>Sears has a 12 gallon 3 HP compressor on sale for $269. Is this a
>good deal? Is it adequate to paint with? I looked at the required
>specs on some spray guns and only the most expensive one required
>3HP and 12 gallons (and someother number that I can't remember).
I bought my Sears 2hp, 20 gallon unit about 12 years ago and it has
been the greatest addition to my garage that I ever bought. A 3hp
unit should be plenty for a home shop. The 12 gallon tank, while
a bit small could always be augmented with an auxillary tank too
increase capacity. Certainly you'll have more than enough air supply
to paint with. Some power tools may draw down the pressure faster
than the pump can replace it, but that just means you may have to
pause occasionally if you are using a tool without interuption.
Increasing the time interval between pauses is the benefit you get
with a larger capacity air tank.
>I also have a filter and some sort of pressure regulator thing
>for a compressor still in my garage that the previous owner
>left. (When the Snap-On tool guys came and repossed his air compressor
>they forgot it.) Does anyone know what this is or if I can use it?
>It has connections for a hose to a gun on one side and a hose to the
>tank on the other. Coming out the top is a tube going to the PVC
>pipes arranged all along the walls. (These are cracked and don't work
>for their intended purpose now).
Gee, you had this great setup for air and you didn't immediately
go out and get an air compressor? Sounds like you have (once you
replace the cracked PVC pipes) an ideal set-up in the making.
By the way, do you know how the PVC pipes got cracked? PVC has
a fairly high pressure rating (at least on those I've looked at
in my local "Home Depot" plumbing dept.) I have been thinking of
adding PVC piping in my garage (I just use long lengths of flexible
air hose now) to "improve" my work environment. I hope the cracks in
the PVC were do to some other cause than too much air pressure.
One thing I've been considering was to use a fairly large "main"
PVC pipe (say 4") which would add several gallons of air storage capacity
to my existing 20 gallon tank arrangement. If anyone has any reasons
why I shouldn't do that, please let me (the b-c list) know.
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Bill Sohl (K2UNK) BELLCORE (Bell Communications Research, Inc.)
Morristown, NJ email via UUCP bcr!dancer!whs70
201-829-2879 Weekdays email via Internet whs70@dancer.cc.bellcore.com
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