For a small workshop, ready-made compressors are usually taken based on the amount of equipment involved and the average intensity of its use. By calculating the volume of air consumed, you can calculate the power of the compressor unit.
Our homemade product today is a little bit of a full-fledged compressor. Of course, it is unlikely to replace the main compressor unit, but it is quite suitable as an additional portable device. Later we will see what she is capable of. So let's begin!
Brief description and operating principle
At first glance, it seems that this is something frivolous, because plastic pipes cannot withstand high pressure. In reality it won't exist. According to the warning of the author of the homemade product, the safe working pressure should not exceed 3 Bar or atmospheres.Two electric oil-free piston type compressors are complemented by two receivers made of closed plastic pipes connected to each other. At the end of one of the receivers there is an outlet for a quick-release adapter for an elastic air hose. The unit is designed for 12V battery power. Manual forced shutdown.
We select the necessary materials and tools
The material base for this device is as follows:
- PVC pipe with a diameter of 110 mm;
- Four external PVC plugs for receivers;
- Standard compressor pressure gauge;
- Oxygen hoses;
- Spiral hose with quick release connection;
- Compressor fitting – 2 pcs;
- Nipple from an old bicycle tube – 2 pcs;
- Ball valve with transition to quick-release connection;
- Car compressor for inflating tires at 12V – 2 pcs;
- A piece of board for the frame;
- Several strips of metal for stands for receivers;
- 2 or 4 contact push button switch;
- Fum tape, PVC glue, heat shrink tubes;
- Hardware: clamps, bolts, nuts, screws, washers;
- Spray gun with a spare needle nozzle for checking the unit.
The following set of tools for assembly will be needed:
- Screwdriver or drill;
- Calipers
- Scissors or painting knife;
- Set of open-end wrenches;
- Drill set, 12mm feather drill;
- Screwdriver, pliers, wire cutters, metal scissors;
- Soldering iron with flux and solder;
- Tape measure, marker, hacksaw.
Let's get started with the work
We take a PVC pipe with a diameter of 110mm, and marking it, we cut two sections of 40cm each. These will be our receivers.
Next we prepare the plugs. We have four of them in total.
We equip two of them with nipples for direct connection to compressors.We cut them out of old bicycle inner tubes in advance. The easiest way to do this procedure is with scissors.
We select a drill approximately to match the diameter of the nipple barrel. We drill through holes with a screwdriver or drill. We insert the nipple into the holes and press the nut through the softening gasket from the outside to the plug.
We take our pressure gauge and wrap the threaded connection with fum tape. We fix it in one of our “nipple” plugs, shifting the mounting hole from the center to the edge. The hole for it must be made with a 12mm drill bit. We press it through a homemade rubber gasket, which we cut out from the remains of a bicycle inner tube.
We install fittings in the next two plugs in the center. After wrapping fum tape around the threaded connection, we insert the fittings into the holes. We secure the fittings on the back side of the plug with a nut. The rubber gasket should be laid with a wide washer and the connection should be tightened with an open-end wrench.
The installation of a ball valve completes the work with plastic plugs. It is necessary to contain the pressure of constantly incoming air pumped by compressors and supply it as needed. We select its outer size to match the inner diameter of the quick-release hose adapter. We place the tap on the plug with nipple. We shift the hole under it from the center and drill it with a feather drill.
We seal the faucet with fum tape and install it in the plug, lined with a homemade rubber gasket. You can check the serviceability of the tap by turning the knob all the way.
We glue the plugs to the pipes of our receivers in the following order: nipple plugs on one end, fittings on the other. The pressure gauge with the tap should be on one side.We use glue for PVC products such as Tangit or Mars. Remove excess glue with a rag.
Making a stand
After we have made the receivers, we need to secure them to a stable base. The easiest way to do this is to take a piece of board at least 25cm wide and long enough to fit two compressors. You can additionally paint it on the front side, protecting it from moisture, as the author of the homemade product did.
Installation of receivers and connection of compressors
The next step is the manufacture and fastening of metal plates-racks for PVC pipes. We bend them as shown in the photo and secure them to a wooden stand with self-tapping screws. We put cuffs on the bolts, which we make from the same pipe by cutting its wall.
We place our receivers in the cuffs and connect the fittings with oxygen hoses. We secure the connections to the fittings with clamps.
We try on compressors at the installation site. You need to make sure that they fit freely on the stand and do not interfere with each other. We disassemble them in order to connect them in parallel. Solder the contacts using a soldering iron. For this we use the original cable from the compressors.
We reassemble the compressors and secure them to the frame using self-tapping screws. To reduce vibration from their operation, you can additionally seal their bodies with double tape.
To tie two cables from compressors together, you can, following the author’s advice, cut heat-shrinkable tubes and heat them with a lighter.
The switch button is located on the side of the compressors, closer to the nipple connections. We solder the contacts and glue the button to the stand with hot glue.
Checking the functionality of the unit
After all connections are made, you can connect both compressors with their standard hoses to the nipple connectors.By connecting the battery to 12V, we can make a test run and check the operation of our assembly device using a pressure gauge. Don’t forget to turn off the ball valve before doing this. We insert a spiral hose with a spray gun through the quick-release connector, and enjoy the work of a homemade compressor unit. Good luck to all DIYers!
Practical advice
Do not forget about basic safety precautions when working with even such a compressor unit. It is necessary to constantly monitor the permitted pressure, not to exceed it, otherwise the receivers may simply burst. In this assembly, the electrical circuit allows for this to be done only in manual mode.
All connections, threaded or glued, must also be carefully checked for leaks. Any air leakage, especially from the end caps, can lead to disruption of the adhesion of the adhesive joint and its subsequent depressurization.
Since the housings of all elements - compressors and receivers - are plastic, avoid hitting the installation so as not to damage the integrity of the fragile plastic.
Choose PVC pipes that are as thick-walled as possible, as their service life will be longer.
Despite the fact that such equipment does not claim the title of professional. tool, it can be used to apply paints or varnishes with a spray gun. You can also dust your workplace without using up the power of a conventional compressor. And for airbrushing, such a device may be more convenient than a bulky standard compressor. It weighs little, so it is the most suitable equipment for field conditions. In any case, it fully deserves the title of a technical homemade product, and can help out in the absence of a basic tool.
