Air line to bench...where should I put it?

[Jameel Abraham]

After years of tripping over hoses on the floor, I'm finally plumbing my air to a few spots around the shop.

I was thinking of doing a coiled hose above the bench, or a retractable hose reel above the bench area, but then I got thinking maybe I want a dedicated hose for an air gun near the bench, and use the reel for tools. That way I can have both going at once.

Then I got thinking maybe I don't want hoses hanging down on the bench while I'm working on something tall. Maybe better to put the outlet in a drop along the wall next to the bench. But then the hose will be in the way there.

Argghh! Seems like they will be in the way no matter what.

So for you guys with plumbed air, where is the best place to put it?

I should add that my bench is not along a wall, but is away from the wall so I have 360 degree access.

[Ed Jolin]

I finally put an air hose reel and an extension cord reel above my bench, which is also in the middle of my garage/shop; works great and wish I'd done it sooner, as they really aren't all that expensive. I only wish I'd found a better quality extension cord reel because it gets bound up when retracting. Aside from that, I'm not tripping over cords and hoses any more.

[Jim Becker]

My bench air drop is at the ceiling and I use a coiled hose that is easily hung above my head level when it's not in use. Same goes for the one at my lathe and an auxiliary drop in the middle of the shop between the TS and J/P. Only my dedicated spray drop and its neighbor near the passage door to the tractor garage is at a lower level.

[Wes Bischel]

I've got one over the main bench and a few other drops around the shop. They are all attached with quick disconnects. So if it does get in the way - a second later, it's not.:D Just remember the drop goes up before it goes down.

Wes

[Jameel Abraham]

Jim, are you using the Flexeel coils too? Or just Flexeel for the straight hose? I like the idea of the coiled hoses, but the cheap yellow ones you see around are so hard and rigid, they don't look very comfortable to use.

I'm thinking I might want both a coil above the bench say with a blow gun, and then a reel for more prolonged use like with nailers or sanders. I wonder if you can put a Flexeel hose in a low-cost retractable hose reel?

[Chris Parks]

Why have overhead lines on a bench, they just get in the way. I run the line under the top and have an outlet at the front but recessed. I put a short line on it and it hangs down the front not in the way at all. The line is long enough for the nozzle to be either on the bench or hung on the front and the loop is just clear of the floor so it is not tripped on.

[Jim Becker]

Jim, are you using the Flexeel coils too? Or just Flexeel for the straight hose?

Flexeel over the bench, too. (A cheapie over the lathe, but it doesn't get used much) The only thing I would do different is go to the next size up; 3/8" in stead of 1/4", for my flat hoses.

[Stan Welborn]

Tool retractors work nice for overhead blow guns and the coil hose. You adjust the tension for the weight of the tool or blowgun... Reach up and pull it down to use, let go of it when done and it returns to whatever height you had set. I have one attached to the remote for my hoist that works great. Keeps it out of the way but within easy reach. They're kinda high from McMaster-Carr or such, but you can find them on ebay fairly cheap sometimes.

[Victor Stearns]

My vote is for a centrally located overhead reel line. My is has 50 feet of line which covers my small shop very well. I did add several quick disconnects around the shop, but 99 out of 100 times just reach for the overhead line.

[Bob Feeser]

I have a 6hp 60 gallon upright in my garage, ran the copper tubing to have air in the shop. Bought a spiral 50 foot hose with spring rewind at Home Depot. Never used it. Once I hooked up the oil water separater, and pressure regulator, and attach a 50 foot air line, I realized that is all I need. To be honest with you, the hose when I am in a neat mood sits coiled on the regulator. Normally it sits on the floor in the corner of the shop; not a high traffic area. My shop is about 700 sq ft, and their isn't a spot the hose does not reach.
Here is what is really important. You want to buy a good rubber, not plastic hose. The advantage of the commercial grade hoses is that they remain soft and pliable, and will lay flat on the floor. The cheapy plastic ones are stiff, will retain whatever shape they are before uncoiling them. Consquently, as you pass by a bench, they are misbehaving, and pulling everything off the edges of the benches along the way. Not to mention that they are a royal pain in the butt to coil up.
Back to the ideal combo. I found the spring loaded coiled up reel to be kind of impractical, and here is why. Unlike in a car shop, with a lot of open space on the floor, a woodworking shop utillizes all of the open space. So with a spring loaded reel type, you do not have any area to "walk" out the line when you need, let's say 25 feet of it. What invariably happens is that you are pulling out 3 feet, pulling out 3 feet, pulling out 3 feet etc, until you get up to 25, then begin to treat it like a regular hose. You can not just start pulling, and walk it across the room, like you do in a car shop, because you are then dragging it across the edge of machines, in a maze type fashion. In plain words it does not work.
Of course it would be preposterous of me to think that every shop is the same, so I am sure the spring loaded reel type will work for others. I just know what works for me.
In a real shop use situation the above is what I found works for me. I also like to have a yellow 1/4" coil hose hooked up to the other outlet on the air separator pressure gauge, so if I need to just walk over and use a blower on a small piece, I can reach for it very easily. Also if I am using an air driven sander, or whatever, and want to keep blowing the project off, I do not have keep changing heads, by having the second hose. A 1/4" coil hose has limited air flow capacity. The regular 3/8" does a much better job. So that is it. Sorry for acting like a know it all, but after 20 years owning an automotive shop, I have been through a lot with air hoses.
The one other thing is getting good connectors. A good air system allows you to leave the air on, and pressurized in the system. You want a ball valve to be able to shut off the pressure in your shop, but you want good connections that don't leak, so you do not have to worry about it. Plus a small leak over a lot of years, adds up to of electricity wasted, used on a more frequently running compressor. Testing with leak detecting soap is a great way to be sure there aren't any leaks. Using teflon tape helps.
I considered the overhead reel method, but for some reason, I felt uncomfortable with it, thinking it creates a situation that you constantly have to monitor where the hose is going when you are walking across the other side of the shop. It creates a hose clearing the tables off situation. Once again, maybe others shop configurations are different, and maybe it works for them. I'm just used to the hose being on the floor, and working from there.
That'll teach you to ask me a question. :rolleyes: Just kidding. Thanks for your time.

