Cabinet for Air Compressor

**FenceFurniture** · 14th March 2019, 05:46 PM

Even though this new Chicago 50L AC is very quiet indeed, I figured I could park it on the deck in a cabinet. This solves a number of problems (some not quite realised yet). The old space for the compressor was just inside the door, but I have shortened the end of the bench by 200mm and this spot will take a new drill press next week.

Even though I probably didn't need to make it any quieter to sit on the deck, a cabinet will also protect the compressor from the dust from the table saw spewing onto it. Furthermore (and I only thought of this just in the nick of time before cutting

) I can use it as an outfeed table from said table saw. It already has a small one attached to it, and the cabinet height was set to be 2mm lower than the small outfeed table. In the pic it look higher because I have a couple of soft pads under the cabinet. I can just slide them out to use it as an outfeed.

IMG_20190314_170150.jpg

Next step will be to disassemble it and seal all the joints with Sikaflex pro. When we get mountain mist up here - like yesterday - the air is very wet indeed, and I could feel that the cabinet had swollen ever so slightly, even though Yellow Tongue sheets are rain proof for a few months. I have cut and unsealed edges to act as a sponge, so sealing is in order. Prolly paint it too.......

I've been having the devil of a time getting joints that don't leak. These are chinese fittings and Teflon tape just wasn't doing it - even with up to four wraps around I still couldn't get the tap from sinking in up to the shoulder. I went to get some LocTite for air lines but one hardware was shut down due to some industrial accident, and the other only had regular Loctite. So I just used my own regular LocTite. There is only one bad leak now and that is the gun on the end. I suspect that is because of the old nickel plated nitto fitting going into it. I'll check the joints again tomorrow with detergent in water sprayed on.

I was somewhat startled to realise this compressor comes without a tap, just a one handed nitto. It is this tap that I fitted that may have a slight leak - testing for pressure loss now. A couple of sheets of Yoga Mat under the wheels, and one loosely fitted to the side for a bit of sound absorption.

IMG_20190314_154110 1.jpg

You can see on the right I have glued a sheet of mat onto the inside of the front door. (I was somewhat staggered that a half used pot of Contact glue was still perfect after more than 7 years!)

I have done considerable work in the shed to rehouse stuff, and some wall hooks were left over from some clamps that I sold. With the top hook in normal position, and the bottom two inverted to point down, these hooks do a simple but effective job of holding the hose without giving it the "bends".

IMG_20190314_154253.jpg (scuzzy the hand shielding out excess light. Lens hood for a Smart Phone Camera required

)

At the moment I have no exhaust fans in it. I thought I would wait and see how natural ventilation goes. I have two fans on hand, although they are for another roundtuit project (HiFi Cabinet).
On each side I have a double vent at the bottom, and two single at the top which are immediately adjacent to the two motor fans on each side (and the vents are mounted upside down for easier egress of warm air). I have pressed metal insect wire into the inside of them. They will capture chips in them from the saw, but I don't have to go far to blow them out occasionally....

Currently the door is a tight press fit, bit Sikaflex on the top and bottom edges will change that.

IMG_20190314_154023.jpg

This contraption outside is more complicated than it needs to be - for want of a 90° elbow - unobtainium locally. I had a Tee fitting so I have to block the end of that with a nitto fitting - because a sensible screw on brass cap is also unobtainium....

IMG_20190314_154414.jpg

Anyway, I managed to rig up what I wanted - a tap on the outside which I will shut after each use (just open the inside tap at the start of the day). Last thing to do is put an inline switch for the power, rather than pulling out the plug.

**BobL** · 14th March 2019, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

I've been having the devil of a time getting joints that don't leak. These are chinese fittings and Teflon tape just wasn't doing it - even with up to four wraps around I still couldn't get the tap from sinking in up to the shoulder.

I use a minimum of 6 wraps on standard/straight threads, and 4 wraps on tapered threads.

**Beardy** · 14th March 2019, 07:39 PM

Nice job, looks like a good compressor. Your yellow tongue flooring will definitely swell if it gets wet. Yes it is allowed to be in the weather for 3 months but it still swells up quite significantly at the joints. We always have to level sand a floor before laying carpet over it if it has been wet

**BobL** · 14th March 2019, 08:02 PM

Pressure gauge, and pressure regulator/water trap might be more accessible and useful outside the box?

**FenceFurniture** · 14th March 2019, 08:34 PM

Originally Posted by BobL

Pressure gauge, and pressure regulator/water trap might be more accessible and useful outside the box?

I think that because the door press fit will be useless (after I Sika the edges) I will make it a less snug fit and hold it in place with a couple of REMs - just strong enough to hold it but still easy enough to open it for when I really want to see what is going on.

