What else can I do with a compressor

[AndyBoyd]

Now I have been chatting in another thread about Parquet and how to lay it,
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=10663
it seems a compressor and nail gun is recommended, now before I go out and start spec-ing one up, what other uses can I put it too in the workshop, and what capacity is best to buy?

I can see a finish nailer, a more meatier nailer (help with the renovation)
I already have a HVLP sprayer

Anything else?

What sort of features will I need on the compressor -

Thanks again chaps and chapesses

 

[Steve Maskery]

Andy
You can get all sorts of air tools. Pay a visit to your local Halfords or Machine Mart. Drills and sanders spring to mind. Never used them mind, as I don't have a compressor, but they do exist, and, IIRC they are cheap too.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Bean]

Andy I have some experience of air drills, and unless they have changed the volume of air consumed is quite large ...... requiring a large compressor or a big acumalator. Nail guns and spraying are the most likely tasks oh and pumping tyres

 

[engineer one]

andy i 'll tell you what is really useful about having a compressor,
used with a blower handle it enables you to clean the various
parts of your machine tools you cannot reach any other way.

i find on my small router table the sawdust gets caught in the strangest
places, and no matter how hard you brush, it never goes.

bean is right air drills are quite expensive in their use of air,
however the sanders are quite useful and offer a good deal for
polishing.

i have an sip compressor with a largish tank, but even with 8 bar,
using it for nail gunning, it quickly replenishes the tank. make sure you
have at least 8 bar ability, 10 might well be better, mine is oilless,
make sure that the water drain is easy to use and undo.

don't forget to get a really long air hose, just like having an extension
on your corded power tools.

good luck with the parquet repairs

paul :wink:

 

[Paul Kierstead]

To re-enforce the above comments, a smaller 'portable' compressor will pump up tires, run nailers, offer some air for blowing things off (actually very handy) and not a whole lot more. Sanders and drills require enormous amounts of air, provided only by a quite large compressor. Some ratchets can be run off some small compressors. There might a few other small tools here and there that will work.

Oil-less ones are more convenient, but incredibly loud. A cast iron oiled one quickly approaches portable in theory only (well, 2 guys can easily handle one, but alone they can be a bit of a beast), but is long lasting and much quieter (and cooler...).

 

[Chris Knight]

I always blow down workpieces after sanding them. It gets rid of the dust far more efficently than vacuuming them and using a tack cloth.

 

[Philly]

You'll find an air gun invaluable for blowing up the kids paddling pools, bike tyres, etc too! DAMHIK :lol:
Cheers
Philly

 

[JPEC]

I have a small sandblasting box for my compressor, great for cleaning up old hinges, lock plates and even paint stripping. With finer media in it my wife uses it to etch patterns on glass. I have a 50ltr wolf from screwfix. Noisy but good.

Can you recharge a powder fire extinguisher with it? Mine in the workshop has run out of charge and I don't know where to get it filled up?

Cheers
Julian

 

[Steve Maskery]

You'll find an air gun invaluable for blowing up the kids

:lol:
S

 

[-David-]

I have a 11bar 50litre SIP - very useful.
I have 3 nail guns of varying capacity, dusting off awkward corners, cleaning out oil lines etc during Aga service, checking and maintaining tyre pressures, water rockets, cleaning out the chainsaw or anything similarly gunky etc etc. I have just laid a prefinished oak floor with 64mm brads - 2per joist.

As said you can use any number of air tools providing you have the air capacity an you can do a variety of spraying from fine airbrush work to sand blasting.

The bigger ones are heavy but they have wheels. If I am working out of reach of electricity, then I carry it around in a trailer behind my lawn tractor, returning occasionally for a refill.

David

 

[Philly]

You'll find an air gun invaluable for blowing up the kids

:lol:
S

And blowing air up skirts :wink:
My Missus loves that-NOT! :twisted:
Philly

 

[Shady]

My terriers go insane trying to bite the air as it comes out of the hose: great fun... There again, they also like trying to attack the lawn mower... :roll:

 

[johnjin]

Hi Andy
The thing to look for in an air compressor is the CPM (cubic feet per minute). The size of tank is only the reserve to enable your compressor to keep up with your tool. Depending on what tool you are using will make a difference on how often the compressor will start up. When you buy a tool it will list it by the CPM that it uses. If this is a tool that will be working for a long time before stopping, like a sander, then the CPM of the tool will need to be less or about the same as the compressor. On the other hand a tool like a nailer will need less CPM as it is not running constantly and will draw off the reserve in the tank. As far as the pressure is concerned 8 bar is good for most things. In a factory that will use huge compressors the air pressure is usually about 85 PSI which I think turns into about 7 bar.
All the best
John

 

[Johnboy]

One bar is just about 14.5 pounds per square inch so 7 bar is 101 psi.

The airline pressure in the factory I work in is 6 bar or 87 psi.

John

 

[Sailor]

To put the tanks into perspective, a recent design I was working on, involved two main air tanks and three aux air tanks.
The main tanks were 12ft diameter and 48ft long, the aux tanks were 8ft dia by 25ft long!
Needles to say, the compressors were quite large as well.

Regards,

Colin

ps, they were for starting an engine of 100,000 bhp.

 

[engineer one]

have to say that my nail guns which are ace &k kind of don't like
to work if the pressure gets down below 6.5 bar

and the most useful tool is definately the blower,
it cleans places you did not know needed cleaning :lol: :lol:

paul :wink:

 

[johnd]

7 Bar(100+ psi) will do you fine and a capacity of 27-30 litres is just right. When you have a compressor you will wonder how you managed without one.

P.S. When I was an engineer in the MN (60s/70s) our working P.S.I. was 600 and it was usual to have V6 compressors to start the main engine and generators.