Yea, I know...
So I got this compressor in the Soo for 20 bucks to blow out water lines at the cabin.
How to repair a corroded Air compressor tank - YouTube (https://youtu.be/1QgNL60TorI)
At least you knew when to stop and cut your losses. ;D Compressed air is nothing to mess with.
I made a dual fuel outdoor boiler this week out of a discarded harbor freight compressor, old 20lb propane tank and a piece of rusty diamond plate.
stop by jeff i have a 30 gallon i'll give you.
You going to be home around lunch time.? ;)
A rust hole that leaks....not so bad, a tank that fails all at once.....not to good.
I know a guy that decided to use a water tank for his homemade compressor, it failed and busted the windows and doors in his garage!
My concern with this mostly was that when I would weld, the leaks would appear not on the weld, but pourous leaks would appear on the old metal side. I pumped it up to 120lbs a couple times under the welding blanket but felt it probably was not something I'd want to encourage anyone else less cautious to do so left it out of the video. My fear was after several compression cycles my welding wouldn't fail, but the old metal would. To much heating cooling and unknown corrosion.
Most likely a wise decision.
I worked on the video as I worked on the compressor. I had more time in the video than the compressor by the time I figured out this just was not a good idea, so decided to turn what I had into a cautionary tale.
Welding certification for pressure vessels is a tough ticket. Re-welding rusty tanks is strictly no bueno.
Right after Christmas a man that I know was spraying paint with low pressure from a homemade tank. Pressure gauge apparently no good. Sprayer began leaking paint. He leaned over to look at gauge, tank blew up in his face killing him instantly. Tank over-pressurized. Grandkids playing in yard, whole family there, two sons helping, very bad scene.
The old champions use to separate the air/water right from the high side of the compressor head. No water in the tank will save it I suppose.
The air will never be completely water free. The separator will take the free water but as the air cools more will condense in the tank. The dryer will be more effective downstream and regularly draining the tank is critical.
I used to drain my compressor at the end of every day when doing carpentry. It's incredible the amount of water that accumulates in a day. Not only is it bad for the tank never cared for all that moisture going through my tools either.
I was well versed in the importance of bleeding off water and keeping air dry. The first sawmill I ran was a Renco cicle mill. 100hp headsaw, 75hp 3 blade vertical edger, 3 headblock carriage and wait for it...
Air powered dogs.
Think winter, think 175hp power sawing through a log, think sudden loss of anything holding that log down....
It's all a learning experience.
Quote from: btulloh on January 19, 2022, 09:34:05 AM
Welding certification for pressure vessels is a tough ticket. Re-welding rusty tanks is strictly no bueno.
You got that right!!!
The one I have in my garage ,3HP single stage has been a good one .I've owned it over30 years but it's got a leaky tank .It just so happens I have another tank but it's cold out so it will be next spring before I get around to it .I've cut the pressure back to 60-70 psi in the mean time .The tanks on those inexpensive units are thin .The ones with wheels usually rust out where the axle bracket mounts to the tank .The danged things are too thin to arc weld so it would take either a wire welder or gas otherwise you'd burn right through it .
I'm the king of the the half-fast fixes but I'll tell you what will work because I've done it .If you just want to blow a tire up bypass the tank and tee in the relief valve on the compressor discharge and use a clip on air chuck .It might take a long time to blow up a tractor tire but it will work .It's a lot better option than a hand pump .For that matter you could hose in a portable air tank if nothing else and run off the pressure switch .Just tee in a quick connect in the compressor discharge line ,good to go .--chicken wire ,bubble gum and duct tape . :D You aren't out much ,what the hey a motor and compressor for 20 bucks, cheap at half the price .
What I needed it for was blowing out water lines in the cabin.
A portable tank would do that .Now this might sound silly but a big old tire that holds air would work in a pinch . Just hose it together with a clip on .
Rambling on with the crazy stuff I've done was belt up a 1/2 HP motor to an afterburner air injector pump from a Chevy 327 and made a compressor that would pump up 90 PSI and it had no tank .