Air tank

[HOJ]

I use my 23 gauge air pin nailer in some quite difficult to get to situations, got fed up with lugging my compressor about and having a long hose trailing as well, so recycled an old gas bottle I've had for years, fitted a POL adapter with a 1/4" PCL outlet and a cheap pressure reducing gauge, to give me a portable storage tank that is easy to carry, gives me about 150 shots on a 10 bar charge.

 

[Sachakins]

10 bar! What's the gas bottles pressure max figure?

 

[Ozi]

They are often given a working pressure of 14 Bar but it's a good point and worth checking, there are a lot of different makes around and not all will be the same. If you are using this commercially you may be invalidating your insurance, any pressure vessel over 250 Bar liter needs to be regularly inspected although many portable compressors never see an inspection.

 

[Sideways]

I did something similar to create a larger air tank for the small compressor I use for spray painting.
Mine was made from four aluminium CO2 fire extinguishers racked and linked together. Even combined they don't make a big tank but they have a test pressure of something like 3,000 psi upwards so I reckon I'll never have to worry about popping them with a 160psi compressor and corrosion won't be an issue with aluminium.

 

[TRITON]

Could something with a hand pump be adapted for use, so you can recharge it anywhere ?.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You end up with Popeye's biceps.

 

[Dabop]

I use my 23 gauge air pin nailer in some quite difficult to get to situations, got fed up with lugging my compressor about and having a long hose trailing as well, so recycled an old gas bottle I've had for years, fitted a POL adapter with a 1/4" PCL outlet and a cheap pressure reducing gauge, to give me a portable storage tank that is easy to carry, gives me about 150 shots on a 10 bar charge.

My old compressor had a rusted out tank (quite a bit of excitement when it blew I can tell you- they are LOUD!!!) so I used a pair of 45kg LPG 'house tanks' (quite safe as they are rated at 210PSI, my compressor tank was only rated to 150PSI, and the compressor itself these days only goes up to about 85psi (I suspect it needs new rings- it used to go up to 120 when it was 'new'- well new to me... mind you I have had it since the 1980's lol)
As I have a permanent 'workshop' (well the shed) these days, I decided to put them all outside for quietness (under cover of course)- no more 'rattling away' in the corner lol

Two of these (they stand about chest height on me)

Biggest advantage is now I have the plasma cutter- the compressor used to 'run out of puff', and the cut quality suffered- with the two big tanks, I can cut an entire 2400mm sheet length without it starting to 'splutter' at the end because the air pressure has dropped...
Plasma cutters eat air lol

 

[HOJ]

10 bar! What's the gas bottles pressure max figure?

The plate on it says test pressure 25.4 Bar

Could something with a hand pump be adapted for use, so you can recharge it anywhere ?.

Bug.... that, compressors always on the van so just a quick recharge as and when.

any pressure vessel over 250 Bar liter needs to be regularly inspected

Not sure what that figure means.

 

[Ozi]

The plate on it says test pressure 25.4 Bar


Bug.... that, compressors always on the van so just a quick recharge as and when.


Not sure what that figure means.

Multiply the pressure in Bar by the volume in liters get more than 250 Bar.liters and a pressure vessel should be subject to inspection with a written scheme to comply with PSSR 2000 and ultimately the health and safety at work act.

There has been a lot of legislation enacted since I worked with this sort of thing so I may not be up to date!

 

[HOJ]

@Ozi appreciate your input, its an 8 litre tank @ 10 bar so is that 80?

 

[Sachakins]

So test pressure 25.4 bar, given that a normal safety measure of 3 to one against test pressure gives a normal max rating of about 8 bar. So 10 bar, being 25% greater is a risk them.

 

[Inspector]

Personally I would not use expired vessels made for other things as compressed air tanks. Not worth the risk. However if I were I would pressure test them NOT WITH AIR but with WATER. If the tank is filled with air and it lets go you may get killed or severely injured. A tank failure while pressure testing with water will only result in a squirt or splash of water because the water isn't going to try and expand hundreds of times like compressed air will. There are lots of inexpensive water pressure testers that you can buy like this one that are simple and safer to use. Should still err on the side of caution and test with the tank on the other side of a barrier.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dyna-Livin...-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
Pete

 

[HOJ]

Thanks @Inspector I actually have an industrial hydraulic water pressure tester, I will do that, for my own peace of mind.

 

[JimJay]

The kind of compressor used to fill PCP airguns might be useful for this...

 

[HOJ]

Ran a hydraulic pressure test, had to dig out my old Rothernberger from the long lost shed:



Took an hour to fill it up as it kept air locking filling it up through a small orifice!, left it for 2 hours at just over 20 bar, then another hour to empty it because it kept air locking again, trying to get it dried out now.

 

[Sideways]

It's always going to get damp inside like air tanks do because of condensation.
I wonder if slopping some fernox corrosion inhibitor into an air tank would help protect it like it does the central heating ?
Just a random thought !

 

[Sachakins]

Fernox doesn't dry, a general rust inhibitor poured in and sloshed around, drained a left to dry should work well.

 

[Inspector]

I'd fill it with clean dry air, turn it upside down and let it out as fast as I could. Repeat a few times. Maybe charge it up and let it get warm to the touch in the sun or by a heater, then drain it again.

Pete

 

[JimJay]

The kind of compressor used to fill PCP airguns might be useful for this...

I'm not sure what caused @Sideways so much mirth - my airgun compressor can fill a scuba breathing tank to 3,500psi....and it dries the air as it compresses it.

 

[Sideways]

I'm not sure what caused @Sideways so much mirth - my airgun compressor can fill a scuba breathing tank to 3,500psi....and it dries the air as it compresses it.

Exactly that. Awesome gadgets capable of serious pressure. You could do proper damage with one of those lashed up to a DIY tank !