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Thread: Air Compressor

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jul 2020
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    Palm Harbor, FL
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    26

    Default Air Compressor

    What size air compressor is a good fit for a home shop? I do plan on painting with it also.
    And what type of attachments are recomended or come in handy for a home build.
    I have a year to get my garage set up before the kit is delivered. I have a three car garage so i do have a good amount of area to work with.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Dave S's Avatar
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    Oct 2008
    Location
    St Paul, MN
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    1,833

    Default Re: Air Compressor

    Glenn,

    What serves most of us well is to first determine what kind of paint gun you will use for painting your plane. That will tell you what pressure and CFM you need to supply from your air compressor. I used a Binks # 7 gun (a classic for auto painting) which can be outfitted with different needles and caps which will each have a different compressed air consumption rate. Also used a cheap gravity touch up gun which had a much lower consumption rate so that didn't matter. Wouldn't necessarily recommend the Binks as it is a siphon feed non-HVLP but that is what I had and the air compressor which worked was rated at 90 PSI @ 6 CFM. Different equipment uses different air consumption rates. Also a person doesn't necessarily need to have an air compressor that delivers constant requirements of the gun because a person will probably not be running continuously.

    It is a real good idea to have a filter and adjustable regulator. Compressed air will have both water and oil in some amount which can ruin a person's paint job. Quick couplers on the hoses and gun are almost essential.

    I didn't use the air for anything other than painting; but, others have and I am sure you will get some good ideas on other accessories.
    Dave S
    Kitfox 7 Trigear (Flying since 2009)
    912ULS Warp Drive

    St Paul, MN

  3. #3
    Senior Member efwd's Avatar
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    Jun 2015
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    Yorba Linda, CA
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    2,817

    Default Re: Air Compressor

    I used a 25gal, oiless Craftsman. I used an inline filter and a regulator at the gun. My guns were sold as a pair. Their HVLP and cost me only about $70 at Harbor Fr. I used PolyTone paint and it all went pretty well. Only problem was my lack of skills. You may need better spray equipment for higher quality paint. I used the compressor with air driven tools like my 1/2" belt sander and my rivet puller.
    Eddie Forward
    Flying
    SS7, 912iS, Garmin G3X

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    San Diego, CA
    Posts
    75

    Default Re: Air Compressor

    What kind of power do you have available in your garage?
    Mike
    Building the JaMFox N677JM
    Kitfox 5 Vixen
    KRNM

  5. #5
    Senior Member Delta Whisky's Avatar
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    Dec 2017
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    Amissville, VA
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    637

    Red face Re: Air Compressor

    "The compressor I bought is too big" - words never said by anyone.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Dave S's Avatar
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    Oct 2008
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    1,833

    Default Re: Air Compressor

    Yup - that's the one - right after a person on their deathbed would never say...."Gee I wish I had never built, flown and enjoyed that airplane"

    BINGO!
    Dave S
    Kitfox 7 Trigear (Flying since 2009)
    912ULS Warp Drive

    St Paul, MN

  7. #7
    Senior Member 109JB's Avatar
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    Mar 2019
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    Morris, IL
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    484

    Default Re: Air Compressor

    Well... I have 4 compressors at this point in time. A 80 gallon 5 hp 230 volt stationary for my shop, a 30 gallon 3 hp 120 volt, a 4 gallon jobsite compressor, and a 3 gallon 1 hp silent air compressor at the hangar.

    The first one I ever bought was an oiless tankless craftsman that was noisier than anything ever invented and without a tank ran continuous whenever you used it.Lasted almost no time before it burned up and about started on fire. After that experience I swore off that style oiless comperssor altogether mainly because of the noise. The newer oiless silent and oil lubed compressors are much quieter.

    Next I bought the 30 gallon compressor which was about 28 years ago and it is still running. This is a great all-around size but this particular compressor tends to trip GFCI's on startup. It is 28 years old though

    The jobsite compressor was purchased for house building and really could do most everything for a Kitfox build if you choose the right tools.

    The 80 gallon I got from a friend for free because the motor crapped out. There is a electric motor rebuilder a few towns over and I bought a 5 hp compressor motor for I think $75 from then and put it on. I run a lot of air tools that require high CFM, so this compressor is a must for me. DA sander, air die grinders, impact guns, etc. Not things that are required for a kitfox build. It also is really loud and required its own little insulated room.

