I'm trying to convince my father to get a shoebox compressor. Too bad he already has like 3 200 PSI compressors....
Quote from: Lambchops on March 26, 2012, 10:25:19 PMI'm trying to convince my father to get a shoebox compressor. Too bad he already has like 3 200 PSI compressors....Shoeboxes are 2 stage high output compressors as Tom has said it is much cheaper to go 100+ psi inlet and just make the high pressure stages. You will need shop air dedicated to the showebox while it is running so it can boost that pressure up to the output pressure.At AZ Extreme Tom had one of those round tank Harbor Freight Shop air compresors supplying the Inlet air for the Shoebox. At the insignificant production numbers TK is running there is no way in tarnation he can make a competitively priced 3 stage unit if he has to incorporate the high volume low pressure function.He did the most pragmatic thing and eliminated that from the build.So you will need one of those shop air compressors turned down a bit and you want to make sure you have a really good water trap downstream of the low pressure system to take as much of the water out of the first stage as possible.In your copper tubing system from the shop air to the Shoebox it is a really good idea to take your air from the system as far away from the source as possible so the supply line acts as a condenser for the moisture being ironed out of the atmosphere in the first stage. If your copper runs uphill the moisture will condense and run down to the lowest spot.By having a storage tank at the high spot and the ability for all the moisture to gravity feed back to a low spot you can get rid of a great deal of the atmospheric moisture in a way that it will never get anywhere near the second and third stage. My Plumber put a gate valve at the lowest point so I could disconnect via Quick Connect my compresor from the piping and take it outside to drain the tank. You can open the gate valve and drain the shop piping anytime without unhooking the compressor.Cold air holds less moisture so if youy build the system in a way that takes advantage of the condensing charachteristic of hot air and the thermal charachteristics of Copper pipe it will serve you better, last longer and be easier to service.
JT, I use two small desk fan pointed directly on mine with the cover off. It stays warm to touch. Should prolong the life of the compressor.Gene