Rapid Air/Duratec

[Bill Leonard]

Have you used or have personal experience with Rapid Air products for compressed air in your shop?
If so, comments please, it appears to be an easier cleaner install than copper or galvanized pipe.

[Tommy Squires]

I haven't used it yet but I fully intend to. My brother recommended this to me several years ago. He had piped a system where he works (near Dallas) with this product and really likes it. He balked at the special fittings due to the price but worked around this by using Duratec for his piping and transitioning to regular pipe or tubing fittings as he came to attachments, valves, etc. My plan is to run a "ring" around the inside of my shop using Duratec with drops at my various stations.

[Thomas Bank]

Disclaimer: My shop is piped with copper. My downstairs shop is also metal/automotive so I'm running a wide selection of air tools.

I did take a very long look at RapidAir at a tradeshow and talked to the people at the booth.

The first downside off the bat for me was appearance. Even at the tradeshow they were having issues with getting the lines straight in their display. Being sold as a coil, it wants to stay that way. I'm not saying it has to be museum quality, but it did look sort of hokey to me and you mentioned it being a "cleaner" install.

The second is the sizing. As I said in my disclaimer, I also do automotive and metalworking so I'm talking about larger air volume requirements than the average woodworker looking for a brad nailer or even a nailgun. The sizing on the RapidAir just isn't going to cut it for me. They do offer the Duratec in sizes up to 1" but the costs increase as well. I'm really not seeing it being cheaper than copper at that point.

For me, working with copper isn't that difficult and you can learn to sweat pipes pretty easily.

[Joel Johnsonbaugh]

I agree about the looks, kinda so so. Main thing for me is the cost, the pipe looks cheaper but the fittings and manifolds are kinda pricy. On another note i am plumbing my shop for the first time. I was thinking that i might use a pipe bender to make alot of my turns rather than sweat all of those fittings. I just put up conduit and got the hang of making all of the offset and saddle bends figured i might save a few bucks. I know that you can easily bend soft drawn pipe but the cost makes any savings on fittings not worth it. The bender will eliminate any kinks but will it comprimise the structure enough to matter. Sometimes i have to tweek a bend back a little if i messed with a bend a few times could that comprimise it?

[Randal Stevenson]

Disclaimer: My shop is piped with copper. My downstairs shop is also metal/automotive so I'm running a wide selection of air tools.

I did take a very long look at RapidAir at a tradeshow and talked to the people at the booth.

The first downside off the bat for me was appearance. Even at the tradeshow they were having issues with getting the lines straight in their display. Being sold as a coil, it wants to stay that way. I'm not saying it has to be museum quality, but it did look sort of hokey to me and you mentioned it being a "cleaner" install.

The second is the sizing. As I said in my disclaimer, I also do automotive and metalworking so I'm talking about larger air volume requirements than the average woodworker looking for a brad nailer or even a nailgun. The sizing on the RapidAir just isn't going to cut it for me. They do offer the Duratec in sizes up to 1" but the costs increase as well. I'm really not seeing it being cheaper than copper at that point.

For me, working with copper isn't that difficult and you can learn to sweat pipes pretty easily.


When you get into automotive or the finishing aspects of it, plastic pipe, doesn't have the cooling properties of metal pipe.

[Thomas Bank]

That is another issue. But I'm also running a refrigerated dryer, so that wasn't a concern for me.

[Tommy Squires]

You are probably right about the appearance. I intend to run whatever piping I use in the channel that is formed by the metal girt that attaches my steel frame to my SIP walls. That's where I have run my gas piping and some of my electrical conduit. As I said, I wouldn't use their fittings - just too expensive. Don't get me wrong, I like copper but the "ring" I am describing will be 200 feet in circumference so I am looking for cheaper but not interested in threading pipe.

[Chris Damm]

Have you used or have personal experience with Rapid Air products for compressed air in your shop?
If so, comments please, it appears to be an easier cleaner install than copper or galvanized pipe.

You wouldn't ever want to use galvanized pipe! Black pipe is what you want for air lines.

[Michael Koch]

Bill, I have the Rapid Air system in my shop. It was very easy to install. All I did was to make sure that the connections were sealed properly and I used the clips to secure the hose to the walls. At first it seems like you will be fighting the line, but if you secure it every 16" on the stud with the clips, it works fine. Very simple system that you can add to in the future..MK