build your own compressor?

[lostinlobsterville]

Does anyone have any knowledge in building their own compressor to fill tanks? I have heard people tell of building compressors out of all kinds of components. Does anybody have any suggestions or help on building a compressor? Thanks everybody.

 

[amascuba]

I've looked at doing it before. It will still be a expensive venture and will still cost about the same amount of money that you would spend on just buying a new compressor. It's not so much that building the actual compressor is expensive, but rather the filtration system needed to provide clean air is expensive.

Here are is a place that sells the actual compressor for pretty cheap. All you have to add beyond that is a motor that will drive the compressor and the filtration system.

http://www.protecair.com/

 

[underboats]

Unless you want the fun of a project you are better to buy one. Even buying a compressor is more of a convience than a savings. I run all Bauer but Alkin makes a pretty good compressor for the price, the next one I buy will be an Alkin. If you are going to build one yourself get one of the old surplus Walter Kidde's, you can find lots of parts and they are a pretty good compressor. But you will find that you don't save much if any by building one yourself. My 2 cents!!

Chuck

 

[marchand]

theoretically you could turn a 4-cycle engine into a compressor. An old four banger would work well.
use two of the cylinders to power it and the other two as the compressor. It would be best to use two cylinders that fire on opposite strokes to pair for powering the thing.
the hardest part would be making the exhaust take pressure and the filtration would cost a pretty penny.
no idea how much pressure you would be able to get out of it. you could probably figure it out by using the amount of torque the engine produces.
you would also want to build an overpressure shutoff.