In the arsenal of every motorist must be a compressor. A homemade unit often works better and more reliably than equipment from a store. And if you look at the prices at which such a device is sold, it becomes clear why more and more people assemble the compressor with their own hands from improvised materials. A home-made installation will serve for a long time and without fail, if you approach the selection of components with knowledge of the matter and carry out the assembly with high quality. This article is devoted to this topic.
Compressed air at the service of a professional
The compressor will never stand idle in a dark remote corner of the garage. There is always a use for it: from removing fine particles from the workplace after abrasive processing and grinding to applying a paint coating to a car body or other surfaces. Such a compressor is also indispensable if it became necessary to dry parts or components of mechanisms before assembling or disassembling them, as well as when cleaning products from lubricating coolant after cutting on metal-cutting machines.
Compressor quality
Works onpainting are very responsible, as the appearance of the car depends on them. This imposes certain requirements on the quality of assembly and the operation of a homemade compressor. Air supply should be carried out evenly over the entire area, no, even short-term gusts and slowdowns are unacceptable. It is not allowed to pollute the air with oil vapors of the exhaust system and other foreign substances.
Homemade refrigerator compressor
It is possible that the first attempt to assemble the perfect compressor will not work, and in order to use it for its intended purpose, it will be necessary to debug the work. With a purchased unit, at least in the first months of its operation, there should be no problems. But the cost of garage equipment today makes you open your mouth in surprise. In other words, buying a branded unit is not always justified and affordable for a simple motorist. Especially when it comes to high-quality equipment manufactured under the brand name of a well-known brand. It is best to ignore cheap analogues: they will cause more trouble than good.
According to the assurances of many gurus in the repair and maintenance of automotive equipment, a homemade compressor may well compete with expensive equipment. At the same time, you can assemble such a unit from improvised materials, saving a lot of money on this. Such work is within the power of any person who knows how to work with a wrench. It is enough to read the instructions and recommendations of the masters.
Operation principle
The principles of operation of a homemade compressor and a purchased one are no different: the same laws of physics and similar solutions are used. The factory unit has a more complex design, but often this is its weak link: instead of increasing the reliability of the system as a whole, complex components and mechanisms often fail and there is a need for repair.
The essence of the compressor is as follows. A metal reservoir (receiver) stores air at a pressure that is an order of magnitude higher than atmospheric pressure. Air can be supplied to the cylinder either manually (using a hand pump) or by means of an electrically driven pump. Assembling the first option will cost much less, but working on such a device will be an order of magnitude harder. In principle, if such a home-made compressor is planned to be used infrequently, then perhaps it will suit. However, today you can easily get all the necessary components and parts needed to assemble a compressed air generation plant with a mechanized drive. In most cases, the engine donor is some old refrigerator. A homemade compressor from it turns out no worse than a purchased one from a store. The refrigerator engine (especially from the old Soviet times) is very reliable. It will keep the installation running smoothly.
Required parts
In order to assemble a very simple compressor,need a little time and some details. Namely: the compressor itself, a container for storing compressed air (an old gas cylinder is great), a valve from an old car chamber, an awl, all kinds of fasteners (to assemble all the disparate components into an installation on wheels). The main and most important element of the entire system is the engine. A car compressor from ZIL-130 is well suited. A self-made compressor from such components will serve for a long time and will hardly let you down at the most crucial moment.
But this will be a very simple installation, which may not be able to be used in critical work. It is better to spend more time, but to assemble a device of a professional (semi-professional) class. List of components that will be needed during the assembly process:
- pressure sensor (manometer);
- gas reducer (to regulate outlet pressure and smooth out shocks);
- relay that will, for safety reasons, cut off the power supply to the installation when the pressure in the tank is high;
- car fuel filter (can be replaced with a special air filter);
- hose clamps;
- water tap (quad with ¾ female thread);
- receiver (a gas bottle will do);
- oil (semi-synthetic);
- button for supplying electricity to the unit (toggle switch);
- brass pipes;
- connecting hoses (oil resistant);
- fasteners (screws, bolts, studs and nuts of the required diameter);
- metal paint (spray is best);
- anti-corrosion agent (phosphoric acid converter);
- file;
- base (wood or plywood board or iron sheet);
- furniture wheels.
How to make a homemade compressor?
