Air Compressors

[avbill]

I have always used compressed air can for cleaning the blanks. My last blank use a rose inlay and sanded to 2500 grit and I can not get the sand out of the inlay.

This is not a good idea So Time to change. What is a good size for a air compressor for clean out sawdust from blanks. 2 use to dust off drill press/lathe, and shop tools.

I know nothing about air compressors? What should I be looking for in the machine?


Thanks for your input?

 

[knowltoh]

If you are concerned with noise, don't get an oil-free compressor. Pancake compressors are very noisey.

Makita MAC700 Big Bore 2.0 HP Air Compressor by Makita

I am very happy with this compressor. It's on amazon

 

[jskeen]

Compressors are like most other tools. Once you get it, you will wonder how you ever lived without it. And also, get the biggest one you can afford. If you get a little bitty pancake type compressor thinking "i'm just going to use it to blow off blanks and stuff, very soon you will be trying to use it to drive a ball mill or impact wrench or something, and cursing bitterly that you didn't get a big enough one. Second thing is, they are freakin noisy. Plan to put it outside somewhere and pipe the air in, cause you don't want to be making that last ultrafine cut on a blank, and have the damn thing kick on in the shop. DAMHIKT! Third thing, like everything else, they are all pretty much made in the same factory in china, just painted different colors, until you get up into the big money. So worry more about what meets your needs than what brand it is. I personally shop more for return policies and location than brand of most tools. If you can get it at wally world, it's a lot easier to return it if it dies than if you drove across town to the tool corral. And Lastly, you will use it all the time, so go ahead and invest in a GOOD automatic rewind hose reel and mount it somewhere handy in the shop, or you will be tripping over the darn hose from now on. (Another DAMHIKT)

And of course, advise is worth every cent it costs, and YMMV

 

[KenV]

Safety Rule #1 -- do not use plastic pipe for compressed gases!!!

When it breaks it sends shards of plastic all over the place. It will break in time. Copper and Iron cost more, but do not fragment and fly when broken.


P.S. High pressure air may still not take imbedded sand out of wood.