Big Barn’s Retirement Farm Shop

[Big Barn]

goeduck, metric in Canada but I still deal in square feet for area.

My shop area is approximately 5000 sq ft but “expandable”

 

[tjkubota93]

Most likely a lot of you have one of those portable air tanks for inflating tires nowhere near a compressed air source.

Similar to this:
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I have one and I hated how long it took to fill using the Schrader valve it comes equipped with so I replumbed one with couplers and a lever ball valve.

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Close up of mods
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Tank being filled
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Tank pressurized and fill hose detached
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Fill time is now under 10 seconds.

My old boss had a female quick connector on the air tank. So you could attach air hose or tools or whatever. To fill it, he had a double male fitting (male quick connect with male pipe threads screwed into a male quick connect with female pipe threads) so you hooked the compressor air hose straight to the tank. It stopped by itself when full, it equalized with the compressor tank.

 

[Big Barn]

My old boss had a female quick connector on the air tank. So you could attach air hose or tools or whatever. To fill it, he had a double male fitting (male quick connect with male pipe threads screwed into a male quick connect with female pipe threads) so you hooked the compressor air hose straight to the tank. It stopped by itself when full, it equalized with the compressor tank.

That’s a good method. Eliminates the necessity of a shut off valve.

 

[TMGT]

My old boss had a female quick connector on the air tank. So you could attach air hose or tools or whatever. To fill it, he had a double male fitting (male quick connect with male pipe threads screwed into a male quick connect with female pipe threads) so you hooked the compressor air hose straight to the tank. It stopped by itself when full, it equalized with the compressor tank.

That's what I did on mine, QC with hose and a male-male coupler to fill. Sure beats filling it with the shrader valve.

 

[TMGT]

Hey BB, what compressor are you using? I remember you showing it once but couldn't find where.

 

[Big Barn]

TMGT. I have a two stage 5 HP Atlas Copco. Direct drive 23 CFM. Purchased new in the late 1970’s to run our auto bagging machines for carrots.



I also have a Quincy 40 HP Quincy rotary screw 187 CFM that I haven’t hooked up yet.




What are you using or got planned?

 

[TMGT]

Well I was planning on using this pair of I-R 5hp T-30's.

Then I was given this almost new 7.5hp I-R, which I planned on using with one of the 5hp T30's.

Now I have the opportunity to pick up a 20hp Quincy screw for a heck of a deal, so thinking I'm gonna keep one of the I-R for a backup and sell off the other 2, just not sure which one to keep.

 

[Big Barn]

Gotta love having options!

 

[TMGT]

Yup, too many options, currently there are 4 compressors in my shop and if all goes as planned 2 more will be added on Monday (there 2 of the 20hp Quincy screw drives in the deal but my buddy is buying 1).

 

[dfkrug]

Sure wish I could find a nice old anvil!

I found out why: Hoarders! One of the guys who came by to get some fir rounds told me he had collected something like 9 of them.

I waited for years before I found mine. I did not want to pay the $500-600 that they often go for.