Thread: Dusting with Compressed Air

I'd go with a tack cloth. Compressed air would create airborn particles which will settle somewhere, some of it on the frame.

I vacuum with a brush attachment before finishing. If it is a small item like a box I may blast it with air (outside). Tack cloths I've used too, but find they take longer. A door frame is probably best done with a vac/tack cloth mixture

First blast with air preferably away from the finishing area, then tac cloth it.
But you cant blast it away from the finishing area, so wait for a while for the dust to settle before tac'in it.

Thanks guys
Think I might go with all three

Already done the vacuum - good for bulk of dust but leaves some behind

Will blast and leave to settle then give the tack cloth a go

Markw,

Iv e had success with blasting while rubbing the piece down with a clean cloth.

Seems to move the dust and allow the compressor to move it away.

Mag

Word of advice: ensure you're not running an inline oiler if you're going to be blowing down something you want to apply a nice finish to! :eek:

Personally, I have a T-piece after the pressure regulator & moisture trap on my compressor. One branch of the T has an oiler for running tools, the other doesn't and is used for blowing down, spraying, etc. It saves me from having to muck around with couplers and swapping an oiler in/out all the time. ie. no forgetting it and running a tool dry.

I still get a bit too much moisture coming through and am thinking of moving the whole T assembly to the end of my main line (with a 2nd moisture trap on the supply side) as a sort of "double adapter" at the work face. Maybe one day.

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

Word of advice: ensure you're not running an inline oiler if you're going to be blowing down something you want to apply a nice finish to! :eek:

Skew
Hope you have two sets of hoses.

I deliberately don't use an inline so that I know the hoses are always clean. To oil a tool is just a few drops each time I use it up the butt end of the tool and occasionally inside the tool mechanism where the air doesn't get to - drive pins on nailers etc. Yes I do occassionally forget but not often and the hoses remain dry and the surface is oil free.

I thought the moisture trap was supposed to be a distance from the compressor?

The idea I read was to give moisture the chance to settle out of the air, and accumulate into bits big enough to be caught by the filter.

Maybe it depends on the filter type also? I haven't looked into the "snake" dessicant types, just run a cheapy bowl type from M10.

Cheers,
Andrew

Originally Posted by arose62

I thought the moisture trap was supposed to be a distance from the compressor?

That's how I understand it, too. Not so much for "time" to settle out but because the pressure in the line drops/raises so quickly that condensate forms. But my McMillan came with the reg & trap already bolted on and I've no desire to mess with 'em. This is why I want to add a 2nd trap on the T when I move it to the other end of my line... I assume that ideally it should be right before the tool but my tools are heavy enough as it is.

And yes, Mark. I run seperate lines; a good heavy line for the "clean supply" and the cheap thin plastic for the oiler so I can ID 'em at a glance. The thin stuff is crap, but I'm slowly replacing bits as I can...

Another thing that helps. On our long runs we have put "t's" in and put vertical droppers with a tap at the end.

Amazing how much water they catch.

The reason for putting the outlet away from the compressor is that the air is heated when compressed and the moisture turns into steam and then condences when its expelled into the atmosphere.

If you have a permanent set up put the regulator as far away as possible.

Take out air from the top of the lines and connect down lines with a U bend.

In bad areas ( high humidity you may even have to add a system to cools the air pipe. They make refrigerated in line units for people requiring clean dry air.

I found that the best use for the crappy nylon hose which came with my second compressor was to attach an inline oiler to it and change the ends of my nailers to match- Nitto for the nailers/staplers and Aro for everything else. It can be a :mad: :mad: pain but at least I dont end up spraying oil everywhere

Originally Posted by Harry72

First blast with air preferably away from the finishing area, then tac cloth it.
But you cant blast it away from the finishing area, so wait for a while for the dust to settle before tac'in it.

Just do it outside.