High flow compressed air fittings versus standard flow..

[5030]

Been perusing high flow air compressor hose end fittings, Milton has them as well as some other makers, both domestic and offshore.

The one thing I don't like about the Milton fittings is the plugs are aluminum so I went with the Winnsky brand. They are imported but the plugs are steel. Very well made and appear to be quite sturdy and their female connectors are push to engage, no pulling the collar back. I need the added air flow for my high CFM consumption air tools
Anyone have any experience pro or con about them or the Milton's for that matter

Thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.

 

[Smokeydog]

Milton V style high flow come in steel or brass. Home Depot or Northern. I use brass but on high impact tool like a air hammer, a steel plug for extended time might work better. The female V coupler also works on the regular plugs so don’t have to change all tools.

 

[5030]

I actually attempted to bore out a standard plug to increased the ID but was not successful. It cracked and I was very careful. Chucked it in one of my lathes, used coolant and a small boring bar. I bought 2 packs of the Winnsky ones so I have plenty enough plugs to do everything. 14 plugs and 4 couplers in each pack. I looked for the Milton's but could not find them. All I saw for Milton was the aluminum plugs and I wasn't fond of them at all. Pretty anodizing but anodizing isn't about longevity. All I'm really interested in is the high flow rate for my high volume air tools as well as my CNC plasma cutter and table. Have more than enough CFM available, getting it to the tools was the issue, especially that Thor 1/2" drive impact. it's an air hog at 6.5 cfm free speed air consumption. I have 40 cfm at 135 psi available in dried air.

Already running large diameter air line, the choke point was the couplers and plugs.

I do like the Winnski push to connect couplers. I'm used to pulling the collars back on the Miltons. Push to connect reminds me of the hydraulic connectors on my farm tractors.

Will see how they hold up. if they don't I'll switch to the Milton's, if, I can find steel plugs.

 

[Sberry]

A heavy 1/2 impact is close to 25 cfm. At 6.5 a fitting wouldnt matter. 1/2 hose does help, there is north of 2/3# loss per foot on 3/8 at the 25 rate. A better fitting helps a little.

 

[number two]

You like good stuff?
Check out Prevost.
May have seen them in a Milton catalog.

 

[marhar]

Been perusing high flow air compressor hose end fittings, Milton has them as well as some other makers, both domestic and offshore.

The one thing I don't like about the Milton fittings is the plugs are aluminum so I went with the Winnsky brand. They are imported but the plugs are steel. Very well made and appear to be quite sturdy and their female connectors are push to engage, no pulling the collar back. I need the added air flow for my high CFM consumption air tools
Anyone have any experience pro or con about them or the Milton's for that matter

Thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.

Is the air for the tools coming off the tank or do you have a shop with airlines and you are connecting to a line? If it is a shop with black standard air pipe you should have a closed loop system. Which means the pipe does not dead end, it is a loop so air pressure come from both sides. I spent 8 years working in a plant that used pneumatic nail guns and we ensured we had a loop.

 

[Sberry]

A loop is good in a plant with continuous air use, also used to provide better flow but for most here with sufficient pipe, anything 1/2 and larger not really needed and has some potential for trapped water if not designed correctly and not using air beyond etc. Not every idea we see in "plants" is a great fit for smaller shops. In many cases over size pipe rusts, some restriction doesnt hurt, this is a benefit of true 2 stage but just as soon have some air velocity to carry any condensate along.
Nail guns are a bit different, very small use and short demand, almost do not figure in to a demand factor like rotary tools might. Many designed for small comp use, charges up within the tool between cycles.
Number 1 concern, impacts, other rotary tools can be compensated with some with pressure and sandblast is not much a problem as the flow is continuous and often limited by the compressor, not the hose size.

 

[Sberry]

Another thing, we seem to worry about coupler performance and then install 2 or 3 in series. Number 1 easiest way to improve air is to reduce amount of fittings and shorten hose, that could include increase hose size also. A proper air system has 1 quick in it,,, at the tool, from a reel or fixed whip. Those hydrants along the wall are amateur, iut adds another coupler and allows disconnecting hot hoses. If a hose is needed why disconnect the lead and hang it on the wall, I screw the whips on or use reels, all screwed to the supply. No opportunity for anyone to come along and fool with it, hose end provided for connection to tool. Got the place covered and actually overlapped but we never move sections of hose for routine work.
I think someone left a fitting ahead of reg for bypass but it could be removed, we never use it. Note location of service valve, AHEAD of any fittings on hard line for local disconnect. 3rd pic, that reg feeds 1 reel, the one before feeds several outlets.

