Small compressor

[daverclasper]

Thinking of buying a very compact compressor from Screwfix (have to smuggle it in the house and try and find a bit more room under one of the beds).

 

It's 10 bar pressure, which I think would be good enough to spray thinned down Waxoil, with a paraffin gun attachment.

 

Also wondering, would this be enough pressure to use a rattle gun to some effect?.

 

Any help great please.

 

Cheers, Dave 

[Pete Lewis]

ive had a 

 

http://www.screwfix.com/p/impax-im200-12l-12ltr-compressor-230v/15318

 

for a few years , not tried it at spraying , paint , have used a sandblast kit ,  or impact wrench  as i use battery ones  , its pretty noisy,

 

impact wrench needs high pressure and hi volume , so ok for short bursts    never use a small  10mm bore pipe on a impact gun

spray needs hi volume low pressure so better suited  i guess.  

 

depends on the tank size youre looking at  and how much you intend to spary

 

i used a waxoyl hand pump pressure canister to patch up any areas ,just keep it in a bucket of hot water and it doesnt need thinning down

just some idea's  Pete.

[Unkel Kunkel]

Not sure which one you have in mind, Dave,

pressure not the main issue as most will generate 150 psi ie 10 atmos = 10 approx x 15psi , and most air tools seem to quote air consumption at 90 psi

it is more how much volume can be delivered to cope with the consumption of what your running and the cycle time ( ie everything you're doing has to cease whilst machine has to "fill up" the reservoir)

 

So you need to compare the FAD free air delivery capacity against what you will be needing and the cycle time.

For most Small scale use , this means a 3 hp motor and no less than 50 litre reservoir.

Much above 3 hp and your looking at something more than your normal single phase electrical supply.

 

I am sure someone wiil be on soon to quote FADs and consumption of various tools and I will leave that to them.

Small compressors will work most things but sometimes just for brief blasts. So Spraying Waxoyl no prob for most.Air wrenches maybe as brief bursts - sanders and sprayers use a lot. and its no good having to stop every minute.

 

-but ..There is a point which many overlook and that is ... NOISE -some of the cheaper compressors are very noisy to a degree that is unpleasant and if used a lot,even if you're happy, it will test the tolerance of spouse and neighbours!

The noisy ones have direct drive and run at high rom in order to give output.

So if poss go for a belt driven compreesor - runs at lower lazy rpm and is not unduly noisy and wiil last longer.These ussualy have more than one cylinder in the compressor.

I can reccomend ABAC, well made ,good performance - and nice and quiet

[JohnD]

Dave,

 

1/ Waxoyl is available in a canister that comes with it's own hand pump, that is quite adequate for most applications.  No need for a compressor.  If you want to do that, you need one of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vehicle-Under-Body-Coating-Gun-Stone-Chip-Tetrashutz-Underseal-Spray-Gun-AT083-/172237526948?_trksid=p2349526.m2548.l4275

 

2/ a "Rattle can" is an aerosol that comes pre-pressurised.    There is no such thing (AFAIK) as a "Rattle gun", as spray guns spray paint that has been mixed and the viscosity adjusted for the application.  No need to stir it up with a ball bearing in the reservoir, which gives the can its rattle.

 

3/ Hide a compressor under the bed?   Only of you want to give Herself a heart attack. They start suddenly and ARE VERY NOISY!

 

4/ All the compressors at Screwfix look to me to be "Direct drive". http://www.screwfix.com/c/tools/air-compressors/cat830698 This type is cheaper, and as I was warned when I bought mine (from Machine Mart, which you might look at too) are more noisy than a belt driver model.    They were right!   Conversation in my garage was impossible while the compressor ran, until I enclosed it in a sound absorbing box - it's still NOISY!

 

5/ as Vanadium said, the criterion for a compressor is not the pressure it can deliver, but the Free Air Delivery (FAD).    Tools vary in their demand, and if the compressor isn't up to it, it will empty its reservoir quickly and you must wait until it builds up again.  Quite frustrating!  The above spray gun is rated at 11 cfm (Cubic Feet/Minute)

 

HOWEVER,  a compressor is very useful.  I can use it for blowing and inflating purposes, and  run a number of tools off it, belt sander, impact driver, hacksaw, fretsaw, but never a Waxoyl sprayer!

 

JOhn

PS The hand sprayer can benefit from diluting the Waxoyl with White Spirit, especially at this time of year.  You clean it with the stuff too, which is essential, else your spray will be useless next time.  J.

[Guest]

Dave.

 

If you are just getting a compressor ONLY to spray Waxoyl, I would not  bother as the outlay IMHO is not worth it.

 

You would be better spending your £££ on Bilt Hamber Dynax S-50 Extreme Anti-Corrosion Wax 750ml Aerosol which is an excellent product. These large aerosols are extreme high pressure and also come with a very handy long lance, if required for sills and tucked away areas. A tin can be obtained for well under £20 and it goes a long way.

 

With regard to compressors you really do get what you pay for.

 

Do not bother with direct drive it's noisy and not as efficient as a belt drive unit; which is far quieter.