    The 1 hp 3 gallon silent was bought just for filling tires, a little blow gun dusting, etc. at the hangar, but I have to say that I love that little $100 compressor. I got it on clearance at Menards because they were discontinuing that model but it is very very quiet, recharges quickly and runs sooo smooth.

    So having said all that, if I were starting over and wanted to get a good all around compressor for a home shop keeping in mind that the primary purpose is to build a Kitfox, I would go for a 2-3 hp silent air compressor with a 20-30 gallon tank. The silent compressors have won me over, not only because of the lack of noise, but because they run so smooth. A quick search turned up this one:

    https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...6787_200746787

    The specs are good on it but I don't have any experience with this particular brand.
    John Brannen
    Morris, IL
    Sonerai IIL (Single Seat)
    Kitfox 3/4 1050 - Rotax 582 (Back Flying and sold)
    Kitfox IV 1050 - Rotax 582 (sold)
    Kitfox IV 1200 Speedster - Rotax 912 UL (project)
    Piper Twin Comanche (Sold)
    Glasair 1 FT (Waiting to start)

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Jul 2020
    Location
    Palm Harbor, FL
    Posts
    26

    Default Re: Air Compressor

    Quote Originally Posted by Dave S View Post
    Glenn,

    What serves most of us well is to first determine what kind of paint gun you will use for painting your plane. That will tell you what pressure and CFM you need to supply from your air compressor. I used a Binks # 7 gun (a classic for auto painting) which can be outfitted with different needles and caps which will each have a different compressed air consumption rate. Also used a cheap gravity touch up gun which had a much lower consumption rate so that didn't matter. Wouldn't necessarily recommend the Binks as it is a siphon feed non-HVLP but that is what I had and the air compressor which worked was rated at 90 PSI @ 6 CFM. Different equipment uses different air consumption rates. Also a person doesn't necessarily need to have an air compressor that delivers constant requirements of the gun because a person will probably not be running continuously.

    It is a real good idea to have a filter and adjustable regulator. Compressed air will have both water and oil in some amount which can ruin a person's paint job. Quick couplers on the hoses and gun are almost essential.

    I didn't use the air for anything other than painting; but, others have and I am sure you will get some good ideas on other accessories.
    Thanks Dave. I did notice on a video I was watching that the person had an inline filter for his compressor, and living in Florida, there's almost always some amount of humidity present!

  9. #9
    Senior Member 109JB's Avatar
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    Mar 2019
    Location
    Morris, IL
    Posts
    484

    Default Re: Air Compressor

    Oh. I forgot. The 80 gallon 5 hp compressor is too big for my needs but it was essentially free so I guess I can't say I "bought" too big of an air compressor.

    BTW, before I got the 80 gallon, If I needed more CFM, I would tee together my jobsite and 30 gallon compressors and that would give me more CFM for air tools. In the shop I essentially had them teed together all the time but only ever turned on the 30 gallon unless I needed more CFM. Of course that all ended when I got the 80. I originally had it teed together too before I fixed the motor on it but the 2 hp 30 gallon ran FOREVER trying to recharge 114 gallon of tanks.
    John Brannen
    Morris, IL
    Sonerai IIL (Single Seat)
    Kitfox 3/4 1050 - Rotax 582 (Back Flying and sold)
    Kitfox IV 1050 - Rotax 582 (sold)
    Kitfox IV 1200 Speedster - Rotax 912 UL (project)
    Piper Twin Comanche (Sold)
    Glasair 1 FT (Waiting to start)

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Jul 2020
    Location
    Palm Harbor, FL
    Posts
    26

    Default Re: Air Compressor

    Quote Originally Posted by efwd View Post
    I used a 25gal, oiless Craftsman. I used an inline filter and a regulator at the gun. My guns were sold as a pair. Their HVLP and cost me only about $70 at Harbor Fr. I used PolyTone paint and it all went pretty well. Only problem was my lack of skills. You may need better spray equipment for higher quality paint. I used the compressor with air driven tools like my 1/2" belt sander and my rivet puller.
    Thanks Eddie! I believe it was you who sowede a pic of the belt sander and said that you used it quite often!!

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