Draining Your Air Compressor?

[Ted Miller]

Matt, In the old days we always ran black pipe for all the compressor lines and used maybe 15-25' of rubber hose off the hook ups around the shop. You can run PVC schedule 40 but make sure your joints are glued very well as I have seen these joints come un done with pressure in them. Good pressure regulator and a water trap right off the compressor then maybe run another regulator with a trap at the hook up if you live in a humid area or just want to keep your pnuematic tool is great shape. Oil all your tools after use with a drop of oil...

 

[greg mann]

Check out these companies:

www.coilhose.com

www.freelin-wade.com

Coilhose owns freelin_wade they make very inexpensive poly products with push on fittings designed for air use rated to 200 psi. minimum. We use them on industrial fixtures in hostile envionments, way tougher than anything you would do at home or in a full-time woodworking shop. The stuff is bulletproof and easy to install, you can cut in to make new drops and it can all be hung with fence staples in your floor joists if you wish. PVC should be schedule 80 but I would recommend against it. It would cost more, be harder to install, and harder to alter. Wint the stuff I am recommending you just need some good sidecutters to clip lengths. Great stuff.

 

[Matthew Schenker]

Thanks everyone again for your input here!  Using an air compressor and nailer, believe it or not, is still a relatively new thing to me.  But it did not take me long to appreciate this addition to my shop.  What a difference it makes to use an air nailer instead of hammering and then poking the nail into the wood with a puncher.

Feel free to throw in any other compressor-related suggestions you have to offer.

Matthew

 

[jimwho]

Regarding the hose by all means go with the "flexeel" product. it is the easiest to work with and does not kink, or get tangled like the "poly"  hose. The rubber is good but feels heavy after a while whereas the Flexeel is very light. It makes a big difference when you are working with it all the time.

 

[Dan Clark]

Matthew,

I have Flexeel hose in 1/4" by 25' and 50', and 3/8" X 100' (for outside work).  It's great stuff.  Very light and easy to roll up (although I "roll" in a figure eight pattern like climbing ropes). 

Regarding a 23g pin nailer, I've been thinking about either the Grex or Cadex.  The advantage of the Cadex is that it can shoot slightly headed 23g pins.    However, the Cadex has only a few distributors and most (all?) of them have a "You buy it, it's yours!" policy. 

I'd like to buy a Cadex, but I believe in handling nail guns before buying.    So the inability to try one before buying gives me heart-burn.  I keep waiting and hoping that the distribution network will broaden so that I can see one in person before buying.

Regards,

Dan.

 

[Matthew Schenker]

Jim and Dan,
Thanks for the pointers on hoses!  I've been pleased with the standard hose that comes with the Porter+Cable system, but I see what you mean about avoiding kinks.  Sounds like Flexeel is a good bet here.

I get a lot of my tools and supplies from a company called Coastal Tool.  They have a great stock, and they are always helpful, and they sell Flexeel.

Below are links to two Flexeel products, both about the same price.  The "Max" version has some extra features, though I'm no expert and may not need that (although it has an almost-Festool green color)!
Flexeel.
Flexeel Max.

Thanks,
Matthew

 

[Brice Burrell]

  Matthew, I have the standard Flexeel, it's been a few years of hard use and it still holding up well (I got it from Coastal). I think you are right, you don't "need" the Max, but it is that cool green. ;D

 

[Dan Clark]

Matthew,

Other than the lovely Festool-green color, I don't think the "Max" is necessary.  I have the blue standard versions.  I keep my compressor set to a constant 90 PSI (for consistent gun performance).  No problems so far.

Also, it looks like the Coastal Tools prices are pretty good too.

Regards,

Dan.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Maybe you don't "need" the 300 psi rating or the swivel connection or the Velcro hose wrap but you do need quick release fittings so those other features end up only adding about $10 to the cost of getting the regular hose ready to use and when you consider that the Max is ready to use out of the box I find it odd that any fellow Festolians would suggest buying the bare bones hose.

I'd go ahead and get the Max.

 

[Dan Clark]

Michael,

When you get your Max, please report back.  I'm set for a while, but I'm curious. 

Thanks,

Dan.

 

[Matthew Schenker]

It does seem that the max is a good deal.  I really like the quick-connect feature and the swivel hose, and the price is almost the same as the standard version, so why not do it...

Coastal Tool is a fairly short drive from my house, so I'll probably go there soon and check out what they have.  I like to give them my business, as they are a great outfit, even though they don't sell Festool (not yet, anyway).

Matthew

 

[Michael Kellough]

Dan, I hope you didn't take my "odd" comment the wrong way. I just figure that people who value feature ladden Festool would gravitate towards other products that come "loaded".

When I started with pneumatic tools it was hard to find a hose that wasn't most suitable to auto repair shops - coated with rubber, thick, heavy, and stiff. You can't coil those beasts, you have to roll them, but they don't kink. By comparison, the stock Porter Cable hose (that comes with their popular kits) is a joy to use. The Flexeel isn't a huge improvement over the current PC hose but it is noticeably nicer, and it should last a lot longer.

When the Flexeel hose came out I was suspicious of it's small diameter and light weight - even it's transparency. But I was a fan of polyurethane already so I took a chance on a 25 footer. I took the fittings off one of the old anacondas and put them on the Flexeel and I haven't used anything else since for the tool end of the line. I'm tempted by the Max but I don't need another hose right now.

If you have a hose that tends to kink pressurize it before handling and it probably won't kink

 

[Dan Clark]

Matthew,

I'm always interested in better tools.  If for no other reason, I like to keep up to date in case I have to replace something.  I'm curious about the Max.  It wasn't available when I bought my hoses.

Regards,

Dan.

 

[Nilson]

I voted for once a week but in all reality it happens whenever I happen to think of it. I replaced the petcock? with a valve that only requires 1/4 turn to open fully. much easier now and that translates to it getting done more often

 

[rljatl]

I have used one of these for about ten years now.  Works great, saves my back.

Tramec 35002-048 1/4" NPT Remote Control Lowprofile Drain Valve

 

[Timtool]

I think the drainage has more to do with keeping water out of the lines and tools, as soon as you run a compressor water will condensate inside. And when you drain it you just take out the majority of the liquid but the interior remains wet.
But it's true that in the old days steel wasn't as expensive and they made bullet proof tanks, nowadays they make em as thin as technically possible.

That being said i recently installed an air pressure line system in my shop and ordered a new stationary compressor which will be placed upstairs.
The big old compressor we have now has a 12hp 400V engine! It would rock the building apart if we placed it upstairs.

I have ordered a water separator filter with it, does anybody know if you should place it right after the compressor, or behind each output? My guess is that most of the condensation happens in the tank where the air warms up in the cylinders and rapidly cools down in the tank?

 

[tonylumps]

I know on a plasma cutter where any kind of moisture is a no no. They suggest that the water seperators be as close to the machine as possible.