Air Compressor - Piping for Gunsmithing Equipment

[cohunt]

I run 3/4 " rapid air-- the one that jas the aluminum liner so you can di a direct bury underground....I run it from my detached shop to my main house garage.

Pvc is dangerous-- the oil vapor in the air will gradually decompose the pvc and glue-- I hd a pvc line blow up in a prior race car shop- it was scarry.

Watch which rapidair line you use-- some are not compatible with synthetic compressor oil- only std mineral based.

Black or galvanized will eventually rust

Copper is for life but expensive.

The rapid air systems can easily be changed, stations added, through wall outlets for air inside and out. They aren't cheap but if you move they can be easily be broken down and moved with you.

But copper has a high resale value if you care

 

[AvonShooter]

PVC sucks and is dangerous, I have three shops ran with it and one has been converted to steel the other two I should have converted a couple years ago but now just have to wait till it can be budgeted in and we'll go with the blue pipe. We've had two guys injured when a pipe blew, it's always working a leak so then your patching section in, HATE it!!

Totally agree. PVC pipe was not made for gas pressure. Liquid and gas expand differently. It certainly didn't work for pvc natural gas lines. I worked in a marble/granite shop which we outfitted a warehouse with pipes and compressors. 2 hours in we had the first explosion. PVC shrapnel everywhere. Fortunately no one was hit. We immediately shut down and started retrofitting using black pipe. While others have gotten away with it, by luck and low pressure, I would not recommend it. Don't just read what's on the pipe, call a compressor sales place and ask them.

 

[ntsqd]

When PVC fails, and it does fail, you get shrapnel. It particularly doesn't like to get cold because it fails much easier then. For temporary service I might consider it, never for long term service or something "temporary" that is likely to become permanent.

If you read up on copper you realize that the solder joints are the places that are the weakest. I installed one system using silver solder and was so proud of myself for addressing that failure mode. Until I realized that to get the silver solder to flow that I'd basically annealed the tubing at the joint. It was a lot more expensive and no real gain. The second copper system that I've installed is soft soldered.

It was touched on above, but it bears repeating. regardless of copper or poly make your main lines (trunk lines) from bigger tube than your drops. Install the mains with a slight slope. Up to you where they slope to, but the idea is that the condensed moisture will run downhill. Could be a single slope to one end, could be two slopes with a high point in the middle that slopes to the ends, or two slopes that slope to the middle. The drainage drops at each low point need to have valves at the bottom of them to periodically drain the condensation.

The service drops also need to be thought out. Place the taps into the trunk line pointing up, and then U-turn the drop down to where it needs to be. This helps keep the condensation from just running down your drops and ending up in your work. Use a 'T' where you put the QD on the drop, not a 90°. Put a short section of tube in the 'T' below the QD and cap it with a valve or a petcock.

 

[cohunt]

I have used most all of the options presented (except the proprietary plastic ones). I'm going to run PEX in my shop for exactly what you are looking at. I did a patch up next to my compressor a decade or so ago when it's all I had available over a weekend and it worked brilliantly.

Copper run correctly close to the compressor can work well as a water separator. PVC is brittle and stupid expensive right now so not the huge cost savings it used to be. Black pipe = rust and you need a pipe threader (which I have and still wouldn't go that way).

I am using Oetiker clamps with the PEX. I don't trust the other methods at that higher pressure.

Is pex pipe oil compatable? Most industrial compressors are oil type compressors- not oil free like the small home improvement type

The rapid air fitting are expensive because they are stainless steel -- but nice, and the distribution blocks are aluminum so you need to use both Teflon tape and pipe dope so you get fitting galling

 

[Radman]

We have been renovating out shop (seems like forever with my spinal cord injury). Getting ready to put some permanent Compressed Air Lines throughout the shop. Reloading area, Lathe/Mill/Drill/Saw area, and Cerakote Spray Booth & Blasing Station. Currently running rubber hoses and when putting more permanent lines in what is the best material to use? I looked at steel, but hard to work with and threading, PVC Scheduled 40 seems like a bad idea because of plastic break down. Looking at Copper. Type "L" is rated at 1,000psi and Type "M is 700 psi. Big difference in price. Our Compressor is a Quincy Two Stage, Four Cylinder, 5 HP, 60 Gallon and 175 psi. I Installed an After Cooler on the compressor between the compressor and tank with water separator/filter then have 60' of copper pipe in several 7' sections to act as a dryer with drains on each section. After that the air goes into an Advanced 3-in-1 compressed air dryer system features modes for pre-refrigeration, evaporation, and air and moisture separation.
Then I need to get the Filtered/Clean/Moisture Free air to the stations.
What is the piping you may be using?

