Air Compressor

[Greg Hairston]

I currently have a Small PC pancake compressor. It is too Loud and cycles on and off too often. I want something that is quieter and will not cycle on just because I blew down a table top. I will use it for Nail guns, grinder and possibly sanding. Please proved your suggestions

Greg

[Bill White]

a compressor with adequate CFM (cubic feet per minute) to get the job done. An air grinder will suck up a BIG gulp every time you use it. Look at your air powered tools to find the CFM requirements. Sounds like a 10 gal. tankand a 2 hp 5CFM comp. Just guessin' here 'cause I don't know your exact tool needs.
My 2 cents.

[Rob Russell]

Greg,

If you're seriously thinking about a sander, you need an even more serious compressor.

Sanders eat a lot of air. You can easily push yourself into needing 10-15 CFM at 90psi with a sander and that means getting into a 2-stage pump. You won't find anything like that in the $100-$200 range either - you're looking at several times that. Compressors like that will also tend to have larger tanks.

Bill's comment about looking at your tools is correct. You need to decide what your air needs will be - by looking at the tools that consume the air - and then buying an appropriately sized compressor.

One thing you could do is buy 2 smaller compressors and plumb them together. You'd want to build a sound hood to cover them (it would be loud when they both fire off), but it is possible.

If cost of a compressor isn't a huge concern, look at the RPM ratings of the pump. The slower the pump, the quieter the compressor. You'll find yourself looking at higher quality units like Ingersol Rand, Quincy, etc. to get the quiet ones.

Rob

[Rob Russell]

Bill,

I just noticed this was your first post.

Welcome to SMC! It's a nice crowd.

Rob

[Steve Stube]

I think this site will help you with the selection.

http://www.sawdustmaking.com/AirCompressors/air_compressor.htm

[Don Selke]

Hi Greg:

Not only plan for your current needs, plan for future needs. Are you going to be spraying with a HVLP spray gun? Some spray (conversion) guns need 8 to 11 CFM of air which would require a large compressor with large air storage. Rob and Steve have given you some good starting advice. I have seen fellow woodworkers with a shop full of expensive tools and a very cheap and inadiquate air compressor which really does not make sense. Compressors that have to run frequently and often wear out sooner then the units that run ocassionally to keep up with air demands. Purchase one good unit with future needs or purchase several units that may not be adiquate for what you are trying to do.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Watch the local classifieds or the boards at WW forums. I found a great Craftsman compressor from a member...20 gallon tank. I doesn't come on but 3 times a day using the nail guns all day. A sander would run it down faster, but much easier to live with than a pancake.