Advice on setting up compressor, lines, and filtration, dessicant

N

nickwisconsin

Promoted Users
I do not have the ability to set up a shop at my home, but I have access to a shed that I can use year round. It is not heated so the only time I can paint is in summer. It is also limited by 60 amp service since it is remote. I am going to use it to restore a classic car. I will mostly use the compressor for sanding, paint, and maybe media blasting cabinet at some point.

The 60 amp service limits compressor options quite a bit. I was looking at the Dewalt, Ingersoll Rand, and this Quincy compressor.
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200612355_200612355

I was going to run 50 feet of copper pipe around the room with vertical drain valves, and a couple of couplers. One for tools and one for paint. Most of my paint work will be undercarriage, suspension, axle, frame so not a super demanding job. SPI epoxy and either a urethane or similar black. Not looking to spend a lot of $$$ for dessicants, filters, etc. I see a huge price range. Can anyone make recommendations regarding my compressor choice, and any recommendations for inexpensive filters and water drying? Thanks.
 
Did you even read my post, or just the title? I did search it. I am seeing a lot of discussion of the higher end filtration systems - $400-500 plus, but nothing on more budget friendly options. There has been no discussion on the air compressor I linked. Only larger output models in the Quincy. I am amperage restricted. Thanks.
 
You should be fine with any “home owner” 80 gallon 5hp compressors. Generally most are fine with 10 or 8 gauge wire and a 30 amp breaker. But whatever you get be sure to double check specs. I’ve had the IR from tsc for quite some time now. 80 gallon, 5hp, 2 stage. It’s right near my panel so I’m on 10ga wire and 30 amp breaker.
 
As previously stated, a 5hp 60 gallon 2 stage is a good minimum and will do fine, even for all-overs. Im currently using a 5hp 80 gallon 2 stage IR from tractor supply with great success. And its probably cheaper than that quincy that youre looking at. Right now Im just using a harbor freight colaescent filter and dessicant drier and dont have any contamination/water issues. That compressor seems to run efficient and doesnt produce much water at all. Although climate differences are a factor in that as well. For what your doing, you dont need anything fancy. Dont over complicate it.
 
nickwisconsin said:
Did you even read my post, or just the title? I did search it. I am seeing a lot of discussion of the higher end filtration systems - $400-500 plus, but nothing on more budget friendly options. There has been no discussion on the air compressor I linked. Only larger output models in the Quincy. I am amperage restricted. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Yes sir, I did.
And all of your questions have been answered more than once in previous discussions.
Didn't mean to hurt your feelings.
 
Honestly, for what you are painting that setup is good. There are several cheaper desiccant setups, if you search up "arrow" you will find some options. Plenty of people paint with less than you are looking at. 60amp available, I would look at a 2 stage deal personally. But I know plenty that have single stage compressors and paint complete cars at home with awesome results. It just depends on how hard you want that thing to work!
 
orangejuiced86 said:
But I know plenty that have single stage compressors and paint complete cars at home with awesome results. It just depends on how hard you want that thing to work!
Click to expand...
First step to success is to want it. I painted a couple cars, a motorcycle, and a lot of parts several decades ago with a 1HP craftsman portable compressor, and the hose running right off of it. Different type spray gun back then though.
 
chevman said:
First step to success is to want it. I painted a couple cars, a motorcycle, and a lot of parts several decades ago with a 1HP craftsman portable compressor, and the hose running right off of it. Different type spray gun back then though.
Click to expand...
I started out with a 2 hp horizontal compressor. Got real tired of waiting for it to catch up. Wouldn't run my air tools and got so hot it produced a ton of moisture.
Bit the bullet and bought a 6hp 2 stage 80 gallon compressor that puts out 15 cfm at 150 psi. It made life in the shop so enjoyable.
 
