Air Compressor - Piping for Gunsmithing Equipment

[billflangjr813]

That's what we used in our Door Shop!! Works Great!!! PVS -S 40

 

[pony doctor]

We have been renovating out shop (seems like forever with my spinal cord injury). Getting ready to put some permanent Compressed Air Lines throughout the shop. Reloading area, Lathe/Mill/Drill/Saw area, and Cerakote Spray Booth & Blasing Station. Currently running rubber hoses and when putting more permanent lines in what is the best material to use? I looked at steel, but hard to work with and threading, PVC Scheduled 40 seems like a bad idea because of plastic break down. Looking at Copper. Type "L" is rated at 1,000psi and Type "M is 700 psi. Big difference in price. Our Compressor is a Quincy Two Stage, Four Cylinder, 5 HP, 60 Gallon and 175 psi. I Installed an After Cooler on the compressor between the compressor and tank with water separator/filter then have 60' of copper pipe in several 7' sections to act as a dryer with drains on each section. After that the air goes into an Advanced 3-in-1 compressed air dryer system features modes for pre-refrigeration, evaporation, and air and moisture separation.
Then I need to get the Filtered/Clean/Moisture Free air to the stations.
What is the piping you may be using?

Thanks
Len & Jill

Great idea! I just have a retractable air hose reel (rubber from Harbor Freight) and get air anywhere I need it. My garage and shop is are small enough to get the hose to anywhere in there, even out to the driveway slab.

 

[MGFIdaho]

Hate to be redundant but I will echo NO pvc. We have a family friend that lost an eye and and close to his life. The pvc burst and one pice came close to his heart.

 

[spladi]

We have been renovating out shop (seems like forever with my spinal cord injury). Getting ready to put some permanent Compressed Air Lines throughout the shop. Reloading area, Lathe/Mill/Drill/Saw area, and Cerakote Spray Booth & Blasing Station. Currently running rubber hoses and when putting more permanent lines in what is the best material to use? I looked at steel, but hard to work with and threading, PVC Scheduled 40 seems like a bad idea because of plastic break down. Looking at Copper. Type "L" is rated at 1,000psi and Type "M is 700 psi. Big difference in price. Our Compressor is a Quincy Two Stage, Four Cylinder, 5 HP, 60 Gallon and 175 psi. I Installed an After Cooler on the compressor between the compressor and tank with water separator/filter then have 60' of copper pipe in several 7' sections to act as a dryer with drains on each section. After that the air goes into an Advanced 3-in-1 compressed air dryer system features modes for pre-refrigeration, evaporation, and air and moisture separation.
Then I need to get the Filtered/Clean/Moisture Free air to the stations.
What is the piping you may be using?

Thanks
Len & Jill

Maybe old school these days but in the 60's era My Gas station had Black iron.

 

[SEGARE]

Schedule 80 PVC will carry 170psi without a problem. Clean, prime, and assemble with care and you'll be fine.

 

[ntsqd]

Not exactly true. I use Harris Brigit solder, even on Freon lines. I have almost 40 years experience in HVAC, and Harris shows that field brazing copper actually weakened it. Using Brigit, a copper joint held up to 5,000 psi. The joint, not the pipe. Soldering is easy, but there are two common mistakes. Too much heat, and you burn the flux. Brigit flux has a higher burn temp, around 800 degrees. Using too much solder is the other mistake as it washes out the flux. If solder is dripping on the floor, that's using too much. We use copper everywhere. Indoors, outdoors, underground even. Water, AC lines, boiler water lines, even for Propane gas lines. Not permitted to use for Natural gas lines, The added odor to natural gas is acidic. For air systems, we ran 2" black pipe main lines, a brass adapter must be used when reducing to and running copper. The brass prevents corrosion from connecting copper to steel. If your house is plumbed in copper, and it connects to the water heater directly, that's wrong. Drops were 3/4". A 3/4" line can then be reduced to two 1/2" or three 3/8" lines without a loss of volume, air or water.

I didn't use that brand of product, and when I had to remove that system is when I discovered that the joints were in fact fully annealed.

 

[Chukman]

….use copper. As we're all aware, "Buy once, cry once "….