 

FAD is important if you are running certain air tools; the higher the FAD the more air tool options you have. The larger the tank the less time you will have to wait for it to refill which is a real pain if say for example you are paint spraying, as it always runs out or pressure mid-sweep of the area being painted and never at the end of the sweep !!

 

If you really are hungry for a compressor I would look at a belt driven 3HP 50L tank unit with twin outlets. Another important factor, if you do go down the 3HP route, is to check the required amp supply. A number of units require a 16amp feed, so if you run the unit from a standard 13amp socket you can expect your fuse board to be tripping on a very regular basis.

 

If your use really is VERY low key, then a 2HP or 2.5HP with a 25L tank will do BUT it really is the bottom end of capability options.

 

Regards.

 

Richard.

[Paul H]

Dave.

 

If you are just getting a compressor ONLY to spray Waxoyl, I would not  bother as the outlay IMHO is not worth it.

 

You would be better spending your £££ on Bilt Hamber Dynax S-50 Extreme Anti-Corrosion Wax 750ml Aerosol which is an excellent product. These large aerosols are extreme high pressure and also come with a very handy long lance, if required for sills and tucked away areas. A tin can be obtained for well under £20 and it goes a long way.

 

With regard to compressors you really do get what you pay for.

 

Do not bother with direct drive it's noisy and not as efficient as a belt drive unit; which is far quieter.

 

FAD is important if you are running certain air tools; the higher the FAD the more air tool options you have. The larger the tank the less time you will have to wait for it to refill which is a real pain if say for example you are paint spraying, as it always runs out or pressure mid-sweep of the area being painted and never at the end of the sweep !!

 

If you really are hungry for a compressor I would look at a belt driven 3HP 50L tank unit with twin outlets. Another important factor, if you do go down the 3HP route, is to check the required amp supply. A number of units require a 16amp feed, so if you run the unit from a standard 13amp socket you can expect your fuse board to be tripping on a very regular basis.

 

If your use really is VERY low key, then a 2HP or 2.5HP with a 25L tank will do BUT it really is the bottom end of capability options.

 

Regards.

 

Richard.

Another vote for Bilt Hamber Dynax S-50 Very easy to use and the probe lance provided makes accessing awkward areas a piece of cake . I used the probe for the inside of rear outriggers and the the probe has a 360 degree head so its a simple job of operating the can and withdraw the probe and all 4 sides covered in 1 go

Regards

Paul

 

 

[Pete Lewis]

The little unit I have certainly is a right racket , frightens evryone when it runs

but its small very portable but not for serious use , and I just use it with my tyre inflator these days

I had a enormouse unit rescued from the factory as all have said relatively quiet but took up

too much space so it went ,

 

and the noisy tiddler does the odd job now

 

one thing to add if spraying is a air drier and moisture dump , if yoy rjn power tools you need a

line oiler but not for paint.

 

we fitted a truck air brake drier in the compressor outlet to keep the air dry.

 

pete

[Pete Lewis]

Why wont this silly tablet thingy never type what the key board says

 

fat fingers or just done tomaid the insanity

[Bordfunker]

If you are sold on a compressor, then I can recommend this one, as I bought one the other week.

 

http://gtair.co.uk/air-compressors/1-burisch-bt-390t-90-litre-3hp-belt-drive-air-compressor.html

 

It is a bit of a monster though at about a metre long and weighing in at just under 90kg, so the only bed you'd hide it under is a bunk bed!

 

I bought mine with the intention of running air tools and spray guns, hence going for something at the larger end of the DIY scale.

 

Karl

[Guest]

Karl.

 

That's a nice compressor and ticks all the boxes. My only observation is that it runs at 97db - which is fairly high noise. However, as you have one perhaps you can say what your view on the sound is like and where you have the unit sited etc.??

 

An all-in price including shipping from the company (Luton) is currently a shade under £270.

 

Regards.

 

Richard.

[Guest]

For an extra few quid you can get some goodies thrown in by the company as well.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Air-Compressor-90L-HVLP-Spray-Gun-10m-Air-Hose-paint-car-DVD-Burisch-90ltr-/151373869262?hash=item233e95f0ce:g:1DAAAOSwUEVYDcN-

 

Regards.

 

Richard.

[Bordfunker]

Richard, I picked up the package that came with the blow gun, tire inflators etc, as I figured these would be useful, and I've been using the paraffin gun this afternoon with Gunk to clean the engine bay.

 

Mine is situated in the garage, which is separate to the house, which is a good thing as it's not exactly silent, but then I don't think any compressor in this price range is going to quiet, but having said that it's quieter than a direct drive model.

 

The other point is that the tank fills up within 2-3 minutes, and therefore unlike a smaller compressor doesn't have to be running all the time.

 

Karl

[Colin Lindsay]

Some good points raised here - as Vanadium says: noise, and as JohnD says: running out of puff and having to wait for refilling is very frustrating. 

I had a small 10 or 12 litre compressor years ago and it was a nightmare for anything other than degreasing engines or inflating tyres. You'll grow into a compressor and once you start to use it for small jobs you'll soon want it for bigger ones, so buy the biggest you can afford. I bought a Sip 200 from a factory sale some years ago, it was a backup compressor so had been run for about an hour a month as a tick-box exercise and it's great for any job, including sandblasting - which uses a lot of air. BUT: still quite noisy when refilling so lives in the garage. At a cost of £180 it's served me well! It may be worth checking local auctions or clearance sales to see what's going.