For the original poster (OP)--in my opinion, the Quincy model compressor listed by you is likely a good choice if you are limited to a 60 amp service. I see it is rated 16 amps at 230V. A 15-amp circuit for your lights and a 15 and 20 amp for your electrical outlets and you are there for your service limit. I recommend now for an outbuilding if you can--have 1 dedicated 20 amp 115 circuit wire fed with 10 gauge wiring and 2 duplexes in the same box. It made a big difference for me in my outbuilding/shed I get to use for my fun. I had to re-run the wire feeding my shed panel as well for the long distance it ran--went to 8 gauge--that helped. Luckily--I had room in the existing buried conduit.

I see this Quincy model is not for sale in CA, WA, or OR. That is a bit of a question as a person who engineers and shop fabricates such things. It might be that these air tanks on this model may not be registered with the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors in Columbus OH when they are manufactured. I'd ask that question before I buy it. I would not buy or recommend buying one that is not.
 
'68 Coronet R/T said:
Yes sir, I did.
And all of your questions have been answered more than once in previous discussions.
Didn't mean to hurt you
Click to expand...

Feelings aren't hurt. I did a search and did not find what I was looking for. I appreciate the people who answered my questions, and they were pretty helpful.
 
orangejuiced86 said:
Honestly, for what you are painting that setup is good. There are several cheaper desiccant setups, if you search up "arrow" you will find some options. Plenty of people paint with less than you are looking at. 60amp available, I would look at a 2 stage deal personally. But I know plenty that have single stage compressors and paint complete cars at home with awesome results. It just depends on how hard you want that thing to work!
Click to expand...
Thanks. I have 60 amp to the whole shop! I am trying to stay under 30 amp for the compressor so I can keep the lights on, etc. It is a huge constraint as most of the compressors I was going to buy would likely have been problematic with all of the lighting. The shop is old so it is a mix of incandescent and fluorescent.
 
D.A.T. said:
For the original poster (OP)--in my opinion, the Quincy model compressor listed by you is likely a good choice if you are limited to a 60 amp service. I see it is rated 16 amps at 230V. A 15-amp circuit for your lights and a 15 and 20 amp for your electrical outlets and you are there for your service limit. I recommend now for an outbuilding if you can--have 1 dedicated 20 amp 115 circuit wire fed with 10 gauge wiring and 2 duplexes in the same box. It made a big difference for me in my outbuilding/shed I get to use for my fun. I had to re-run the wire feeding my shed panel as well for the long distance it ran--went to 8 gauge--that helped. Luckily--I had room in the existing buried conduit.

I see this Quincy model is not for sale in CA, WA, or OR. That is a bit of a question as a person who engineers and shop fabricates such things. It might be that these air tanks on this model may not be registered with the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors in Columbus OH when they are manufactured. I'd ask that question before I buy it. I would not buy or recommend buying one that is not.
Click to expand...
Thank you. This is exactly the kind of advice and input I was looking for. The 5 HP I was looking at suggested a 40 amp breaker, and that would be pretty tough to work around with all the lighting. I was looking at Ingersoll Rand, Dewalt with similar specs but keep hearing that their customer service is a nightmare if anything goes wrong. Thanks again.
 
$400-$500 is pretty low budget these days. And if you actually searched you would have found a lot of info on setting up a low budget system.

Here is a recent one with some good info:

Paint booth and filtration for air lines, help

I have never painted a car before. I oil base enameled our entire house about 20 years ago. 17 interior doors, entire kitchen, trim on doors, trim on 19 windows and ton of baseboard. It turned out perfect. A ton of prep work and 2 coats of primer and 2 top coats with sanding in between each...
www.spiuserforum.com

A fairly affordable option is the Devillbiss Cam Air water and oil coalescer filters followed up with an Arrow 2 qt desiccant filter. The cam air comes with a nice regulator as well. The Arrow desiccant filter is the most affordable one available. You will have to check and dry your desiccant fairly often. More if you have a smaller compressor, less if you don't.

CAMAIR 2-Stage Filter

2-stage air filtration and regulation systems from Camair are compact and effective. Perfect for shop spaces.
www.autorefinishdevilbiss.com

Got a great deal on a new Arrow Desiccant Dryer

Needed a new desiccant dryer as my old one of the same make (Arrow) was corroded and leaking. I'd already "JB Welded" it one time so I figured get a new one. Looked around for the same model I had and Zoro Tools had the best deal by far, $122.66 + tax for a total of $129.16. Free Shipping. This...
www.spiuserforum.com

The 50 foot of copper is a good idea as it will allow you to cool the air coming from the compressor. Make sure you have plenty of drains, including one ending the main line. Mount the copper line so it drops as it progresses as well.