[Jameel Abraham]

Thanks Jim.

And Bob, what a great response. Just the kind of info I was looking for. I hadn't thought about those aspects. I agree, having the hose from above sound more like a nuisance than an advantage. I could see it for a dedicated low bench for assembly, but in general I think I'd be tripping over it and swatting it away more than I like.

[Jim Becker]

...having the hose from above sound more like a nuisance than an advantage. I could see it for a dedicated low bench for assembly, but in general I think I'd be tripping over it and swatting it away more than I like.

I have not had that problem, but that's likely because I put in a few hooks to act as "hose keepers" for my coiled hose over the bench when it is not in use...everything is above the top of my head.

Bob, the polyurethane hoses like Flexeel don't have the "set" problem that cheap hoses have and they also stay very flexible down to extremely low temperatures. They are much lighter in weight, too, so they drag less as you use them. Review on my site.

[dale rex]

I am in the process of planning my piping for my future air compressor purchase. I am going to install an overhead drop with a coiled hose above the main workbench for nail guns( possibly a double outlet), and another drop directly behind the bench(attached to a boxed in post) for blow gun use. Then a few other overhead drops at different locations around the shop. Finally, one out in the garage for automotive use.

[Mike Cutler]

Jameel

Think of air like you would electricity. Would you only want to have one duplex receptacle in the shop? It would be very inconvenient. Where you need the air should dictate where it goes.
A hose reel over the bench is a good idea, but I would also put quick disconnects at other places. I would specifically install a disconnect on the under side of both ends of the bench.
Bob's advice about using quality hose is spot on. Those plastic coiled hoses are annoying.

[Jameel Abraham]

Jameel

Think of air like you would electricity. Would you only want to have one duplex receptacle in the shop? It would be very inconvenient. Where you need the air should dictate where it goes.
A hose reel over the bench is a good idea, but I would also put quick disconnects at other places. I would specifically install a disconnect on the under side of both ends of the bench.
Bob's advice about using quality hose is spot on. Those plastic coiled hoses are annoying.

I actually already have a drop above the bench, (plumbed it in before I thought I might NOT want it!) and I'm going to do a coil hose there with hook ala Jim. See how that works.

I really want a tap under my bench, but I move my bench around, and don't see how that could work. I mean if I brought it up through the floor, when I move my bench it would be in the way. Hmm...any ideas?

[Jim Becker]

Unless the bench is stationary, a tap from below isn't going to be practical, IMHO. Overhead is more flexible and if you think it through, it will not be annoying...most of the time. :) (Gotta always hedge on the fact that perfection doesn't exist...)

[Jameel Abraham]

Unless the bench is stationary, a tap from below isn't going to be practical, IMHO. Overhead is more flexible and if you think it through, it will not be annoying...most of the time. :) (Gotta always hedge on the fact that perfection doesn't exist...)

Good point Jim. I can always add more later. I'll see how the overhead works out.

[Bob Feeser]

Bob, the polyurethane hoses like Flexeel don't have the "set" problem that cheap hoses have and they also stay very flexible down to extremely low temperatures. They are much lighter in weight, too, so they drag less as you use them. Review on my site.
Jim,
Thanks for the invite to your site. I was touched by the blog with your girls, and enjoyed seeing your new addition on the home. I especially loved the bay window, or do they call them greenhouse windows? I know they have a name, anyhow, I would love to have one, to go on the side of my kitchen.
The flexeel hoses seem to be ideal, with the characteristics of a commercial grade rubber hose, but without the added weight. Great solution.

[Bob Feeser]

I wanted to say that even though I found a single air source to work for me, I could see that in a shop that uses a lot of air tools, as a matter of choice, that it would be convenient to have disconnects all around the shop. It would also be convenient to have overhead coil lines, maybe dangling on a wall behind you, for a quick connect, and then an automatic out of the way reaction when disconnected.
In my automotive shop we used PVC plastic piping to distribute air around the shop, with quick disconnects, spaced out across the shop. (I used copper for my woodshop before the prices went crazy) Back to the other shop. Since we depended on air so much, we created 2 zones for the air. Once a guy threw a metal plate over toward the wall, broke the PVC pipe, and that took the air out in the whole shop. We then put in 2 ball valves, for zones, so if one went out, we could shut that wall off, and open up the other one. With air running up both walls, one or the other was always accesible.
If you are running lines along walls, and if you have the space, their is a system for making runs on an incline, then a drop, with a waste vent at the bottom, and that repeats. Helps to eliminate moisture along the way. A final separator is best though.
Just a few more thoughts.