[TheForge] air compressors revisited.

[terry l. ridder]

Hello mike;


On Sun, 26 Apr 2009, GRAF wrote:

> terry,
> What do YOU intend to run off of the compressor(s)
>

the list of tools that would require compressed air is as follows:

cnc plasma cutter
cnc wood router

spray painting
soda blasting
parts cleaning
various sizes of nail guns
die grinders
air drills
air rachett wrenches
air nibblers
air angle grinders
air hoists

> 
> Which are likely to be in use at the same time?
>
> A start off point would be your largest consumption machine at 100%plus
> enough capacity to allow it to cycle within its duty range.
> Build up from there until the pricing gets out of hand. Leave enough
> room and service ports ready to accept another compressor if you need one.
>

i have been reading up on air systems and pneumatic tools. perhaps two
duplex units would be the way to go. the duplex are mainly for
reliability. the chances of both electrical motors or compressor pump
failing at the same time is relatively low. two 20 hp duplex units is
really like having 4, 10 hp air compressors on two air reservoirs that
are piped together. at that point it is the piping size that becomes
critical. my friend paul has suggested that i find an old towed
industrial air compressor and rebuild the diesel engine and the
compressor. he figures it would out last him and i both. one unit that
is on the auction block has an air dryer option installed on it all
ready. the diesel has 650 hours on it. the compressor has 384 hrs since
last rebuild. it is an old ingersoll-rand unit. i really do not like
purchasing ingersoll-rand because they are an offshore company
headquartered in bermuda.  bermuda, had a large role in the 12 yr long
legal nightmare.

do i want to rebuild equipment to be used eventually or do i want to
just have equipment that is ready to use? that is a very good question
which i have not reached an answer yet.

there are times when i think i need to just stop for a while and think
about everything that is going on right now and perhaps rethink just how
i am doing some things. it seems like it is going to take much longer to
get to a usable shop than i ever first imagined. part of that is that
the purpose of the shop has expanded. going back to just being a
whitesmith and blacksmith shop strikes me as the right thing to do. i
can not do everything. i will turn out be a jack-of-all-trades and a
master of none. i would rather be bending metal be it tin or mild steel
than repairing a lift truck for the upteenth time.

>
> Mike Graf
>

-- 
terry l. ridder ><>