As much as materials cost these days, it only takes one re-do to pay for this stuff.
 
Chris_Hamilton said:
$400-$500 is pretty low budget these days. And if you actually searched you would have found a lot of info on setting up a low budget system.

Here is a recent one with some good info:

Paint booth and filtration for air lines, help

I have never painted a car before. I oil base enameled our entire house about 20 years ago. 17 interior doors, entire kitchen, trim on doors, trim on 19 windows and ton of baseboard. It turned out perfect. A ton of prep work and 2 coats of primer and 2 top coats with sanding in between each...
www.spiuserforum.com

A fairly affordable option is the Devillbiss Cam Air water and oil coalescer filters followed up with an Arrow 2 qt desiccant filter. The cam air comes with a nice regulator as well. The Arrow desiccant filter is the most affordable one available. You will have to check and dry your desiccant fairly often. More if you have a smaller compressor, less if you don't.

CAMAIR 2-Stage Filter

2-stage air filtration and regulation systems from Camair are compact and effective. Perfect for shop spaces.
www.autorefinishdevilbiss.com

Got a great deal on a new Arrow Desiccant Dryer

Needed a new desiccant dryer as my old one of the same make (Arrow) was corroded and leaking. I'd already "JB Welded" it one time so I figured get a new one. Looked around for the same model I had and Zoro Tools had the best deal by far, $122.66 + tax for a total of $129.16. Free Shipping. This...
www.spiuserforum.com

The 50 foot of copper is a good idea as it will allow you to cool the air coming from the compressor. Make sure you have plenty of drains, including one ending the main line. Mount the copper line so it drops as it progresses as well.

As much as materials cost these days, it only takes one re-do to pay for this stuff.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I saw that post. I was really just looking for input on the compressor and cheaper filtration. I am all good on running the copper. I had looked at the arrow dessicant, but the price has doubled since your sticky post price from 2 + years ago. I was looking for even cheaper filtration since this is just the frame and stuff underneath the car, but if I have to spend a bit more, so be it. Thanks for the input.
 
I have a "Morgan" reconditioned air compressor from Northern Tool...it looks exactly like a 60 gallon Kobalt or something you buy at TSC. It runs off a 20 amp 240V circuit. My entire shop only has 30 amp service applied to it. Though that is going to change soon. That air compressor does everything for me. I have had that air compressor since 2010.

I installed an intercooler on it to cool the air before it gets to the tank with a filter prior to the tank, and has made a huge difference in the amount of water that goes into my downstream filters.

Since you're looking for cheap and practical, I am still using a set of filters I got from Harbor Freight (have been using them since 2013. They came as a water/oil separator, a dessicant, and a regulator. I separated them and my booth air first runs into the water/oil separator, then into a Motorgard M60 submicron filter, then through the desiccant filter, then into the regulator and out to my gun.

Something like this would work for you with the M60 and a regulator.

www.harborfreight.com

3/8 in. NPT(F) Desiccant Dryer and Filter

Amazing deals on this 3/8In Desiccant Dryer With Filter at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com www.harborfreight.com
 
Scavenge up a good 30gal air tank and add it at the end of your copper main line. This will act as an additional storage/capacity tank and additional water trap.
The farther you are from the compressor, the more water is displaced naturaly from the air due to temperature loss is the basic idea.
I use Devilbiss Whirlwind filters on Everything Air related I don't want water in or on.
THAT is the Cheapest Insurance you can get. They work and are Cheap.
Water in your system is always a factor of Ambient Temperature,Relative Humidity and Run Time.
So what I need down South isn't necessarily what someone in Wisconsin would. Build a Basic System and SEE what happens Then,adjust accordingly.
It's how I did it. Because I'm broke and cheap.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top