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No more oil-less air compressors for me

jsherblon

jsherblon

Well Known Member
Last night I was squeezing some rivets for the F-705 seatback bulkhead. Things were humming along when the air compressor cycled on to re-charge the tank. It ran for a minute or two while I kept squeezing rivets. Then I heard "CLUNK! ZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" from the compressor. I ran over to it and shut it off using the external master switch. I gingerly turned it back on and got nothing. Hmmmm, wait 20 minutes for it to reset. I turned it on again and heard "zeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee".

I pull the top of the shroud open. Some cracked and broken parts fell out. Nuts :mad:

The thoughts that go through your head at that moment are interesting - JB Weld? Duct tape?

A few minutes later my wife came out and saw my greasy hands, looked at the broken parts, and me staring at the compressor. "Looks like you'll be getting a new air compressor. Happy father's day."


compressor1vu1.jpg
compressor2ft8.jpg
 
LOL

LOL's :eek: Hope this isn't back luck or an omen down the road like rods hanging out in the breeze on your Lyco. If a Lyco was oil less it'd look the same way. Cheers to your new air compressor for Fathers Day. :D
 
Except an oil free...

compressor is just what you need for painting the airplane.

My Craftsman 5.5 HP (more 1.8HP really) lasted the whole project and is still working fine...I'll be using it to replace the roof on our rental trailer in June...Hmmm...Might just bring the little portable i have in the hanger back to my place just in case...:)

Cheers and happy father's day!

Frank 7a
 
compressor-slightly OT

Here's a scary story for ya. About 3:30 this morning, I was up with a sick child, and heard a rumbling noise. Thought at first it was the HVAC for the house. After ruling that out, I decided it was a truck or something out on the highway. After returning to bed, I realized it was my compressor out in the shop. My shop is detached from the house, and probably 50 feet away from the house. Still in the dead of night it was loud enough to hear in the house. Turns out, I had left it "on", and an air line popped loose. Not being able to build pressure it ran for hours(pressure switch for on/off) I assume. When I checked it, it had gotten hot enough to puke oil out of the breather! Be sure if you build a wood box around the compressor for noise abatement, that it has plenty of ventilation! I can imagine that wood box going up in flames, taking my plane, and shop with it! I'll find out tonight when I get home from work if the compressor is toast or not. The lesson here is be sure the compressor is unplugged, or at least OFF before leaving the shop, and as an added measure, make sure that noise abatement box is well ventilated!
 
Pick up an oiled unit. It will be nice. I just got a 60 gallon IR compressor from Tractor Supply for under $600.
 
An Idea

I was always leaving the compressor on.

So how about having a contactor that is controlled from the shop light switch.....The contactor feeds power to the electrical outlet that your compressor is plugged into.

If you want to get fancy you could also plumb it in series with the on/off switch on the compressor itself, thus if you didn't care too much about keeping the compressor mobile.

Either way when you walk out the shop and flip the ligths off you know the compressor will be off too.

Frank
 
Ball Valve

Install a ball valve on your compressor before any of your fittings or hoses. Blown hoses have killed many a compressor. As you said a run away compressor could burn down your shop in no time.

I always turn the ball valve off on my compressor when I leave the shop.

RAMPEYBOY said:
The lesson here is be sure the compressor is unplugged, or at least OFF before leaving the shop, and as an added measure, make sure that noise abatement box is well ventilated!
Click to expand...
 
frankh said:
So how about having a contactor that is controlled from the shop light switch.....The contactor feeds power to the electrical outlet that your compressor is plugged into.
Click to expand...

One of my buddies did this for his auto shop and it works great. I don't know how he accomplished it but basically when the lights are on the compressor is on and when the lights are off the compressor is off.

Another option could be a timer. I sure wouldn't use one made for household lamps, check the amp draw.
 
Contactor

Its easy...Just a little box next to your power outlet...and a feed from the nearest shop light.

Frank
 
heavy switch

frankh said:
I was always leaving the compressor on.

So how about having a contactor that is controlled from the shop light switch.....The contactor feeds power to the electrical outlet that your compressor is plugged into.

If you want to get fancy you could also plumb it in series with the on/off switch on the compressor itself, thus if you didn't care too much about keeping the compressor mobile.

Either way when you walk out the shop and flip the ligths off you know the compressor will be off too.

Frank
Click to expand...
better be a heavy switch. or contactor as mentioned earlier
 
Next to the day my wife proposed to me, the day someone gave me $50 for my Craftsman oilless compressor and wheeled it out of my garage and down the streeet is the happiest day of my life.

Every night I lock the garage tight and double-check tom ake sure it's secure.

I live in fear he'll bring it back.
 
On my second Craftsman Professional 25Gal 120V Oil Lube compressor, and love it. The first one wasn't mine, I just borrowed it, but the original owner took it back. Since then I was running with a CH 22 Gal Oil-free that can't keep up with itself, much less me. The only problem is the ****ty power at my shop doesn't quite handle the new Craftsman, so I need more power.... working on that right now. I swear half of the RV project is keeping the working space servicable.
 
Father's Day came early

I now have a new two-cylinder, belt-driver, oiled, 30 gallon compressor. Got it as Lowes with a nice discount because it was not in the box and has a few tiny paint scratches on the cylinder heads.
The ringing in my ears from the oil-less unit is nearly gone. The new one sounds a bit like the African Queen. It also maintains much higher pressure than the old unit.
I stripped all of the compressor components off of the one that broke. If I can find space, I may connect it as an auxillary tank.
 
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