Another round of projects.

[IDIBronco]

That's cool! You really are peeling this onion in a hurry. You are going to have a Blooming Onion really soon!

I have never thought of it quite that way before. I usually think of the life giving me lemons and trying to keep from getting lemonade that is too sour...

Hopefully once I get the welder and compressor back to working shape I will focus more on the (forum appropriate part of the project) truck...

I just figured some might find a piece of something useful in the whole scope of the project so I decided to include these other parts. Plus chances are good both the welder and air compressor will be used on this and other projects in the future.

[Gary Lewis]

I have never thought of it quite that way before. I usually think of the life giving me lemons and trying to keep from getting lemonade that is too sour...

Hopefully once I get the welder and compressor back to working shape I will focus more on the (forum appropriate part of the project) truck...

I just figured some might find a piece of something useful in the whole scope of the project so I decided to include these other parts. Plus chances are good both the welder and air compressor will be used on this and other projects in the future.

Don't feel bad about including the welder and air compressor. They are a neat part of the project and we love reading about those things. Keep it coming!

[IDIBronco]

Don't feel bad about including the welder and air compressor. They are a neat part of the project and we love reading about those things. Keep it coming!

No big progress as we took the day to run to the "big city" to get some groceries and I even managed to hit the welding supply before they closed to get a couple new welder lead terminal posts with insulators. I probably could have left the old ones, but there was a bit of cracking in the insulating material and I had a bit of concern there could be a short through the sheet metal from terminal to terminal. Probably 250 plus amps or more at Max setting with just sheet metal would be a good recipe for a big problem. 74 dollars worth of good investment I think. Weather permitting they get installed tomorrow and install the leads finally.

Maybe some pictures of the welder on the trailer once I get that knocked out. I just keep trying to fix a little every day.

[Gary Lewis]

No big progress as we took the day to run to the "big city" to get some groceries and I even managed to hit the welding supply before they closed to get a couple new welder lead terminal posts with insulators. I probably could have left the old ones, but there was a bit of cracking in the insulating material and I had a bit of concern there could be a short through the sheet metal from terminal to terminal. Probably 250 plus amps or more at Max setting with just sheet metal would be a good recipe for a big problem. 74 dollars worth of good investment I think. Weather permitting they get installed tomorrow and install the leads finally.

Maybe some pictures of the welder on the trailer once I get that knocked out. I just keep trying to fix a little every day.

Yep, 250A through sheet metal would be cause for alarm! I like the safe approach.

And pictures would be cool!

[IDIBronco]

Yep, 250A through sheet metal would be cause for alarm! I like the safe approach.And pictures would be cool!

A small bit of progress before the rain fired up here.

 

Installed the welding lead posts.

 

 

I also have a couple of trailer pictures as promised, nothing too exciting though. I may turn the welder the other direction on the trailer, but I need to make some other decisions first.

 

 

The trailer fits the welder pretty well with room for the compressor, maybe a pickup toolbox, and I will probably make a place to hold my torch bottles.

 

I worked a few hours on the compressor this afternoon. I ran an air hose from the shop about 100 feet outside to the portable tank and used the shop compressor to pressure the tank to proof pressure test the tank. I heard the pneumatic controls operate around 170 psi and I knew the tank had a 200 psi safety valve so I removed safety valve and plugged the hole. I pressured the tank to 210 psi on shop air. I figure that is enough overpressure to be safe. I know the compressor "shouldn't" go to over maybe 175 psi and the tank safety will release at 200 psi. Now I trust the tank. So I spent the rest of the time this afternoon fabricating a bracket to operate the throttle since the original bracket wouldn't work with the new motor sheet metal. I got to test the setup a bit before the rain got bad enough to send me to the house.

 

Pretty pleased once again.

 

[Gary Lewis]

A small bit of progress before the rain fired up here.

Installed the welding lead posts.

 

 

I also have a couple of trailer pictures as promised, nothing too exciting though. I may turn the welder the other direction on the trailer, but I need to make some other decisions first.

