Air-powered random orbit palm sanders have demonstrated to be real time savers in regards to sanding wood. For a woodworking shop, this will translate into time saved and, therefore, dollars earned. Converting to air sanders requires, of course, the purchase of an air compressor that can handle the air requirements of just one or many air sanders. Here's how to go about selecting the proper air compressor for the shop.
My familiarity with manufacturing hardwood furniture has taught me that about half the time involved in constructing each chair,Guest Posting table or cabinet is adopted with sanding. When you are trying to produce a livelihood in the woodworking industry with hourly employees you have to cut inefficiency to a simple minimum. This doesn't mean learning to be a tyrant but, instead, removing any and all impediments that may be slowing construction, sanding and finishing.
I started my woodworking career with a quarter-sheet electric sander, quickly graduated to an orbital electric disc sander and finally seen that I really could substantially cut sanding time with an air palm sander. I settled on a 5” Dynabrade sander and Sears 3HP air compressor. It took me significantly less than one hour to understand my faux pas: The tiny compressor I bought could not begin to keep up with the air requirements of the air sander.
Compounding the issue was the fact I had three people hired as sanders and so I would have to keep three air sanders running at 10,000 RPM all day long long. I did so some arithmetic and discovered that I will need a twenty horsepower air compressor with a large tank to keep up with the demand. I was fortunate enough to discover a used one with an acceptable cost however it required three phase power and lots of it. I had to think about the excess expense of an electrician to wire it around the building's 208 volt 3-phase power.
Air sanders are aggressive and effective. They are lightweight when comparing to their lesser electric cousins. My sanders took in their mind immediately and production took off. I was as ecstatic while they were. Soon there was another machine form air compressor that required having large levels of air for sale in the shop: An Onsrud inverted pin router Mold Testing. It was also great to be able to blow sawdust from benches and machines while cleaning the shop by the end of the day. The compressor was also used to spray finishes on the completed furniture.
Years later, I built a smaller woodworking shop in my home which only required one air sander running at a time. For that shop, I purchased an air compressor half the size and isolated it in a soundproof room in a single area of the shop. I ran ¾” galvanized pipe under the shop floor to three regulators at three different connection locations. The device I purchased for that shop as a 5 HP Ingersoll Rand model with an 80 gallon tank. At the 80 PSI required by my Dynabrade sander, the compressor would produce enough air from morning to night.
I must assume that, having read this far, you have some fascination with utilizing an air compressor to power air tools in your wood shop. Probably, a 2-stage reciprocating air compressor will fill the needs of a small to medium shop. As a guideline, a 5 HP air compressor will power one sander, a 7.5 HP machine will power two and a 10 HP machine is likely to be necessary for three sanders.
How big is the compressor's air tank is an important factor: The smaller the tank, the more the electrical motor will have to cycle on and off, This really is hard on the motor and compressor pump over time and it uses more power. I could not purchase an air compressor used to perform an air sander with less than a 60 gallon tank and I'd feel much much more comfortable with an 80 gallon tank.
The sort of electrical power required by an air compressor is one more thing you will want to think about. When you have three-phase power offered at your shop location, fine. Three phase motors tend to make use of electricity a little more conservatively than single-phase motors.Industrial-type air compressors will all require 3-phase power nevertheless the 5 HP models come either way. If you may not have 3-phase power available, you can create it with a circular or electronic phase converter as I did so in my smaller shop. Whether you employ single or three phase power, you will require 230V AC power for single-phase motors and 208 to 220V AC for the three-phase type.
A two-stage compressor pump is crucial for an air compressorof this size. Two-stage air compressors have two cylinders, one larger than the other. Air is first drawn to the large cylinder where it is partially compressed and provided for small cylinder for final compression to the tank. As air is compressed, heat is produced and so a great machine will will have a finned intercooler built in.
Compression not only produces heat but squeezes water out of the air which eventually ends up in the tank. Tanks can rust internally over time and if this is simply not controlled, the rusted air tank can eventually explode causing considerable damage and even death. That's why it is important to evacuate the tank of water regularly. Most air compressors come built with a drain valve at the best point of the tank.
You will require a minumum of one regulator and a water trap in line before the regulator. They are not costly. A regulator allows you to set the right air pressure for the tool you is likely to be using (say, 80 PSI) rather than tank pressure (say, 175 PSI).
Air output of a converter is expressed in standard cubic feet per minute (SCFM) or simply cubic feet per minute (CFM). Not all 5 HP compressors released exactly the same level of air per minute. This is a function not only of motor horsepower but also the efficiency of the air compressor pump the motor is powering. The larger the CFM, the less your air compressor must cycle on and off to keep up with the demands you are wearing it. A small compressor pump on an enormous tank will produce no longer air than on a small tank.
All reciprocating air compressors get rid of some oil with the air they compress. When the tank reaches it's designed pressure limit, a transition will interrupt electrical power to the motor. Simultaneously, a certain amount of oily air is likely to be released to the shop environment. You may see oil collecting on the wall behind the compressor and on the pump and compressor as above time. This isn't reason for alarm but periodic cleaning may be needed.
Reciprocating (piston type) air compressors are noisy and this is something you'll need to anticipate for the sake of yourself, your workers and others who're in the neighborhood. If quiet is an important consideration, you may want to think about spending the excess money for a screw-type air compressor. Screw-type compressors don't have any pistons or cylinders. Air is compressed in turbine fashion by way of a large metal screw, turning at a very good speed. These machines just purr set alongside the reciprocating type but they are very costly. They sound similar to a quiet jet engine than a loud truck motor.