**Lappa** · 14th March 2019, 09:42 PM

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

I've been having the devil of a time getting joints that don't leak. These are chinese fittings and Teflon tape just wasn't doing it - even with up to four wraps around I still couldn't get the tap from sinking in up to the shoulder. I went to get some LocTite for air lines but one hardware was shut down due to some industrial accident, and the other only had regular Loctite. So I just used my own regular LocTite
.

You can buy pink Teflon tape which is much thicker than the white or yellow gas tape.

**FenceFurniture** · 14th March 2019, 10:05 PM

Well, the LocTite seems to be working better than the Teflon tape, although still not as good as it could be. The compressor cuts out at 7.5 Bar, and cuts in a little below 6. At 3.30 this arvo it was 7.5 and I left the first tap open (on the machine) and the external tap closed. In the 2.5 hours to 6pm it lost 0.5 Bar down to 7.

At that point I opened the second tap - which leads to the lousy joint on the handgun. In the subsequent 4 hours it lost 2 Bar, down to 5. That is a big improvement on the results I was getting with the Teflon tape. I imagine the Air Line Loctite would provide an even better result. I suspect it has more expansion qualities where the classic red one has more grabbing quality.

**BobL** · 14th March 2019, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by Lappa

You can buy pink Teflon tape which is much thicker than the white or yellow gas tape.

The grey stuff is also nice and thick.
I've found more layers of thinner white can be used to build up a fine taper on parallel or straight threads.
Tapered threads self seal with less teflon tape anyway.

I've been using the genuine Nitto "one touch" fittings from Blackwoods for a few months and and finding them really good. They are not that expensive given they have excellent threads and should last longer that the generic fittings.

**Bohdan** · 14th March 2019, 11:47 PM

One of the problems with the chinese fittings is that they are usually made to fit both BSP and NPT threads, so the thread shape is very loose and leaks easily, even when you screw them all the way in. I have settled on using 8 layers of tape or the Loctite thread sealant. The Loctite teflon paste is very good but messy.

**apple8** · 15th March 2019, 12:29 PM

Inspired by your threads I picked up 30L Chicago Hush to replace the noisy 11L Project Air. What a difference, I can now work with air without ear protection and the dog barking. The only noise complaint now is the burst of air from the unloader solenoid so I’ve ordered silencer ($4.40 delivered) and see how that goes. Mine pumped up to 7.5 bar and after 18 hours has barely moved, maybe the width of a line with air on. I use the pink Teflon tape. EE58F14E-0585-4D22-9175-ADC4CD0C83E7.jpg

The only other thing that irks me is the way the outlet is welded to the tank causing the cutout switch and gauges to not be level. It seems to be on all the ones that I saw, not a issue except to my eyes. I also had to add a couple of washers to one of the feet to get it on the floor.

**FenceFurniture** · 15th March 2019, 01:46 PM

Good for you!

I'll be interested to see how well your silencer works. That's for the PSSSH! at the end of the cycle, yes?

**apple8** · 15th March 2019, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

That's for the PSSSH! at the end of the cycle, yes?

Yes, hopefully it will end up SSSH.

**Beardy** · 15th March 2019, 06:34 PM

I often use a thread sealant paste instead of tape on fittings. I bought it from Pirtek, I think it cost about $20 for the tube, works well

**FenceFurniture** · 15th March 2019, 07:19 PM

This morning I charged it up after I had removed it from the cabinet (to seal edges with Sika, coat with PolyU etc). So all that was left was the tap immediately on the outlet. This is the one that screws in up to the shoulder so obviously the threads haven't bitten. I used regular Loctite on it, and it has worked fairly well - not perfect, but a big improvement on the white teflon tape 4 wrap. It lost about 0.5 Bar in 6 hours. It should be lossless at only one fitting (even the old clanger was lossless at the tap), I know, but it'll have to do for the moment.

**BobL** · 15th March 2019, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

. . . . So all that was left was the tap immediately on the outlet. This is the one that screws in up to the shoulder so obviously the threads haven't bitten. I used regular Loctite on it, and it has worked fairly well - not perfect, but a big improvement on the white teflon tape 4 wrap. It lost about 0.5 Bar in 6 hours. It should be lossless at only one fitting (even the old clanger was lossless at the tap), I know, but it'll have to do for the moment.

Those little 1/4" ball valves vary in terms of air tightness so no matter how well the threads are sealed some leak slowly around the handle valve area.

Thread: Cabinet for Air Compressor

Thread Tools

Search Thread

Cabinet for Air Compressor

Similar Threads

Quantity of cabinet floor levellers + cabinet hinges

will this work? silenced compressor/dryer in a cabinet with mechanical filter

Turn your $99 GMC compressor into a $1200 compressor for $85 aud

Posting Permissions