Todd,
Air Line ? What size/type of PVC did you use to plumb the air in your shop ?
Did you glue or tape the couplings ? Can it handle 175 PSI ?
(I was told to use Iron Pipe or that fancy blue pipe with quick couplers (seen on hotrod TV and horsepower TV) but whew very very expensive)
Need save $ as Have to get a new 80 gal Compressor for new shop..
Looking at Ingersol Rand, Quincy or Bel Aire compressors,, any suggestions ?
Thanks
Charles
Them TV shows need sponsor cash Charles... probably great stuff, I just know that there's no reason in the world someone like
me needs that type of piping. Regular old 1/2" white schedule 40 PVC is what I was taught to use (by my dad), and have ever since. I even buried it and ran 200' under ground to my shed at my last house(under the freeze line of course). You'll get guys that say not to use it, but so far they are always guys that have never used it
My dad started using it for airline in the mid to late 70's and he, my brother and I have never used anything but it for airline since (at least a 7 or 8 houses between us and two of my shops so far).
I use the normal gluing method (have never tried any kind of tape, and whatever you do don't thread it as it weakens the material in the valleys of course).
I use the 1/2" because the smaller a pipe is the stronger it is when it comes to being able to take a hit (and burst pressure as well by the way), plus it's cheaper and easier to fit and work with. I even tested a tee'd and capped length of it for one of the naysayers with nitrous pressure, it finally split a joint somewhere close to 900psi. I let 600psi on another length of it for 24hours and it was fine. Like I say, we're coming up on 30 years of using it now.
Schedule 80 is even tougher, but also more expensive. and if you're only running 225-250psi or less, I see no reason to bother with it (if you have an area that is prone to be hit with something large for some reason like a fork lift or whatever, you might want to protect the schedule 40 or use some hard pipe in that area).
I don't reccomend this for others, but I do it in all kinds of places when taking the pvc over electrical conduit and such. I heat it with a heat gun and bend it around it... highest I tested it after wards was 300psi and that was enough for me.
As far as a compressor.. there's others that put more wear and tear on them then I do I'm sure. I bought a 80 gallon 7hp unit with a Cast Iron V-twin pump (should a harley shoip have anything else? -lol) . The motor eventually went out and we replaced it with a good unit from Grainger's I think it was (had more starter coils on it or something?).
At anyrate, it sits outside and it won't be long before it will be out there a decade now... so I'm happy with it. I think it's a Husky?.. I couldn't tell the difference between all of them in the specs when I bought it and for the price I just ran up to Home Depot or Lowe's and grabbed one when my last Craftsman unit went out. If anything happens to it I'll do the same again... I couldn't justify the cost of the bigger name brand units.
Good stuff on the outlets, wish I would of thought about both sides of the openings when I did mine (144 outlets plus all the power-strips I've added since and I'm still way shy of what I need and where I need them). Don't forget to throw some high outlets up as well (9' or so) for when you decide you need a cheapo plug in flourescent from Lowe's here and there... beats extension cords or cutting and hardwiring them in a tthe last minute. Also make sure you pull a couple extra wires in your walls or conduit so you have them for an extra circuit here and there, (if not all three, at least do one extra with each run to use as a pull wire later just in case). And how about a computer area... a dozen outlets there would help for sure - lol, but consider it being a dedicated circuit so nothing else you're doing (when it overloads or spikes) screws with it - especially if it's going to be a data computer.
Yep, any machinery you think you might need later is a valuable thing to think about now... even if it's small stuff like this that you might grow into something bigger later.
Good stuff on the outlets Sum - where were ya when I needed you!?!
Todd