 

The trailer fits the welder pretty well with room for the compressor, maybe a pickup toolbox, and I will probably make a place to hold my torch bottles.

I worked a few hours on the compressor this afternoon. I ran an air hose from the shop about 100 feet outside to the portable tank and used the shop compressor to pressure the tank to proof pressure test the tank. I heard the pneumatic controls operate around 170 psi and I knew the tank had a 200 psi safety valve so I removed safety valve and plugged the hole. I pressured the tank to 210 psi on shop air. I figure that is enough overpressure to be safe. I know the compressor "shouldn't" go to over maybe 175 psi and the tank safety will release at 200 psi. Now I trust the tank. So I spent the rest of the time this afternoon fabricating a bracket to operate the throttle since the original bracket wouldn't work with the new motor sheet metal. I got to test the setup a bit before the rain got bad enough to send me to the house.

Pretty pleased once again.

 

I think your testing of the tank is good. Should easily be safe.On the trailer, you have a LOT of weight on the tongue. If you put the compressor towards the rear will that balance things out a bit, but still leave ~15% of the weight on the tongue?And the controls stop the compressor by disengaging a clutch when the pressure gets to 175, but leave the motor running?

[IDIBronco]

I think your testing of the tank is good. Should easily be safe.

On the trailer, you have a LOT of weight on the tongue. If you put the compressor towards the rear will that balance things out a bit, but still leave ~15% of the weight on the tongue?

And the controls stop the compressor by disengaging a clutch when the pressure gets to 175, but leave the motor running?

I have tested tanks previously by filling with water before pressuring with air. A water filled tank is much safer as there is a lot less potential energy stored in the tank. If it ruptures as soon as the initial surge of water leaves it fizzles out. It is even better if you have the air input just barely cracked so the supply fills slowly. It wasn't practical for me on this tank to fill with water so I moved it pretty far away from anything I was concerned with damaging and used the airlines to gain enough distance to feel "safe". The tank I could see through a cracked door, but I had a wall and truck mostly separated a direct path to me.

The function of the compressor is a bit different, it is a direct belt drive. The pneumatic control at around 170 psi idles the motor with the small air actuator mounted to act on the throttle linkage between the governor arm and the carb, AND it also runs pressure up to unload the valves for the compressor so the compressor no longer makes air. The compressor still turns and moves oil internally around to cool everything back down. Then at about 160 psi the valve providing air to the control circuit shuts and the compressor loads and the engine goes back to full rpm. Really I think they are a pretty good design. I traded a load of firewood last fall for a small contractor style gasoline air compressor that needed work. Took me a couple days of tinkering, but I got it all squared away and I learned quite a bit about the way the pneumatic controls work. It is just a single stage compressor and tops out to 120 psi. It is not very fast, but has proven very useful. I loaded it up on the dump truck the days I went after the truck and trailers. I have even used it to air arc with the welder a little and run an impact to change some tires. That little compressor opened my eyes to how nice a bigger service truck style setup would be. This compressor I have not been able to identify, but fortunately it has not required any parts to get going. This is actually almost as good as our air compressor in the shop. Hopefully if I treat it right it will have a lot of life left.

[Gary Lewis]

I have tested tanks previously by filling with water before pressuring with air. A water filled tank is much safer as there is a lot less potential energy stored in the tank. If it ruptures as soon as the initial surge of water leaves it fizzles out. It is even better if you have the air input just barely cracked so the supply fills slowly. It wasn't practical for me on this tank to fill with water so I moved it pretty far away from anything I was concerned with damaging and used the airlines to gain enough distance to feel "safe". The tank I could see through a cracked door, but I had a wall and truck mostly separated a direct path to me.