 

[wonderman4]

I used galvanized water pipe. We've got a 120 gallon tank with a 3 phase 10 HP compressor motor. It runs a brake, a roller, a shear, etc.

Plus there are 8 workstations that are piped in.

 

[S96743]

PVC sucks and is dangerous, I have three shops ran with it and one has been converted to steel the other two I should have converted a couple years ago but now just have to wait till it can be budgeted in and we'll go with the blue pipe. We've had two guys injured when a pipe blew, it's always working a leak so then your patching section in, HATE it!!

Yup. I thought pvc wasn't approved by osha for that reason. Hence copper, steel, or an approved plastic system such as rapid air. I did my wife's system with 1/2" sch 40 galv. We have "drip legs?" At all outlet ports.

 

[Jnm300ultra]

Not exactly true. I use Harris Brigit solder, even on Freon lines. I have almost 40 years experience in HVAC, and Harris shows that field brazing copper actually weakened it. Using Brigit, a copper joint held up to 5,000 psi. The joint, not the pipe. Soldering is easy, but there are two common mistakes. Too much heat, and you burn the flux. Brigit flux has a higher burn temp, around 800 degrees. Using too much solder is the other mistake as it washes out the flux. If solder is dripping on the floor, that's using too much. We use copper everywhere. Indoors, outdoors, underground even. Water, AC lines, boiler water lines, even for Propane gas lines. Not permitted to use for Natural gas lines, The added odor to natural gas is acidic. For air systems, we ran 2" black pipe main lines, a brass adapter must be used when reducing to and running copper. The brass prevents corrosion from connecting copper to steel. If your house is plumbed in copper, and it connects to the water heater directly, that's wrong. Drops were 3/4". A 3/4" line can then be reduced to two 1/2" or three 3/8" lines without a loss of volume, air or water.

I second this, I have ran all my air lines in copper M. You can using M and not L copper. As far as using pvc just because everyone is doing this mean it's a great idea. It will turn brittle and much easier to break. Think about you and your family or employees there will be Shrapnel everywhere. I have been a plumber for 22 years and hate to see the easy way always taken. I started soldering and now everything is pex or pro press. Also as far as sch 80 it's the same cost as M copper from what I remember last time I checked. Sorry for the rant about my trade, and good luck with your shop up grade.
Jason

 

[rcollins]

Black gas pipe is rated for 150 PSI.

 

[adam32+P]

We had an OSHA inspection last year and they didn't say anything about the SCH80 pvc in the shop. Maybe things have changed. I was expecting them to say something. They did flag that the compressor wasn't strapped to the wall so they saw the PVC.

 

[MOA NIGHTHAWK]

Do not use PVC for compressed air! Very dangerous! Shortcuts lead to accidents, injuries, and life changing events. Use the appropriately pressure rated pipe and material for your application. I've been installing and testing high-pressure piping systems for 30 years. The energy released from hydrotesting (water testing) alone when a piping system fails is amazing/destructive; compressed air is a different story or level of danger! PVC is not designed for compressed air...

 

[Radman]

We have been renovating out shop (seems like forever with my spinal cord injury). Getting ready to put some permanent Compressed Air Lines throughout the shop. Reloading area, Lathe/Mill/Drill/Saw area, and Cerakote Spray Booth & Blasing Station. Currently running rubber hoses and when putting more permanent lines in what is the best material to use? I looked at steel, but hard to work with and threading, PVC Scheduled 40 seems like a bad idea because of plastic break down. Looking at Copper. Type "L" is rated at 1,000psi and Type "M is 700 psi. Big difference in price. Our Compressor is a Quincy Two Stage, Four Cylinder, 5 HP, 60 Gallon and 175 psi. I Installed an After Cooler on the compressor between the compressor and tank with water separator/filter then have 60' of copper pipe in several 7' sections to act as a dryer with drains on each section. After that the air goes into an Advanced 3-in-1 compressed air dryer system features modes for pre-refrigeration, evaporation, and air and moisture separation.
Then I need to get the Filtered/Clean/Moisture Free air to the stations.
What is the piping you may be using?

Thanks
Len & Jill

Anytime I run copper I always "tin" the ends before soldering them together. I've never had a leak.