Does anyone know the effects of connecting a 2nd tank to my compressor? I once saw a crew doing that, but never got around to asking them how well the set up performed. I have a 2hp 11gallon compressor. I normally work alone, but now I will be framing a house and hope that by adding the additional tank I will be able to support 3-4 guns.
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Adding a "pig" as we call them will help with air on hand, but yer 2HP compressor is still going to be working hard. I run a 20 gallon 5.5 HP gas compressor.... it handles just about everything three guns can throw at it... sometimes the fourth gun taxes it depending on what we're doing. Like if two guns are sheathing, one strapping, and then that fourth gun gets busy, I hear the idle kick up more than I like to hear it.
Rol-Air makes two nice auxillary air tanks, one stands upright and is call the "Air-Keg" and another is horizontal with mulitple connection points and is actually called a "Pig" IIRC. Add a pig and you'll probably get through the one house just fine.... I'm assuming that your 2HP is electric of course... just remember not to run an extension cord to it. Park that puppy right under the temp power and run the fattest hose you can find (a 1/2" 50'er would be nice) to the pig and branch out from there.
Thanks dieselpig. Yes it is electric (110) I planned set up as you described. I think I'll give it a try and see if I can get thru this house. Then next one I'll maybe see about a bigger compressor. I got the one i have, used for $175 a few years ago and It's served me well for my side jobs. I'f I can get thru one house with it I'll definately have gotten my moneys worth.
The second tank would be helpful working through a sudden surge of use, as when several guns are fired at once, but won't give you any higher total air volume. Once the compressor is running full time you'll be maxed out.
One useful place for a second tank is at the downsteam end of a long hose, to buffer against the flow losses through the hose. (Oddly, placing a free-running electric motor at the far end of a long extension serves the same purpose.)
Nails,
Why not just pick up another compressor???? You can then have two set up at the same time. Check the want-ads or local classifieds, you might get lucky and pick one up used.
-m2akita
Yeah, if I see a good deal on one like what I paid for the one I have, I will. Iv'e seen monsterous tanks on some compressors like the ones they use in auto body shops. (Yes, I know they also have bigger motors) So I was thinking perhaps I can get more out of the compressor i have already. In the end it will boil down to what works and at what cost.
You can get a six or eight gallon tank from HD for about 40 bucks and try it...The first compressor I bought was an oil-free Porter Cable 5 hp 20 gallon hot dog...I've framed several houses with it and run a framing stapler and a strap gun full out with no problems...It's 3 years old and no probs whatsoever, cost about 275. An old boss of mine bought an IR two-stage 8-gal side by side and it runs nonstop when I'm stapling roof decking, and it cost 600..it's two years old.
I also have a 4 gallon PC over under oil splash that's framed and trimmed for two years...and it's run for two days straight sometimes...cost 165 at HD on clearance.
One word: Stay away from Hitacthi comps and Emglo.
Thnks Jason, I think I saw the same tank at HD a few years ago. I'm going go see if they have one in stock at my local HD. Also I agree with you on the Hitachi
Extra tank capacity IMO wil only help if the loads served are surge loads drawing a lot of air at once and the compressor can produce pressure significantly above what the load calls for.
Most compressors, particularly the smaller ones, don't put out significant quantities of air at anything above 120psi. If your running your guns at 90psi that's not a whole lot of headroom.
If it was only one gun or a large single load that would be run for a short time and then rested a tank would help a lot. I doubt three or four guns would fall into this category. Any one gun uses air in a short burst but together they, depending on how they are used, amount to a large single and near constant draw that need pressure at near the maximum of the compressor.
IMHO a second small compressor would be a wiser investment. It might also help keep the amount of hose needed, cost, tangle and time winding up, small. It would also allow you to keep working should one of the compressors need repair or be needed on another site.
I'd have to disagree a little about the possibility of "burst" loads, based on my (admittedly limited) observations of job sites.If you have, say, four guys working nail guns, normally the load will be spread out fairly randomly (as you indicated) and be fairly steady. But on occasion (more occasions or fewer, depending on your style of work and type of job) you may see "bulk" nailing, as when joists have been set in hangers and then a pair of guys move down both sides nailing them in, or when a wall has been layed out on the platform and several guys start nailing it together all at once. There are probably other cases that I'm not familiar with.A more obvious case is if you're using an air wrench for some purpose.I haven't run through any calcs to see what size tank would be needed to ride through a certain sized surge, but any additional capacity will help, and the closer it is to the tools the better.
Well, I've picked up a "pig" tank at HD for $50 CDN. And I hooked it all up. (sad part is the fittings cost $30) Eventually I will also get a 2nd compressor. But not a huge one like what we use on the 7 man crew I work with. another mid size one. I think with the 2 mid size compressors and the "pig", that will allow me to be quite versatile. I was thinking when I do get the 2nd compressor, I wonder If i need alot of air if it would do any good to hook them both up to the pig or keep em seperate? any thoughts?
That's exactly what I would do. Feed the pig from both compressors, and feed the guns from the pig.Put one way valves between each compressor and the pig.
A person with no sense of humor about themselves, has no sense at all.
Really - a one way valve? does that make a difference? How does that affect it, opposed to open air flow between the compressor(s) and the pig?
I'd think the one way valves are so that you can disconnect the pig from either one of the two compressors without losing the air in it and the other compressor. Manual ball valves would work for that, too. If you get a tire valve air chuck, a pig with 100 psi in it can be enough to do the tires on a vehicle, and easier to carry around than the whole compressor.
A friend of mine uses a pig for long hose runs. He made it out of an old propane tank.
-- J.S.
Ok in that case I don't need a one way valve, as the tank came with a shut off. I just have to remember to open it when I hook up, or I'm running straight from the compressor to the guns. Thus bypassing the pig and doing nothing to help my cause. As I discovered today when I hooked up and forgot to open the valve, lol.
I went and bought a second small compressor and run them both in tandum when I need the extra air most of the time I just need the one. Besides the extra air I now have a spare in case one dies when I need it the most.