 

[5030]

The entire shop is plumbed in 1 or 1.5" black pipe with 3/4" drops and all long pipe runs are sloped back toward the compressor receiver. and condensate drains on each, not that I get a lot because the compressed air from the screw compressor is dried 2 times. The little I do get is drained off daily and the Sullaire has it's own timed electric drain

 

[marhar]

th 3/4" drops and all long pipe runs are sloped back toward the compressor receiver. and condensate drains on each, not that I get a lot because the compressed air from the screw compressor is dried 2 times. The little I do get is drained off daily and the Sullaire has it's own timed electric drain

Another thing, we seem to worry about coupler performance and then install 2 or 3 in series. Number 1 easiest way to improve air is to reduce amount of fittings and shorten hose, that could include increase hose size also. A proper air system has 1 quick in it,,, at the tool, from a reel or fixed whip. Those hydrants along the wall are amateur, iut adds another coupler and allows disconnecting hot hoses. If a hose is needed why disconnect the lead and hang it on the wall, I screw the whips on or use reels, all screwed to the supply. No opportunity for anyone to come along and fool with it, hose end provided for connection to tool. Got the place covered and actually overlapped but we never move sections of hose for routine work.
I think someone left a fitting ahead of reg for bypass but it could be removed, we never use it. Note location of service valve, AHEAD of any fittings on hard line for local disconnect. 3rd pic, that reg feeds 1 reel, the one before feeds several outlets.View attachment 738199View attachment 738200View attachment 738200View attachment 738201

Nice setup!

 

[LittleBill21]

i have 15 or more of the purple milton v's. as stated they are light duty, couplers aren't, that said I'm a light duty user and they work fine for me.

https://www.amazon.com/ColorFit-Mil...07d2795a95b2f&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

 

[5030]

Plumbing the shop was a real bugger. I bought the black pipe in 21 foot mill lengths and cut and threaded all of it to fit. I really used my Rigid pipe threader hard. All joints were doped and it's all air tight. I run the system at 135 psi. I've found that 135 psi is plenty because I have the cfm flow. I have 2 150 gallon receivers in the main line so the screw compressor idles most of the time and I also have a 10 horse Quincy QP reciprocating compressor as a backup unit. receivers also have auto electric drains on them.

 

[5030]

Seen pictures where people run their air lines in PVC pipe with glued joints. I've also see the carnage after they explode too. The shards of the exploded pipe are like knives and it you are in the way, they impale you. Using black pipe and fittings wasn't cheap but I don't ever have to worry about an explosion either.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Plumbing the shop was a real bugger. I bought the black pipe in 21 foot mill lengths and cut and threaded all of it to fit. I really used my Rigid pipe threader hard. All joints were doped and it's all air tight. I run the system at 135 psi. I've found that 135 psi is plenty because I have the cfm flow. I have 2 150 gallon receivers in the main line so the screw compressor idles most of the time and I also have a 10 horse Quincy QP reciprocating compressor as a backup unit. receivers also have auto electric drains on them.

Sounds like you have plenty of air. I didn't see if you said what diameter fittings you bought.

Just after I sized up air hose (to 1/2" and correct sized couplings) for my 3/4" impacts, I bought the highest rated cordless Milwaukee 1/2" impact, a handy 3/8" drive, and a 3/8 drive milwaukee ratchet.....neatest things since sliced bread. ... and I rarely use the air powered tools anymore.

 

[TimberHole]

I have been playing with a blast cabinet. I set up a dry cabinet but I think I will experiment with vapor blasting. I think if I do it right I can convert the same cabinet back and forth. I been thinking about high flow fittings and will look into these.

 

[blehmann]

If you want maximum air flow, buy crowsfoot couplings. Crowsfoot Connections - Hose and Fittings

 

[Sberry]

You are not short of air, several sizes bigger than the tools require. But in this type of setup the pipe should tilt the other way instead of back. A bead of water is not going to run back thhru long runs, we would like to see it carried away towards a drop. You probably have so good drying all this is moot. Nothing wrong with all this but its a slight overkill to run some tools. 1/2 gun and 3/4 for that matter will have almost 0 loss thru this sy7stem till it hits the hose and even then with short 1/2 almost none there either.
With the constant pressure this hi even a common fitting wont mean much loss, most rated to 35 cfm and a heavy 1/2 gun is about 25. Hi vols in this class rated about 72, makes them suitable for 3/4 guns.
One of my most used is 100 ft of 1/2 but I am using 2 stage and while there wouldnt be anything wrong with bigger it has always done the work.

 

[Sberry]

If I was going to do this again in this building would do the manifold and the finish after adapters with steel fittings and home run a couple long ones with 3/4 flex air line. Its just so time consuming up in the ceiling.

 

[Smokeydog]

My Milton V female QDs are push to connect. Still pull back to collar sometimes because the old ones are that style.

The female V will connect to either male. Regular female will not connect to V male plugs.

 

[California]

And in the world of amateurs ... Here's something I posted in 2016 in the Harbor Freight thread. Works for me!

HF's #68187 1/4" (threads) x 3/8" (I.D.) 'Automotive Series' air couplers.
I measured 7.5mm ID for HF's Automotive Series air coupler vs 5mm for HF's common brass coupler. 2.25 x the cross section area.
I recommend these for any air tool that could use a little more oomph.

As mentioned above, reducing the number of connectors between the compressor and the tool helped improve performance of an inexpensive (all HF) setup.

After trying several things, I screwed a 6 ft hose into the regulator then use a separate hose from there to the tool. This is convenient, its easier to wrap the short hose around the compressor for storage. Then coil the long hose separately. The Earthquake Version1 impact wrench is the most air-hungry tool I use. It had been starving for air. Now using these larger couplers it works great.