Thanks
Len & Jill

Lots of good advice here. I have ran thousands of feet of 90, 250 & 3000 psi lines. 1) The more air you use the more condensate you'll get.
2) The more linear feet that you run the more pressure drop you'll have, (especially if it's not hard pipe).
2) Unless you blow down every night any fittings or soft piping will be pressurized 24/7.
3) Allow for vibration!
It sounds like you know what you're doing. Good luck!
(Spending a little more now may save money, downtime & aggravation down the road)

 

[Tomjoad]

Copper all the way here. I use blue over red always for durability, it can take minor hits, the red is too fragile. Iron pipe aside from the pain of threading requires filters and separators at every hose connection location. copper you can cheat so long as you can live with some moisture in the lines. I like to have separators at dedicated tool locations but typically have blower only locations with just a hose connection.

 

[SawDustProducer]

PVC pipe is not recommended for pressured air use by the manufacturers of the PVC pipe. Upon failure it can become shrapnel unlike steel and copper pipe and plastic tubing. I know many people have used it successfully in the past, but when you do a google search there are a lot of recommendations not to use.

PVC pipe is not designed for compressed air | Air Compressor Works

PVC pipe is not designed for compressed air. In fact, it’s not even legal (unless you bury it or encase it in a shatter-proof material.)

aircompressorworks.com

 

[Bangswitch 6x47]

I'm about to do the same thing in both of my shops, and I'm planning on going with schedule 40, or 80. I can't see it not holding up to those pressures, inside a shop. It should still be good, when I'm dead and gone. I may be wrong.

 

[Rflshootr]

If it were me, I'd bite the bullet and use copper. Even if I had to do half now and half later. I'd wild guess that you'd probably only be running one machine at a time or doing one operation at a time, so only one air hose would be needed at a time. Run it to the center of the shop for now and do the rest later if the price is too high for a once and done.

 

[redrockranger]

M copper is fine. Main @ 3/4". Compression fittings might work if done with care. Less sweating with torch. Silver bearing solder stronger joint.

 

[lobo56]

On these hot rod shows I see on the weekend there's a blue line with brass fittings I'm not sure the name of it but that is its purpose and what it's designed for

There is this type of system on Eastwoods.com if I remember right. Easy system, I thought about using in also! Comes in varying lengths.

Rapid Air 3/4 Inch MAXLINE MASTER KIT 300 FT M7580

MaxLine Semi-Flexible Compressed Air Tubing

www.eastwood.com

 

[nwhunter]

PVC sucks and is dangerous, I have three shops ran with it and one has been converted to steel the other two I should have converted a couple years ago but now just have to wait till it can be budgeted in and we'll go with the blue pipe. We've had two guys injured when a pipe blew, it's always working a leak so then your patching section in, HATE it!!

Yeah, we tried pvc back in the 70's in the mill I was working in. No problems, but OSHA fined us at their first inspection. Over time it does not hold up.

 

[Reelamin]

Yeah, we tried pvc back in the 70's in the mill I was working in. No problems, but OSHA fined us at their first inspection. Over time it does not hold up.

Wanted the face approval I love your comment on no issue with what you used until OSHA/Gov. shows up and I HATE that part.

 

[ENGUNEER]

On these hot rod shows I see on the weekend there's a blue line with brass fittings I'm not sure the name of it but that is its purpose and what it's designed for

This hose and fittings can be found at

Rapid Air MaxLine Tubing Kit 1/2 in. x 100 ft. M6026

100 ft tubing includes beveling tool and cutter

www.eastwood.com

Enjoy the project!