Nice setup! Could add a final dessicant stage if desired. Do be conservative about working pressure, and make sure your pressure relief valve works - I saw a compressor cutoff switch get stuck on once. Happily the pressure relief valve worked. There is a reason they are required! If in doubt about welds, do hydro testing: fill with water, get the air out, and apply 2X? 3X? the intended working pressure. Even if an entire end pops off, the pressure just drops right away, like when a hydraulic jack moves (the pressure drops off and it just stops moving). If a weld fails with compressed air, you can get shrapnel.
Thanks Phil! As far as ROI, that's a bit hard to quantify.... Consumables on the torch will last longer, and a full set of those runs about $45 or so... The increased time between the compressor cycling will reduce wear and tear on the compressor, so that's a savings... All the other tools and equipment that uses air in the shop will benefit from good clean air, and the powdercoating setup will be more efficient as well. I got a great deal on this compressor about 5-6 years ago as it was a returned unit to Home Depot when they were still carrying them... It's actually a Campbell Hausfield unit painted & badged for Husky. With everything you see, I have probably $800-9-- total investment. Mike
in my mind, a second air tank is not going to help with wear on the compressor, because although you have more air storage, the compressor has to run twice as long to bring the pressure up because you're filling two tanks instead of just one. bottom line is you have to have a compressor with large enough output for your needs.
Nunya Bidniz you make a few good points, but in practice the system has been brilliant.... I saw it as frequent startups v. Longer run times. Because of the condenser coil, the compressor runs cooler. I also change the oil and the air filter frequently.... Number 1 killer of compressors is bad maintenance. 3 years on & the system is still rock solid and exceeds all my needs for clean dry air!
I have a question about the AC condenser. It appears to be used. If so, did you do anything to remove the oil from it? I am considering a similar setup, but was thinking about a new condenser so it wouldn't have any oil. Also maybe a trans cooler or something like that.
motecalevol it's been 6 years or so, but I believe the scrap yard had drained all the fluids before I bought it. I ran some hot soapy water through it, then blew it out before hooking it up. Still working great!
Mike, I understand why the air is traveling bottom to top in each of the two red filters but I'm unclear why the left filter uses an internal pipe to bring the air to the bottom and the right filter air simply enters the bottom. Please explain the reasoning for this difference. Thank you
because water travels downhill. bringing the pipe down through tje vessel after its already cool keeps the droplets in the bottom and allows the air to rise through the filter elements scrubbing the water off.
Thanks for sharing this! After using it for a while is there anything you would do different? Are you using anything else to condition your air before it reaches the plasma table?
mike, I noticed that the 1st stage if I can call it that goes into the top to the stage 18 inches or so into this square tubing, then the air travels on its own to the top of the second stage where it is farther cooled and then out into the cooler making its way to the rad ,, through it down to a collection tank into the compressor. Right?
Hey Mike...sorry to comment on an older vid but trying to solve water issue with my setup...without blowing the budget...Trying the auto AC condenser idea. ...came to this decision after looking a prices of buying one and all the water my compressor builds...I have a condenser out of an 84 S10...one of the lines on it is 3/8 and the other is 1/2 in. Of course both are aluminum. Was told if I us steel or brass compression fittings they would not hold/rip aluminum lines...How did you connect to your condenser? Any advice on compression fittings? The plan would be to put check valve after pump head...and a water trap just before it goes back into compressor tank...compressor is a 60 gal with about the same 13.4 cfm @40 so not big pressure...(maybe little less). Just trying to put together a less expensive / simple dryer. Any advice is helpful...can't really put money in a fancy aftermarket one....heck even a simple one they want over $300 on ebay...without any lines or fittings. Thanks for any and all advice on making one of these.
Mike, did you move your check valve on this system? Your video inspired me to build my own coalesing filter. I used your design for the second set of filters, but put it in the line off of the compressor head as you did you first coalesing filter. I added quite a bit of copper line to my installation, 40' to help with cooling. I left the check valve in its original position at the top of the tank. Now when the compressor hit its peak psi and shuts off the bleeding of the head takes forever. Should I move the check valve downstream?
Brian McManus he did move it, but he has no idea what it is or how it works. if you watch it again it's right after he talks about the condenser. You want the check valve as close to the head as possible, or you are just throwing money away. you only need to bleed the compressor itself.
Joshua Jones No, not to date. I'm getting ready to launch a new design of the page, and this project is on my short list of projects to update. I've received a lot of negative feedback from viewers about the quality of welds on the filters, and I have to agree whole heartedly! Since I built the filters several years ago, I've worked on my welding, and am now doing tig as well. My eyesight has always been bad, and at 57 isn't improving, so that makes welding well even more challenging. However, that doesn't excuse me from making a disclaimer about dangerous projects and then going right ahead and doing dangerous things. So I apologize for that, and will strive to do better work as an example to subscribers in the future! Please know your limits, work safe, and thanks for watching, I really appreciate all the subscribers to my channel!
Screw the haters, the welds may not have been pretty but at 1/4" wall you'll be good as long as you got full penetration. 150psi while it may sound scary to some isn't all that much. Even in the event of a failed weld it's not going to go off like a bomb. Sure it would be scary and loud but it's not going to completely detach your end cap and send it flying. Some of the safety police need to chill out a bit. Consider for a moment that the pressure vessel itself isn't made from 1/4" steel and ponder that. Your pressure vessels have a more than fair safety factor built in.
Is this for a router? Or what are you 'cutting' a lot? You really put some material and effort into it. Hey, if you like redundancy, well, i'm sure your moisture level is super low. Thanks for sharing!
I like your build.. but I have to say... you made a great disclaimer on the required welding skills necessary to do the build, but looking at your welds, you didn't listen to your own advice. not trying to be an ass but... those weld probably would not pass certs.
+Sean Buckner LOL I saw that in the video too and thought the same thing Before I saw your comment. I am glad I am not the only one that thought that. Those welds containing 150psi actually scares me a little. And the coalescing units are square??? Not MY first choice.
Mike. Don't even listen to these jokers. Everybody is acting like a pinhole leak in a weld somewhere is going to blow your garage apart. No, it's not. 150psi isn't hardly anything at all to steel; square, round, star shaped, it's not going to care! And if it were to leak, it'd be just that, a little leak, you'd hear it, give it a little grind and bead and it'd never happen again for 100 years. That said, my money says you didn't get much water out of those steel wool stacks.
With the amount of money and time you've spend there, you could have purchased a commercial high CFM air dryer. I think the point of DIY dryer systems is to save on costs. Once you get into the $500-1000 territory, you've only losing money and time.
