Compressed Air for Wide Belt Sander..

[Rick Fisher]

I am going to need an air compressor for running a wide belt sander..

All I have now is a small Senco compressor, capable of running pin and brad nailers..

The Wide Belt that I have aquired requires 115 NL/Min, at 90psi. lol.. I have calculated this to be 4.1 CFM @ 90 Psi.. But NL/Min is a 0 degrees Celcius.. So I assume the real requirement will be lower than 4.1 CFM.. ??

This sander wont be running 8 hour shifts.. It might run an hour or two a week.. So I was thinking of matching it up to a Makita MAC2400 Compressor .. capable of about 4.2 CFM.. The compressor would be "dedicated" to running that sander.. If I ever needed to run the sander for long, long hauls.. I would upgrade the compressor..

I am hoping someone with a wide Belt sander can chime in and tell me if this is a brain dead idea.. I dont have the space for a big compressor.. The sander will simply replace a double drum.. so its a trade off of space..

[Adam Strong]

My thought is that going with a 4.2 CFM optimum output compressor to power an air hungry, 4.1 CFM tool is not a good idea. You will find the sander under powered and the compressor running constantly. You need a much larger capacity compressor, at least in the 6.0+ CFM range IMO.

[Jay Brewer]

Hi Rick, this doesn't sound like a great idea. Im not saying it wouldn't work. The problem with the portables is air capacity. They work fine for intermediate use like nail guns.

The sander requires air constantly to operate. With the CMF ratings that close. Once the compressor kicked on, It would have to run the entire time the sander was running. That's not what the portables are made for, and the motor might not hold up well under those conditions.

You don't have room somewhere in your shop for a 60 gal upright? They take up a 2' x 2' area and are pretty cheap. I bought mine for $400 new.

Before I bought the 60 gal, I ran everything off of a 25 gal upright, it did the job( barely) for about 2 years, and finally gave up.

[Bob Stroman]

So I was thinking of matching it up to a Makita MAC2400 Compressor .. capable of about 4.2 CFM..

I have that compressor and a 15" wide belt sander that uses air for tensioning, oscillating, and the belt tracking sensor. It has been adequate for occasional wide belt use. I figure that I will add another Makita compressor in tandem if it is not enough.

The MAC2400 is not very portable as it weighs 77 pounds.

[Carroll Courtney]

I'm with others,but I also would think that it will work as temp, just for short runs providing that the sander has no leaks.Since it requires 4cfm which is the limit for small compressors,the most it will do is cycle more often.If it was me (till my new compressor arrives)I would make a point to run the sander at minium.Where's the pics---Carroll

[Scott T Smith]

I have a 37" Laguna WBS and occasionally use my little PC Pancake compressor to operate it for short runs (15 minutes or less).

I cheat a bit though... I have a Rol-air add on tank on the PC, and the additional air storage gets me over the hump for short runs. For longer runs, I run an air hose to my big compressor. One of these days I'll finish the installation of my air distribution system and it won't be an issue...

If you're running the sander for up to an hour at a time, you really need a compressor that will supply more air than required. Most compressors - especially small ones - have a "duty cycle", which is the maximum recommended operating time per hour. In the case of the Makita that you listed, per their manual the compressor duty cycle is 50%, so for a one hour run you'd be exceeding the duty cycle by a factor of two to one - not a good thing....

Other than that, that Makita looks like a superb compressor.

Keep in mind also that as compressors wear, their CFM drops.

[Rick Fisher]

I have one space.. It would mean moving all the empty power tool boxes into the crawl space.. lol. sigh..

I will make another thread for the sander..

[lou sansone]

I have a 37" timesavers and I run a 20 cfm compressor for it. big machines sort of need big compressors. you can try to little makita and see if it works. you might get lucky

best wishes
lou

[Rick Fisher]

I have given up on that idea.. I will pack all the power tool boxes in the crawl space and put a bit bigger compressor in .. Sigh..

[Scott T Smith]

I have given up on that idea.. I will pack all the power tool boxes in the crawl space and put a bit bigger compressor in .. Sigh..


Rick, what about putting the compressor in the crawl space, and plumbing the air inlet and discharge back into your shop? That has the added benefit of getting the noise out of the shop.

If you go this route, I'd install some type of automatic tank purging valve.

Scott

[Rick Fisher]

I am trying to picture a big compressor, DC and Sander all running at once.. The neighbours will love me.

[Greg Portland]

I would look at Thomas compressors for something portable. They are continuous duty cycle rated and fairly quiet. If you are looking at something slightly larger yet still "mobile" then take a look at IR's GarageMate line. Be sure that you understand what is coming with the compressors. Hoses, gauges, drains, & other accessories can cost a lot of $$$. If you want a large stationary unit then look at 2-cycle Quincy or IR units.