The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Air filter and regulator suggestions

I'm putting in the piping for the air compressor and am looking for a filter and regulator. Suggestions?

Dennis

If you can swing it get 2 MotorGaurd filters.
Put one right after the tank exit and the other on the wall at your manifold. Take out the filter and put it back in the box then replace it with a roll of TP. With a water trap before the second unit you'll stay dry and free of oil fumes as long as you stay on top of swapping out the TP filters for your paint sessions.
50' of line (copper seems to be popular) between compressor and manifold gives the air a chance to condense or you can plumb an old radiator or heater core into the line. And don't forget your clean out/drops. I plumbed one with a faucet so I can hook up a hose for blowing up stuff...

Thanks CASO. I just looked at Amazon and they show a few different models. Which do you prefer for painting?

Dennis

The cheap one... then hit it with a couple extra coats of epoxy primer to seal the deal and make it your own. The metal from manufacturers just wants to rust... go figure...
It's the toilet paper that does the work and I toss it often.

I am probably saying a similar thing as Caso, but I was given a tip that proved to be absolutely solid.. The air compressor puts out very hot air. Hot air doesn't release its humidity until it cools. I used to have a water trap right out of the compressor and it was always dry. I was told to move that trap 25 feet away from the compressor and I was shocked to see it half full after a few hours of constant use.

So now, my pipes come out of the compressor, but the water trap is 25 feet away. I have a prefilter which is nothing more than an HF glass water trap, then a Devilbiss OC3 dessicant water trap with regulator. The prefilter catches a lot of the water but not nearly all, then the OC3 gets the rest. I have a totally waterless painting experience that way.

To prove the 25 ft thing, just run an air hose between the compressor and the water trap and you will see the significant difference.

A picture and is worth many words. This pipe and filter and drain layout is excellent. The explanation is very clear too. You put a air-line riser/drop for the line to the filter/regulator that is used for a hose to a paint gun.

Sounds like a good setup Deve. I ran across that diagram Tim and have just about got it in. One more run the HD for 2 more pipe lengths should do it. Then just filter and regulator. I'm moving my compressor to the adjoining shed so I can get some distance with the piping you guys are talking about and also a bit more useable floorspace.

Dennis

The purpose of the m
Motorcraft filter is for oil fumes... They don't condense out like H2O at 25'...

Let me ask you this. I am only going to have one drop. So looking at the Tim's link, can I just stop at the last yellow tee? Like put a plug in place of the last yellow pipe heading toward the green section.

Dennis

Seems like you understand the concept. Just put at least 25 feet between the compressor and the water trapping. Also good to add a drain by adding a pipe that is the lowest thing in the system like in the diagram. I like Casos idea of using a water spicket or just a handle type shutoff. Your system will be way more useful than my first try!

Putting a plug in the T leaves it open to future use. Go for it.
I find 50 ft is more like the magic #. (A coil in a garbage can would work but how you going to drain it? heatercore in a bucket)
And how good of heat transfer your pipe has matters to. Is it up along the ceiling, outside, underground? Copper?
My point is that having a good cleanout/drop before heading into the wall/manifold/filters lets you purge the lines to keep it a dry system when it really matters. I purge my lines while I'm letting things flash if doing more than a panel or two at a time.
And I wish I'd of plumbed a shut off after that drop but before the 'manifold'

OK, here is what I did. I moved he compressor to the adjoining shed to get some distance and free up a bit of room. There is about 45' of 1/2" black pipe. I feed into a Campbell Hausfeld filter to get most of the water and oil. This feeds into a DeVilbiss QC3. It really works well. I ran the media blaster for a good while and don't see anything in the filter attatched to it. Sure dumped a lot from the Campbell Hausfeld though.

Thanks for all your suggestions and guidance on this one.

Dennis

Put an after cooler between the tank and the pump it cools the air before the tank helps the water condense out.
Basically a radiator for the air, cuts down on the length of pipe needed coming out of the tank.
just have to remember to drain the tank frequently