The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Air compressor add ons

My new 2-Stage air compressor is being delivered today and want to know what else I should get for it besides tools. Have heard I need a water separator/oil filter/oil lube. Not sure exactly what I should get. Thanks for any help.

morepower16,

How exciting...new toys!. If this is in your home shop/garage, I would recommend at the very least, a water separator (filter) in the supply line off the compressor.

I would NOT install a lubricator in the line. You will probably be blowing things off, or using a paint gun more than you would be using air tools. I have a small squirt bottle of air tool oil I drip into each tool before I use it.

How effective the trap is will be determined by how hard the compressor is working, ie, discharge air temperature. If the compressor has a after cooler or a inter cooler, it will help lower the air temp which allows the water to condense and drop out or be trapped.

Make sure your tank has a drain valve on the bottom and use it regularly.

You can buy filter/regulator/oiler units at places like Harbor Freight quite reasonably. Make sure they are the same pipe size as your tank discharge pipe size. Don't fill the oiler, it will run fine dry.

The idea is to keep the piping at least as large as possible so you can utilize every bit of CFM you paid for. The second focus would be to keep the air as dry and cool as you can.

Read the booklet that comes with the unit, it is probably full of good dope. Have fun.

Stuart

One more question, the compressor was deliverd mounted on a 2X frame. Is it alright to leave it on this or is it a must to have it bolted down in the garge to the concrete. I'm not too sure I want to start drilling holes in my concrete.

I left one bolted to the pallet for years before I got the shop built, if yo are worried about tipping you could strap it to the wall,brian

Morepower16,

Reciprocating compressors are usually mounted on some type of rubber pad or something that will allow movement. I guess you are saying that your delivered frame was 2X4 WOOD. As long as the unit doesn't jump around, that setup would be fine. Is this new toy a vertical tank or horizontal, and how large is the motor (hp)?


Stuart

The compressor is mounted on a 2x4 wood frame and seems to be very solid. It is a 80gal tank with a 6hp motor. Two-stage compressor. Like I said, I really don't want to drill holes in the garage so that is why I would like to leave it on the wood frame. I pushed it around to see if it would tip but it seems to be stable. I also thought I could put a rubber mat under it to help with any vibration. Any thoughts?

Go with atomark"s advice.

You can leave it on the wood as Atomark said but I would put a rubber truck flap under it to take the vibration.Mine is in a 16x 20 storage shed approx 75 feet from my shop.I couldn't take the @#**ing noise.

For painting, you want to cosider a coalesing dessicant style dryer. This has a filter/water/oil trap on the inlet side with a dessicant filled trap on the outlet side. Completely eliminates water and oil from getting into your paint gun. I found mine at TSC, it was made by Campbell-Hausefeild.

If you go that far, make sure you have hoses set aside specifically for painting. Hoses after the dryer. Hoses never to be used for tools and such! Won't make sense to have the dryer then plop on a hose that you ran a bunch of moisture and oil through!

Oh, yeah. I should have mentioned that. I have the dryer set up with a diconnect, so it's only hooked up for painting with a dedicated hose.

Another thing I'd suggest is a tank draining kit and to be diligent about draining your tank every time you use it. When you compress air containing 10% humidity 100 times its normal pressure you concentrate the moisture into water, which builds up at the bottom of your tank little by little, rusting it out from the inside and flowing through your hoses to the insides of your tools and paint guns. A dessicant or dryer in the line is great for the tools but doesn't do much for the tank.

That's a big compressor. I'm jealous....