Hi Flow Air couplers for the Workshop - good improvement?

Are your tool inlets being enlarged as well? The best 'upgrade' you can make to an air compressor is storage. You can use 1" hose to gain some storage, but the hole that the air goes into the tool through is always going to be a 'limiting' factor. Duty cycle becomes a factor if you increase storage.

We had 175lbs in the shop I worked in. Borderline dangerous...but also *very effective.

Most air tools will be rated for 125psi. Some will take more. The IR titaniums are the meanest impacts I've come across.

 

Nothing worse than some idiot who over torques lug nuts so bad a customer can't get them off. What were you supposed to do if you got a flat on the side of the road.

I don't see why running a higher pressure outta the compressor would hurt anything as long as everything is rated for it. Step down to 90 or whatever you're comfortable with before going to your tools.

 

The last shop i would at had 2.5" or 3" overhead going to all the bays. Then smaller drop lines off that for each stall or whatever. Definitely helped with storage.

155psi was nice. I'll bet 175 would kick some....

 

One thing I want to do is just loosen those lug nuts that are on too tight so maybe I should run wide open @ 150 PSI just to loosen the nuts?

 

Hello
Just learned the Home Depot Husky I/M industrial 3/8” fittings and the Milton P style couplers are also the same style!
This seems to be a good way to go!!


Home Depot 3/8” automotiveI/M style
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-5...ck-Connector-Kit-HDA20700AV/100079135#overlay

Milton P style - SCFM = 68
Milton (S-1806) 3/8" MNPT P Style Coupler S-1806 from MILTON - Acme Tools

 

I just figured out how to change the triple coupler setup in the shop to Hi Flow! Harbor Freight has no triple hi flow and I did not need 3 taps so I went to F W Webb yesterday and they put together a dual coupler setup with a 1/2" brass T fitting and had all the other brass parts except the Hi Flow couplers!
Now I can see how much better the blasting cabinet will work!
Also picked up Permatex for the pipe sealing. I like the consistency and brush applicator plus it is easily available at Autozone.

 

The job is not done till it works! :-(
After letting it set overnight the paste was stronger so I fired up the compressor and turned the valve on to let the air flow into the new brass pipes. Then I heard pop pop and hissssss !! :-(
At least 2-3 air leaks! Oh No! So I pulled out all the new brass pipes and made an important observation! I do not think the paste is at fault here so there are two things to consider here.
1. The air fittings are normally NPT thread but the brass fittings are pipe thread. The NPT has a slightly steeper taper. My Quincy installer used other brass pipes and valves quite successfully so they can be used.
2. When I disassembled the pipes I found do to the slight taper that most of the paste was pushed out of the threads!
Light bulb went on!
When Teflon tape is used and wound in the right direction so screwing the pipes together does not unwind the tape, the tape does not push out of the threads as easily as the paste!
Now I have used paste on the boiler fittings when I built the boiler but you are talking only 20 PSI water pressure in the boiler and the zones. We are talking 175 PSI here!!
Therefore, I wound every new fitting 4-5 wraps with Teflon Tape and put them all back together tight. Then fired up the compressor and turned on the valve and Bingo it worked!
Then I finally tested the blasting cabinet and yes a definite improvement.
See Teflon tape redo below!

 

Is it common to use anitsieze for pipe connections? I’m a Teflon tape with thread sealing paste on top kinda guy.

 

never saw it before myself. Tape or dope depending on situation and whats on hand.
I bet the pipes come off easy though haha

 

Just got the air regulators in.
The main regulator at the tank is set for 120 now, so these regulators I can adjust the right one for the plasma cutter and the left one for the blasting cabinet.
https://www.harborfreight.com/14-in-nptf-mini-regulator-58183.html