Add on compressor tank? Anyone done it?

[lyrikz]

I have a new 25 gallon craftsmen compressor. I want to ADD an additional tank so i dont have to keep starting and stopping because of losing air pressure.. Its the beefy construction grade compressor so im not worried about it handling it. Anyone ever done this and added an additional storage tank i guess you could say???

[ChevLoRay]

In my previous employment, we had air in the plant supplied by compressors in our power house. When it got to a specific building, it was fed to a doubler. From the doubler, it went to another tank. It didn't double the pressure of the air (don't know why it was called a doubler) but it did serve to increase the amount of air we had available to us....and we used a LOT of air.

Seems that so much of the time, the air we need limits our ability to perform tasks that have higher SCFM requirements than our compressors will create. If nothing else, the doubler got around that limitation. Certainly, an additional tank, with a one-way checkvalve between them, isn't going to hurt your system. But installing a doubler between the tanks will help, too.

[Scott68-93-97]

Originally Posted by ChevLoRay

In my previous employment, we had air in the plant supplied by compressors in our power house. When it got to a specific building, it was fed to a doubler. From the doubler, it went to another tank. It didn't double the pressure of the air (don't know why it was called a doubler) but it did serve to increase the amount of air we had available to us....and we used a LOT of air.

Seems that so much of the time, the air we need limits our ability to perform tasks that have higher SCFM requirements than our compressors will create. If nothing else, the doubler got around that limitation. Certainly, an additional tank, with a one-way checkvalve between them, isn't going to hurt your system. But installing a doubler between the tanks will help, too.

I think the doubler is basically a manifold system for the instantanious use so the air is there on demand but none the less if your tank was 500 gal but you had a 4 cfm comp and a tool that uses 6 cfm your going to run out of air and the more tank will not help with the smaller comp it will recover slowly and you wont be able to use the tool until its back up

[lyrikz]

Originally Posted by Scott68-93-97

I think the doubler is basically a manifold system for the instantanious use so the air is there on demand but none the less if your tank was 500 gal but you had a 4 cfm comp and a tool that uses 6 cfm your going to run out of air and the more tank will not help with the smaller comp it will recover slowly and you wont be able to use the tool until its back up

Here is the tank that i have... CLick the link to view the specs and what not.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...+%26+Inflators
Thats why i have now. I had an air sander that the compressor couldnt keep running worth a ****.. Well, i want to get this sand blaster from harbor freight, but dont know if its going to work.. Heres the link to the blaster.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=34202

Any other info for me on what i can do with what i have?

[Scott68-93-97]

Originally Posted by lyrikz

Here is the tank that i have... CLick the link to view the specs and what not.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...+%26+Inflators
Thats why i have now. I had an air sander that the compressor couldnt keep running worth a ****.. Well, i want to get this sand blaster from harbor freight, but dont know if its going to work.. Heres the link to the blaster.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=34202

Any other info for me on what i can do with what i have?

That compressor is only rated at 8scfm which is not a hole lot you can add another tank but like I said it will take longer to fill but you can probably use your blaster for another minute before it comes on, youll just have to stop in between. Even my 60 gal 17scfm runs a lot when using a blaster. They use a lot more air than impact sanders or grinders. Sears usually has a rating for different tools on the comp. green for continious, yellow for intermidient use and red for not recommended. You do have the better of the craftsmen comp in that size being the proffesional series. I beleive campell hausfeild makes it for em', same with my husky its made by campell also. The funny thing was the campell from harbor freight same motor and tank as mine was more expensive than the husky from home depot. Maybe the red paint and the husky sticker was cheaper

[Scott68-93-97]

Do you have it hooked up to 110 or 220 if its hooked to 110 it wont perform as well. What did you pay for it mine was on sale for 399.99 at the local depot

[Scott68-93-97]

Is it a single or two stage comp. (is the motor and comp. a one peice or seperate with belts) If you have a single don't do it cause it will take forever to recover, the comp is usually sized for the tank. Ive added them on a 60 gal with a 2 stage comp and a 7hp peak 2hp running motor, but there more of a 100% duty cycle than the single stages, it will run longer and you might not get that much more out of it than you already have. If the comp. is already not keeping up while your using a tool an extra tank isn't going to help unless you want to stop while its filling up, mine will shut off while Im using a die grinder or impact continiously, so extra air in the tank is not of concern.

[Scott68-93-97]

The more air is only going to give you more instantanious air not continious, my dads shop has 2 turbine compressors that sound like jet engines firing up but they can supply 25 guys running tools with no tank at all but the tank is there for the instananious drain of not using air to all of a sudden boom 5 guys fire there tools at once. Basically the CFM rating on the comp is more than the tools use combined, thats more of what you need to be concerned with, what your tool is using and what your comp. pumps

[Shane]

adding another tank isn't going to cut down on the amount of time the compressor runs ... it's actually gonna increase it.

it's like saying that because you add a second gas tank that your mileage will pick up ... it won't ... same mileage ... just more miles between fill ups but now the fill ups take twice as long.

[lyrikz]

Originally Posted by Shane

adding another tank isn't going to cut down on the amount of time the compressor runs ... it's actually gonna increase it.

it's like saying that because you add a second gas tank that your mileage will pick up ... it won't ... same mileage ... just more miles between fill ups but now the fill ups take twice as long.

Can you recommend a solution??? Besides buying a bigger compressor or am i stuck?

[CCCC]

Adding more volume to the air storage and getting the larger volume pressurized before staring the task will allow you to use more air before the pressure drops to the level where the comp comes back on (slower pressure drop due to larger volume) which may help you get through some shorter duration tasks without low air pressure condition. The comp will have to work just as hard, but longer in time in order to get the larger volume to the shut-off psi. In one shop where I needed to run air pipe the length of the room (with three outlest along the long wall) , and instead of a second tank, I installed 6" Sched 40 pipe to get volume (had to do the piping anyway) which achieved similar effect to a second tank of similar volume.
Hope this helps.
CCCC

[ChevLoRay]

A compressor can do no more than it was designed to do. If the one you have isn't big enough, you'll know it. At that point, you have two choices....

My uncle took the compressor from a C-65 Chevy and used it to supply the air he needed in his shop. His compressor was an old Curtis unit that dated from the 40s's (at the latest). When the original Curtis compressor was no longer able to be rebuilt, he scabbed onto the truck compressor. He had all the air he needed. I don't know the SCFM rating of that unit, but he used air for all his needs, but no painting/sandblasting.

[69TowRig]

Originally Posted by ChevLoRay

My uncle took the compressor from a C-65 Chevy and used it to supply the air he needed in his shop. His compressor was an old Curtis unit that dated from the 40s's (at the latest). When the original Curtis compressor was no longer able to be rebuilt, he scabbed onto the truck compressor. He had all the air he needed. I don't know the SCFM rating of that unit, but he used air for all his needs, but no painting/sandblasting.

I am going to build an air compressor out of a York 210 A/C compressor when I get my garage. They are rated at 10SCFM, have their own oiling system, and can be driven by any electric motor you can slap a V-belt on (provided it has enough Hp to turn it). A lot of people use them for on-board air on off-road trucks, I have one for my Nissan and will be putting on in the Blazer soon. The first one I found on an early-80's Volvo, the latest one I found (surprise!) on a mid-70's 6-cylinder Chevy pickup.

Here's an example link: http://www.pavementsucks.com/tech/yorkcomp.php