Portable Air

[Chris Jenkins]

I'm sure many of you have seen the "portable air tank" sets you can pick-up at the local BORG. THey are filled with CO2 and say you need to take them somewhere to get it filled.

Any reason you couldn't put a valve on top the tank and then use your existing compressor to fill it up?

Thanks,

Chris

[Barry Vabeach]

I have the 9 gallon tank you can get at auto parts store and fill that up with my compressor. I am not familiar with a portable tank with CO2. The one I have comes with a tire stem and I just took that out atd plumbed a t and a regular quick connector - then made up a male to male connector for refilling.

[Julian Wong]

Chris, You can put a valve on the can and pressureize it with you own compessor. Problem is that your home compressor has max 150/175 psi? That won't store a lot of air and you will run out after maybe a handful of shots wirth your brad nailer.

That cylinder is built to handle much higher pressures. I don't know exactly how much but I believe in the range of approx 1000psi at room temperature (80 degrees F) and 2000psi when the can is at 125 degrees F. Squeezing and compressing much more air in there than your home compressor can.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I just take a deep breath and run fast.

[Dave Lehnert]

I'm sure many of you have seen the "portable air tank" sets you can pick-up at the local BORG. THey are filled with CO2 and say you need to take them somewhere to get it filled.

Any reason you couldn't put a valve on top the tank and then use your existing compressor to fill it up?

Thanks,

Chris

I may be 100% wrong but "I think" Lowes does a tank exchange with them just like the 20lb gas grill tanks. You know in the white cages out front of the store.
also I think you can get CO2 filled at sporting goods stores. They are used for paint guns. Dicks is a store here that fills tanks.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Julian is correct - those little canisters are supposed to hold a few thousand PSI, not a few hundred. Even though I'm sure they're made of carbon fiber or something, I'd still be a little scared carrying around a cylinder at 2000 PSI.

For comparison, those large cylinders used to hold welding gasses are also around 1000 PSI (full).

The regulators on them are designed for a specific gas - even if you could put 2000PSI in them with your shop compressor, you shouldn't.

I think CO2-powered paintball guns use a similar setup. Perhaps you can take an empty cylinder to a sporting goods store to have them refilled (that's what the paint ball'ers do).

[Tom Esh]

...Any reason you couldn't put a valve on top the tank and then use your existing compressor to fill it up?

No, but there will be a huge loss in capacity because air, unlike CO2, won't liquify under pressure - or at least not at normal temperatures. I don't know the conversion ratio, but an ounce of liq CO2 will flash off to several cu ft of gas.

[Fyrman Dave]

Even though I'm sure they're made of carbon fiber or something, I'd still be a little scared carrying around a cylinder at 2000 PSI.
These tanks are very safe. Firefighters routinely carry them on our backs for breathing air. Many of the tanks you are talking about carry 2200# (as did our older tanks), we carry 4500# in ours with no concerns as long as you don't abuse the tanks.

[Craig McCormick]

CO2 will shoot a lot more nails than if you would fill the tank from your compressor. You can get the tank filled at most places that service paint ball equipment in the $4 to $5 range. Don't leave the cylinder in your car on a warm day or the safety valve will activate and you will loose your charge.
I had one of those setups. I thought it would be great to carry in my service truck. I even trimmed out a 12'X12' bedroom on one charge with co2 too spare. But soon found that if I left it in the truck it would dis-charge the co2 in the afternoon when it got too hot in the truck.

AZCRAIG

[Rick Fisher]

The ones I have seen are called Jac Pac.
I think the folks who use them the most are maintenance guys.

They can be refilled at most places that sell paint ball supplies.

[Alan Schaffter]

I have used a scuba tank and the LP tap on the regulator for quick "field" nailing. Of course you need to go to a scuba or similar place to get it refilled!

[Charles Davis]

The latest FWW talked about the JAC PAC... ordered up one myself... seems like it will be much more convenient to break the JAC PAC out for the pin nailer than the compressor... if I were to frame out a deck than the compressor comes out, but for small tasks I think this CO2 deal is going to be very much appreciated.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,

Any reason you couldn't put a valve on top the tank and then use your existing compressor to fill it up?

I have a small Coleman 1 gal. tank compressor.

If I run it up to 120psi, set the guage for 70psi. and attach an 18ga brad nailer to it, then pull the plug so it won't cycle, it will run 6 18ga. brads before it begins leaving them proud.

The CO2 bottles for those units have roughly only 20% of the volume the 1 gal tank has.

Even if you did manage to fill it, I'm not sure it would have enough air to even fill the air line, let alone have enough to drive the tool.

Now - having said that - this is where it gets really strange.

I also have a portable air tank - 10 gal. If I fill that up to 120psi, adjust the output to 70psi. and attach an 18 ga brad nailer, it also drives only ~ 6 brads before it begins leaving them proud.:confused:

I'm sure there's a good logical reason why & I'm sure also, it would make my head hurt trying to figure it out.
It just struck me as odd that 1 gal of air and 10 gal of air, at the same pressure, only gave the same number of driven brads.

& yes - it did leave me in a pinch. I'd filled the portable so I wouldn't have break down the already setup compressor & take it to the site to only run a dozen brads.:rolleyes:

[Jim Becker]

Any reason you couldn't put a valve on top the tank and then use your existing compressor to fill it up?

The latest issue of Fine Woodworking has an indirect answer on this one...the small canisters are under a level of pressure that considerably higher than you could possibly generate with your compressor. They review a setup that is specific for using the paintball canisters for a brad gun or pinner. Impressive performance.

[Harley Reasons]

Hello,


I have a small Coleman 1 gal. tank compressor.

If I run it up to 120psi, set the guage for 70psi. and attach an 18ga brad nailer to it, then pull the plug so it won't cycle, it will run 6 18ga. brads before it begins leaving them proud.

The CO2 bottles for those units have roughly only 20% of the volume the 1 gal tank has.

Even if you did manage to fill it, I'm not sure it would have enough air to even fill the air line, let alone have enough to drive the tool.

Now - having said that - this is where it gets really strange.

I also have a portable air tank - 10 gal. If I fill that up to 120psi, adjust the output to 70psi. and attach an 18 ga brad nailer, it also drives only ~ 6 brads before it begins leaving them proud.:confused:

I'm sure there's a good logical reason why & I'm sure also, it would make my head hurt trying to figure it out.
It just struck me as odd that 1 gal of air and 10 gal of air, at the same pressure, only gave the same number of driven brads.

& yes - it did leave me in a pinch. I'd filled the portable so I wouldn't have break down the already setup compressor & take it to the site to only run a dozen brads.:rolleyes:
It is because PSI is only part of the equation, you must also have volume, that's why another part of themeasurement of a compressor is SCFM.
For a good explanation of compressor ratings check this out: (Link for informational purposes only)
Evaluating True Horsepower and CFM Ratings of Air Compressors (http://www.truetex.com/aircompressors.htm)