Homemade Compressor

wedge40 · Mar 21, 2008

Different question. I have friend who uses old propane tanks for compressor air storage. He finds old pumps, fixes them the hooks them to the propane tanks. I'm thinking of getting a tank to use as extended storage.
Is this ok to do this?

Wedge

Defective · Mar 21, 2008

I use old propane tanks for air.

One thing to keep in mind...they used to contain propane. (Ya...I know...but some people don't think it through...)

Purge the he$$ out of them. I generally fill them up with water & dish soap a few times. The soap helps get rid of some, but never all, of the ethyl mercaptan residue in the tank. Then I leave them sitting in an unused area of the yard with the valves out & the openings pointing down for as long as I can.

john_bud · Mar 21, 2008

Going on what "Defective" stated, I have use old 40# propane tanks. To get rid of the stink, I paint them black and set out every day for a week in the hot summer sun. Then spray paint into the tank to seal the steel.

Seems to work and there is no stink when using the air.

jb

Defective · Mar 22, 2008

I like the black paint & bake it idea...gonna hafta try that.

Do you ever have problems with the internal paint flaking off?

rdbrumfield · Mar 22, 2008

I needed air on my two ton. I used an airconditioning unit off a toyota celica. It is a two piston unit with it's own crankcase. The tag on it is tested to 425lbs. With the electric clutch, it is nice to put a switch on the dash so it won't fire up unless I need it. I used a 5 gallon propane tank for storage and put an electric popoff switch that works at 125lbs. Be sure to put an emergency popoff that is preset incase of a switch failure. Wouldn't want a bomb to go off.

Defective · Mar 22, 2008

How big is the compressor off the Celica?

I've always run York compressors on my trucks but I drive a VW van these days & there aint quite so much room in there.

rdbrumfield · Mar 22, 2008

9in long counting the beltclutch,5inwide,71/2in tall.

Defective · Mar 22, 2008

cool!

I bet it'd fit. Guess I'm gonna hafta make a trip to the wreckers & see what they have on hand.

Then I get to invent a bracket...then figure out a belt...then mount a tank...then run plumbing...FUN!

scgargoyle · Mar 22, 2008

I remember people used to modify the old air-cooled VW engines, using two cylinders to run, and two to compress, IIRC. There may have even been a kit. That would make a pretty cheap 20hp or so compressor.