In order for the unit to be conveniently stored and moved from one place to another, all elements must be completed and mounted on a base with wheels. As a rule, an ordinary wooden or plywood board is used for these purposes. A receiver is attached to it (a gas cylinder or an expired fire extinguisher case). An automobile compressor "ZIL" is used as a supercharger. A self-made compressor from these elements will have small dimensions and can be easily stored on the section.
To fix the compressor itself, medium-diameter bolts are used. The compressed air cylinder is installed in a vertical position. You will need three sheets of plywood. In one, a hole is cut according to the diameter of the balloon. This sheet is attached to the board, and a balloon is placed in the hole. The other two fix the balloon on the sides.
Engine work
Work begins with a check of serviceability and installation of the central element of the unit - the engine. It is he who will pump air into the receiver, which means that it depends on his workperformance of the entire device. As a rule, they use the motor of an obsolete and obsolete refrigerator, or a compressor from some car.
The refrigerator motor already has a relay, which is necessary to maintain the set pressure. According to people who have assembled more than one compressor in their lives, old Soviet motors can outperform even the most modern Japanese units. Sounds fantastic, but it's true.
So, first of all, the engine is dismantled from the refrigerator. This element is always located below, under the radiator grill at the back of the refrigerator.
It is imperative to change the oil. Without this, the engine resource will be limited.
Three brass (copper) tubes extend from the motor. One of them - with a plug installed. The other two are open. One of the open tubes is the inlet, the other is the outlet. To uniquely identify the inlet and outlet tubes, you need to turn on the engine and put your finger on one and the other tube. If the finger is attracted (sucked in), then the tube is inlet. If, on the contrary, it is pushed out by the air flow, then the tube is the outlet. It is necessary to somehow mark these elements so as not to confuse them in the future.
The sealed tube must be unpacked (opened) to change the oil. To do this, a small incision is made with a file or hacksaw blade. The tube is then broken. The incision should be minimal and not cut through the tube wall to avoid metal filings entering the systems.
Protectiondust protection systems
To extend the life of a homemade compressor, an air filter is installed at the inlet. It will trap large particles of dust and abrasive, preventing them from entering the system.
The air filter and the air blower inlet are connected through a rubber hose. It is not advisable to use a metal tube in this case: the inlet pressure does not exceed the atmospheric value, which means that there is no need to strengthen the rigidity of the tube.
Cleaning compressed air at the outlet from moisture and oil vapors
There are strict requirements for the equipment that is used to paint cars. A self-made compressor used for these purposes (however, like a factory one) must provide high purity for foreign impurities at the air outlet from the nozzle. Therefore, it is imperative to install a cleaner. The fuel filter for any car will perfectly cope with the role of this. A self-made compressor for painting is equipped with this device at the compressed air outlet through an oil-resistant hose. The outlet pressure reaches impressive dimensions, so automotive clamps are used for all connections. This greatly increases the reliability of the system and prevents spontaneous hose disconnection during operation.
The filter, in turn, is connected to the gas reducer.
Compressor start
Before commissioning the assembled plant, it must be tested. The operation of the compressor is fraught with danger - work is carried out with vessels underhigh pressure. A self-made compressor must have a sufficient margin of safety, allow you to adjust the pressure in the receiver and at the compressed air outlet, and work smoothly.
After assembling the unit, attach the spray gun to the outlet hose.
System pressure regulation and leak test
The receiver pressure is controlled according to the pressure gauge. Before starting the compressor, the regulator knob is set to the minimum mark. Gradually the pressure increases. At the same time, the pressure gauge needle should change its position (when the pressure increases, it moves clockwise to the right, when it decreases, it moves to the left).
Apply a soapy solution to the hose connections. If it starts to bubble - this indicates a leak, then it is necessary to tighten the clamp or replace the connection.
After checking the system for leaks, the air must be bled from the tank. After reaching the pressure below the set one, the engine switch-on relay should automatically work, and the pressure should reach the indicated norm.
A self-made compressor for painting without fail passes all the described stages of control before it is allowed to work.
Compressor Preventive Care
A self-assembled compressor from improvised materials is simple and reliable. Therefore, he does not need expensive technical service, which cannot be said about the capricious purchased equipment. Just once a year is enoughchange the oil and occasionally clean the filters so that the device works for many years and conscientiously fulfills the duties assigned to it.