The function of the compressor is a bit different, it is a direct belt drive. The pneumatic control at around 170 psi idles the motor with the small air actuator mounted to act on the throttle linkage between the governor arm and the carb, AND it also runs pressure up to unload the valves for the compressor so the compressor no longer makes air. The compressor still turns and moves oil internally around to cool everything back down. Then at about 160 psi the valve providing air to the control circuit shuts and the compressor loads and the engine goes back to full rpm. Really I think they are a pretty good design. I traded a load of firewood last fall for a small contractor style gasoline air compressor that needed work. Took me a couple days of tinkering, but I got it all squared away and I learned quite a bit about the way the pneumatic controls work. It is just a single stage compressor and tops out to 120 psi. It is not very fast, but has proven very useful. I loaded it up on the dump truck the days I went after the truck and trailers. I have even used it to air arc with the welder a little and run an impact to change some tires. That little compressor opened my eyes to how nice a bigger service truck style setup would be. This compressor I have not been able to identify, but fortunately it has not required any parts to get going. This is actually almost as good as our air compressor in the shop. Hopefully if I treat it right it will have a lot of life left.

Yes, a full tank of air has a whole lot of potential energy when filled to 170+ psi! So limiting the air with water is a good idea.

As for the controls, that's interesting. I saw the valve working in the video, but didn't realize what it was doing. That seems like a nice system as it keeps the pump turning to cool it, and keep its flywheel spinning if it has one.

You really have this thing worked out!

Concerning having compressed air available, I'm looking forward to getting the 4 CFM/200 psi system installed on Big Blue. Should be pretty handy.

[IDIBronco]

Yes, a full tank of air has a whole lot of potential energy when filled to 170+ psi! So limiting the air with water is a good idea.

As for the controls, that's interesting. I saw the valve working in the video, but didn't realize what it was doing. That seems like a nice system as it keeps the pump turning to cool it, and keep its flywheel spinning if it has one.

You really have this thing worked out!

Concerning having compressed air available, I'm looking forward to getting the 4 CFM/200 psi system installed on Big Blue. Should be pretty handy.

I think I found a match to my air compressor. I am thinking it looks like the same casting so pretty likely. If it is the same it looks like a 19cfm compressor.

If the output is linear (I am sure it isn't) and the Kohler where able to pull the compressor at governor controlled speed it would be outputting close to double the rated cfm. I am close to double the recommended rpm if (a big if) the motor were able to spin the compressor fast enough to get to the governor slowing it down. I am pretty sure I am hp limited to not be able to accomplish this at all pressures except for at an empty tank. I will probably still go looking for a more appropriate sized pulley.

I do know at the moment the tank pressure climbs pretty fast. I suspect the compressor could keep up with my impact no issue, and maybe enough air to run the sandblaster. Eventually I will have to find out.

 

[IDIBronco]

I think I found a match to my air compressor. I am thinking it looks like the same casting so pretty likely. If it is the same it looks like a 19cfm compressor.

If the output is linear (I am sure it isn't) and the Kohler where able to pull the compressor at governor controlled speed it would be outputting close to double the rated cfm. I am close to double the recommended rpm if (a big if) the motor were able to spin the compressor fast enough to get to the governor slowing it down. I am pretty sure I am hp limited to not be able to accomplish this at all pressures except for at an empty tank. I will probably still go looking for a more appropriate sized pulley.

I do know at the moment the tank pressure climbs pretty fast. I suspect the compressor could keep up with my impact no issue, and maybe enough air to run the sandblaster. Eventually I will have to find out.

As a side note...

An "easy"/simple way to proof test pressure on a tank is to completely fill with water, and if you do not have means to easily take the tank to pressure higher then your compressor is capable of you can use a grease gun and a few fittings to pressure the tank up. With a tee, pressure gauge, and a grease zerk you can get to most any pressure a tank you could want to test yourself should be taken too. Grease is pretty inexpensive and easy to control. You can always use your air compressor to help blow everything out afterwords. If the tank ruptures water and grease are essentially incompressible so all you have is a mess, and not a bomb.

Just thought I would outline the thought a bit more. Sometimes it helps to have just a bit more info.