5 horsepower motor, with the increase in power consumption, to do the same job. Air-powered stuff makes sense in the industrial context where big compressors put out huge air to many workstations. That said, I do use several air tools. A die grinder makes short work of cutting tool steel, I haven't used a lug wrench in a decade 😉, and all my finishing is done using HVLP conversion guns. However, if you're thinking about such things as Dynabride sanders, best start looking for units that put out 18-24 CFM, but be prepared to shell out serious coin to both buy and run such machines.
I've had an Ingersol-Rand SS3-L3 for better than 10 years. With 3 hp, 12 CFM, and continuous-duty rating on both the single stage pump and motor it's all the compressor I really need. I bought mine from Northern Tools during a sale that included free shipping. I use synthetic compressor oil and about 10 months into the 2nd year, it started getting noisy. I-G sent a tech out to my home, and not only did he replace the entire pump, but also changed out/ upgraded the pressure regulator to give me a better working pressure range of 115-150 psi. I do have it on a 25amp dedicated 220 circuit because it's located in the garage (basement shop) that is unheated so it needs the extra juice to get started in the winter.
While I can't say enough good about I-G, I'd have a bigass 2-stage Quincy if I were buying today. Northern also sells them as well.
Just a note on air tools: Consider that your electric drills and sanders and such run nicely with 1/4 -1/3 hp electricity. When you switch to air tools your are defacto using a 3-5 horsepower motor, with the increase in power consumption, to do the same job. Air-powered stuff makes sense in the industrial context where big compressors put out huge air to many workstations. That said, I do use several air tools. A die grinder makes short work of cutting tool steel, I haven't used a lug wrench in a decade 😉, and all my finishing is done using HVLP conversion guns. However, if you're thinking about such things as Dynabride sanders, best start looking for units that put out 18-24 CFM, but be prepared to shell out serious coin to both buy and run such machines.
Chuck Lobaito
AAW Board Member
Rolair Compressors
Take a look at the Rolair compressors. Super quiet and work well. Reasonably priced.
Take a look at the Rolair compressors. Super quiet and work well. Reasonably priced.