Fabio421

No Steve, it wasn't me. I was posting what was found in that link posted earlier. Most people usually won't click the link and might miss it. The tank blew out at the bottom where the water will accumulate. I don't know how rusty it was at the bottom but you can see in the picture that it was rusted. As for a malfunction, I'm not sure. He does mention that the tank blew when the pressure reached 150 psi. Most tanks are rated at 175 psi and theres some saftey factor on top of that. How much, I'm not sure. Most shop compressors have a pressure switch that shuts them off at 120psi and a pressure relief that "blows off" somewhere above that.

Podguy

Fabio,

To quote G H W Bush I will put you down as undecided on the whole weld thing.

Podguy

Jerry that is a hell of an idea weld up the tank - or even braze it to stop the leak and then use is as a vacuum tank. For safety sake I could paint on it for vacuum only and put in a very low pressure relief valve. I was thinking of making a mold and vacuum table for the thin plastic that covers the HVAC area.

I will send you a PM on the compressor

Jerry Feather

Now, I wonder if a compressor pump can be turned into a vacuum pump? If so, I have a new idea. Why don't you make your current compressor into the vacuum pump/sump tank as we are now discussing and then I will simply sell you my other 33 gallon 6.5HP compressor like to one in the picture, but complete and also essentially new for $250 and then figure out some way to get it to you without paying the freight that will probably be very much.

Maybe we can find someone on this forum who is or knows someone going your way(SF?) and past here (GJT) on I-70 who cold haul it for us.

Jerry Feather

T_MaX

Not much if you have freinds in the biz

Podguy

Jerry,

I like to have redundant systems for the shop - especially for something as important as an air compressor. I have several 13 mm and 10 mm sockets as well. Having both compressors working is a bit of security. I already a vacuum pump. It might take a little while to purge a 30 gallon tank but it should work. I am waiting for someone to tell me how dangerous the tank with be with full vacuum as it could implode instead of explode.

jon928se

Dan

While getting full vacuum (or nearly there as full is pretty impossible) seems like lots of $ and effort involved - think high end AC vacuum pumps running for hours - that appears if it should lead to something catastrophic when it goes wrong.

No - at the end of the day with a perfect vacuum in your rusty welded up old compressor tank you can only have 15psi (one atmosphere) acting on the outside of it and 0psi on the inside. Not much stored energy in there, (well outside actually) by my estimation certainly not enough to cause catastrophic failure or anything like it.

WallyP

Any good compressor should pull high enough vacuum for forming (not for A/C work), with no chance that I can see for a disaster.

Landseer

Those of you with big 'ol upright compressor tanks that are always charged with air --- be sure you don't have a table saw or other projectile-driver "pointing" at it.

depami

Just use a compressor out of an old fridge or freezer.

depami

^^^^^^^^^^

And maybe couple that to the old 100 pound LP cylinder.

depami

And then make a smoker out of the rest of it.

T_MaX

Dan, what are you wanting a tank for? Compressed air or Vacuum forming?

For vacuum forming small to medium size parts I have used a 5hp shop vacuum (Lexan RC bodies). For a big part I hooked up two shop vacuums in parallel.

An air tank for vacuum forming would be a waste of time and money IMHO.

blown 87

Go big and never have a problem for the next 20 years with one of these cast iron pumps, get at least a 80 gallon tank.
These will run 24 hours a day, for years.

http://www.schulzamerica.com/index.php

Podguy

Harbor Frieght has a 5HP upright for $788 - I just need to measure to see if it will fit the space.

Thanks for the input.