air compressor

I'm just playing around, learning how to post pictures better.
Here are some more of my compressor, as I got it and after I cleaned it up. Thanks for letting me bore you with them.

With a little gray takin off

A little closer of the pump

What a little TLC can do

And as it sits today

Tom;
Thats an impressive setup.
I've got a Sailor Bell pump that I picked up, that needs some "TLC"
One thing that I recommend to get is an Auto tank drain. Our friends at Harbor Freight have one for about ten bucks. Just throw away the plastic tubing and fittings that come with it, and use copper. I put one on the compressor in the Magic Garage. I tied it into the unloader line. works like a champ. keeps my tank dry even here in Humid Florida.
Here's where it "t's" into the unloader line.

Here's the drain on the bottom of the tank. It's basically a "one shot valve" piloted off of unloader preasure.
A great bargain for ten bucks

[Franz]

Those autodrains are nice, as long as you remember to keep an eye on them. When they work, they work, but they will eventually sludge up from compressor oil and water emulsion, and if you aren't checking, you wind up with a tank full of water because you relyed on an automatic device.

Hi Jim
I saw those drains at HF and thought about it, but I have a big drain on there, in fact there are 3 drains, but the big one I use almost everyday because it scares the cats away and it gets attention from my kids. They stay away from the air compressor when I open it up. Also great for removing snow from around the door. When wifey goes to work, I crack it open and she yells, "What the**** are you doing"? You got to have fun with the toys you know!

She who must be obeyed gets on my case. She'll will be out in the magic garage, next to the compressor when it comes on and scares the snott out of her. She accusses me of doing it on purpose I can't plan that good
i just looked at the picture again, I've got to say it again. Thats a nice compressor

[Franz]

Hey Slag,
More I look at that thing I gotta wonder, are the bands around the tank holding the compressor deck, or is the deck also welded to the top side of the tank? That old girl might be older than I'm thinkin.
I gotta hide this thread so my dalin don't go gettin ideas bout usin compressed air to move snow. She'd take to that idea real quick just to run up the electric bill on me.

Thanks everyone, my bother delievered about 700 lbs of nice angle iron to me tonight. He works construction as a supervisior and has to get rid of the drop offs. Most of the pieces are 5 to 7 feet long. From 1 1/2 angle to 5 inch. Lots of hand rail, like I used in that picture of the first job I had, and some nice flat plate, all different sizes. He also wanted to hear the compressor run, so I drained out some air and she started singing. Two guys just standing there smiling, watching that old compressor do it's thing. It is was about 8 degrees then and she didn't seem to mine bout waking up to entertain us.
Oh Yeah before I forget. Franz, that Compressor deck is mounted to the bands, not to the tank. The bands do not go all the way around the tank at the top. The deck is mounted to the bands at the corners and that is where the bands end. At the bottom, the same thing, instead of a deck there are rods fom one side to the other. So no where is the bands or the deck welded to the tank.
What do you think so far? How old is this lady?

[Franz]

Slag, I'm almost thinking 1950s for that machine. The bands tell me she was built before they got real confident about welding the decks to the tanks, even though they could weld up a tank just fine, there were problems with fatigue cracks when they welded decks to tanks.
If the tank construction plate is still there it should have some dating on it.

Franz
The Tanks construction plate is.....the only one not there anymore.

On the Deck:
Champion Pneumatic Machinery Co.
SN 28351
Model OE 40 80V

Tomarrow I will check closer, but there are no tags or numbers on the compressor itself

The motor's tag:
Wagner Electric Corp
Type RG
Frame 225
Model X34 B291
2HP 220 10amp

[sscherin]

Nice Job.. Makes me want to get out and work on the Devilbiss..
My tank scares me (part of why it's not hooked up after sitting the the garage for 6 months)

The plate says it was built in 1940!!

Originally posted by sscherin
Nice Job.. Makes me want to get out and work on the Devilbiss..
My tank scares me (part of why it's not hooked up after sitting the the garage for 6 months)

The plate says it was built in 1940!!

Not trying to talk you into taking any chances but I wonder if that is really as dangerous as
having one that says "Harbor Freight 2004"?

Cutter, I think you should get it up and running. I think somethings, not everything, but somethings made today are built because those companies don't really believe they will be around very long, so why make something that is going to last. Old compressors like yours and mine and old tractors and tools, where made by craftsman and people that honestly believed that what they where making should last nearly forever. Example, my old John Deere LA was made in 1941 and it still could pass as a new one or nearly new. Today, any tractor made from any company would never see it's 63rd birthday and still look as good.
Same thing as for my compressor. I know it's old, but the way it is made speaks for itself. Sure some newer or new compressor is nice, loaded with features that make it a good compressor, but will it last 50 plus years. The tank on my compressor, when you tap it, it don't make much sound, no tin can echo. I like new things as much as the next guy. Everything is built with more knowledge and less craftsmanship. I'm not really saying some of the older things are better then what we have now, or am I. I guess is someways, I am. I wouldn't trade my compressor for a new one, same for my tractors or some of the old tools I have. So my bottom line, yeah get that compressor running and just stand there a few times and listen and watch it run. Trust me, it's better then anything you'll watch on TV. Time well spent.

Sorry, I guess it's not cutter that has the other compressor. Just foreward the message to the correct person. Post some pictures of that compressor, and anyone else to, new or older. We are here to share our skills and our likes, which are our tools or projects and knowledge so we can pass them all down to others.
This is fun isn't it!

[sscherin]

When I get home from Denver this weekend I'll drag it out in the open and take some pics of the Devilbiss.

[atucker]

I agree on the HF Automatic Tank Drain, works pretty good. As far a getting sludged up. They're easy to take apart and clean. I had to take mine apart to get it installed due to lack of space underneath the tank (vertical). The plastic sensing hose is plain dangerous. I used it when I first hooked mine up, just to see if it worked. The first time the compressor ran (with an empty tank) the plastic line blew out of the fitting on the unloader line. It was really too close to the exhaust tube on the comp. and got too hot. The little brass insert that goes inside the tube went through both sides of a corrugated box on the shelf next to the compressor. I still haven't found it. I redid it with 1/4 copper. I've tried to drain the tank many times after I installed it and all I get is a drop or two. Before I was getting a half to 1 ounce out of it.

Allen T.

[topglock45@yahoo.com]

Man I wish I had one like that ......