[daverclasper]

Thanks a lot everyone. Lots of food for thought there.

 

The Bilt Hamber aerosol may be the way to go, as Its the side rail/body mounts/area around the rear spring that I'm concerned with getting to. I can brush on the rest of underside I think.

 

Cheers, Dave 

[Pete Lewis]

the pressure sprayer can is easy to use, gives a good coverage and easy to direct so you dont spray the walls or the drive

 

brushing is not good for a sealed coverage  and takes  for  ages in comparision

 

just searched they dont list the sprayer i have ,which is similar to a plant sprayer with a wand. with a vertical air pump 

 

if you get a compressor buy a shutz gun  excellant for wax or anti drum spraying

 

Pete

[68vitesse]

Used a cleaned out stone chip can and shutz gun to spray the waxoyl on my Vitesse only problem was when I kinked the extension tube, the main seam of the can split. 

At least the garage floor will not rust.

Have a 3HP compressor, wish I had bought one with a tank bigger than 50L

 

Regards

 

Paul

[Paul H]

Aldi have a special offer on air tools coming up https://www.aldi.co.uk/c/specialbuys/diy  its best to buy on line as its free delivery also the promo dates are incorrect as they have a supply issue 

 

Regards

 

Paul 

[Colin Lindsay]

Used a cleaned out stone chip can and shutz gun to spray the waxoyl on my Vitesse only problem was when I kinked the extension tube, the main seam of the can split. 

At least the garage floor will not rust.

 

 

My father-in-law and his son sprayed a metal home heating oil tank in situ with a spray gun and red oxide... unfortunately there was too much pressure and the antiquated gun exploded leaving them blinking little white eyes in red faces like Laurel and Hardy... in fact everything for yards around was covered in red. Thankfully this was shortly AFTER I married his daughter, as I rolled around the floor laughing for ages and blotted my copybook bigstyle.

[Alan Crook]

Hi ,Just reading through some of the scribblings.I assume that the rattle gun mentioned is a trade name for an impact gun. that  is what most tyre fitters call them cos they rattle

[Pete Lewis]

reckon so,, mine are all battery ,, still make a clatter but much quieter and powerfull than diy   air impacts mostof which are restricted by small bore  hoses.  then need a good supply to work at optimum

 

battery ons can be costly but go anywhwere   my Mac 1/2 drive does 330 lbft if needed

 

just got a second 3/8 drive lithium powered  from a sale in Homebase ...£18   a real bargain  should have bought the stock and sold at the pub meets ...

[dougbgt6]

Is the 1/2" the never-been-known-to-fail impact driver Pete?

 

They do some good stuff at Homebase these days, taken over by Australians I believe and a much better store than it was. £18? hum, a trip out I think.

[Fasterandfuriouser]

I stumbled across an almost unused 3hp 100l 8cfm Hydrovane a few months ago.. Factory was using it as a spare and decided to shift it, £500 with a service thrown in before delivery. 240 volt too - be sure to fit a slow blow 20a breaker.

 

Pleased? You bet, and so are the neighbours now I've got rid of the 50l 2.5hp machinery Mart epic noisemaker.

[Pete Lewis]

Doug where would we be without  poetic licence to widen the  subject  !!!

 

your studs took 331 to move them   Heh !

 

all local stock long gone 

Pete

[JohnD]

. 240 volt too - be sure to fit a slow blow 20a breaker.

F&F,

Please tell more about this.

 

I originally wired my compressor in via a switched surface box, no plug or socket.    I used a fused one, but the usual 13A cartridge fuses kept on blowing, so I did away with the fuse.

Still nervous about this, as it makes my installation less safe.

A 'slow blow breaker' rated at 20A would get around the brief, initial high current of a large electric motor, and still protect from faults - but I can't fuind such a thing, searching on Google and Amazon.

Where should I look, please?

Can you get one built into a standard surface box?

JOhn

[Fasterandfuriouser]

F&F,

Please tell more about this.

 

I originally wired my compressor in via a switched surface box, no plug or socket. I used a fused one, but the usual 13A cartridge fuses kept on blowing, so I did away with the fuse.

Still nervous about this, as it makes my installation less safe.

A 'slow blow breaker' rated at 20A would get around the brief, initial high current of a large electric motor, and still protect from faults - but I can't fuind such a thing, searching on Google and Amazon.

Where should I look, please?

Can you get one built into a standard surface box?

JOhn

Hi John,

 

You need a Type C MCB.

 

Fit a 16a or 20a one in your breaker box and run some heavy duty flex to a dedicated 16a 'Commando' socket like this one with an isolator. Switch.

 

https://www.eleconline.co.uk/zdriverel/form/catsel/INDUSTRIAL-PLUG/SKTS/product/901345?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuLr2oayY1QIVwantCh2rnA2GEAQYDyABEgI69_D_BwE

 

Fit the appropriate blue plug on your welder and compressor and away you go.