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Hi Guys,
My Bostitch N80 framing nailer is freezing up in this cold weather.
You guys got any suggestions on how to stop this? (Other than moving to Hawaii…)
I took the gun apart and cleaned it up. I’ve been using the recommended oil. I have a water trap on the compressor. I’ve kept the gun warm right up until it’s time to use it. No luck. It freezes up within five minutes every time.
It works fine in the warm weather.
Do I need to do something more to stop water getting in the hoses?
If so, what?
Thanks for the input.
-Red
Replies
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Sawdaddy, back in the old days I used to pour windshield washer fluid into the gun....NOT RECOMMENDED! But it worked.
Nowadays, we make sure our hoses start out dry on the inside. We do this by bringing them into the house at night while keeping both ends open.
One other thing that seems to help in cold weather (below 10) is a heater box. We keep our compressor in a lockbox and just crack the lid. If it the gas monstor, we crack it a little more. This box helps to send warm air though the system.
Done altogether, we can usually keep the stuff working.
Also try pouring a liberal amount of air into the hoses. If the hoses start closing down due to frost, the air supply is diminished. When the gun cycles with the reduced air pressure/volume it tends to stick. Consequently, when you need to most free air, you're getting the least.
My paslodes don't freeze up too easy. It takes a lot of grunge on the inside and really poor hose conditions. Also, we only have problems at 10 degrees or colder.
Switch brands if you can't keep that Bostich going. Use the HD 30 day guarantee to test out different models in cold weather.
Incidently the gas compressors seem to create a lot more water in the tank and lines.
blue
*If you have 2 nailers, set up a salamander. Leave one gun in front of it while you use the other one. Then swap them out when the one you're using freezes up. If ya only have one, follow Blue's advice.
*That's a good tip Ron. In fact, we almost always keep a fire bucket handy (5 gallon bucket, two concrete blocks on a 4'x4' scrap ply or scrap drywall) and bring the gun over there frequently. This does two things. It warms up the gun and also warms US up!It helps a lot to keep the morale up on those nasty days. blue
*Back when I worked outside in the cold, I had some success with pouring a little isopropal alchol/Heat (gas line anti-freeze) in the hose on the end connected to the compressor. Like Blue and his washer fluid - probably not recommended but it seems like it helped - memory is not so good.
*When the air expands in the gun when you pull the trigger, it cools down. That's how refrigerators work. The only solution is either heat the gun or heat the air. If you have a long air hose in sub zero weather, heating the air won't help. If you had perfectly dry air that might solve the problem but that means a chemical dehumidifier or an even more expensive mechanical solution.
*Has anyone used the Portercable clipped head framer I was interested in revues if anyone has.
*In my experience using a heater on the compressor just makes the problem worse. Compressor fills with warm air, warm air cools and condenses in 200ft of air hose and one frosty gun. Condensation freezes and you get blobs of ice throughout the system. My Emglo sits in the back of my un-heated van with back door open enough to run a hose and cord. Draws the same air my hose and gun are exposed to. Can't remember the last time I had a freeze-up. The seals start to let air by at -30 celcius, but no ice.
*Mike, we only run the minimum amount of hose to reduce the possibility of cooloff. I typically use a 70' hose. Sometimes it's attached to a 30' lead, but in those cold days where "cool off" is a problem, we eliminate the lead. That way, we know warm is reaching the gun.A lot of the problems with ice in the lines starts with atmospheric conditions. There are some days that it doesn't matter how cold and other are so bad that we blow like whales on every shot.Is -30 celcius cold?blue
*-30 celcius is cold enough for me! Makes for a good coffee shop day.
*The best to stop the gun from freezing is to get all the water out of the air before it gets to your gun. The problem is amplified by compressors with small tanks. The air is heated during compression and doesn't have time to cool before it gets to your gun. I run a 30 Gal tank on my compressor with dual filter/driers never had a problem, even in the middle of winter in Northern Michigan. One important note, get a quality filter/drier such as Parker Hannifin, Watts or Master Pnuematics from a commercial supplier not the local HD. Second trick is to move the filter/drier downstream, closer to the gun, it's an old painters trick. Run a section of hose between the compressor and the filter/drier, the air will have time to cool and the condensate will be drawn out. That's why paint shops cool the air before running it through the filters.
*Jerry, thats a goodtip!Do you set up a cold tank dwonstream or just run it through a filter?blue
*Most of my experience is with compressors with larger tanks so the problem isn't as bad. I've only run the filter/drier downstream. I've noticed the problem more with high volume tools like die grinders. On a cold day with high humidity they can spray water like a shower head. If your getting a lot of water you may have to use an auto drain unit.
*My nail supplier gives us winter grade oil that has an antifreeze in it. This in the gun and some in the hoses/manifolds help to keep the lines open. Also we use larger diameter hoses in winter to allow for more air flo. The winter oil is called Kill Frost Pnuematic Tool Oil.
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Hi Guys,
My Bostitch N80 framing nailer is freezing up in this cold weather.
You guys got any suggestions on how to stop this? (Other than moving to Hawaii...)
I took the gun apart and cleaned it up. I've been using the recommended oil. I have a water trap on the compressor. I've kept the gun warm right up until it's time to use it. No luck. It freezes up within five minutes every time.
It works fine in the warm weather.
Do I need to do something more to stop water getting in the hoses?
If so, what?
Thanks for the input.
-Red