shop air?

[69.5CUDA]

everyone thinks about it but it seems few speak of it....

right now im in need of re-doing my whole setup as ive gotten to a point where i KNOW where my drops will stay forever...and im sick and tired of the air leaks...hoses ziptied to the walls to the drops works great till you get tired of the moisture problems and air leaks..but its IDEAL for figuring out your final routing

anyway...there have been alot of theroys over the years...some good some bad some silly...

abs/pvc...simple, cheep, easy to mod and work with....but once aged...yeah the shattering storys are scary and if/when you can find carnage pics you relaize how dumb of an idea plastic is

steel....while solid, fairly easily worked with and bulletproof by nature..you get an unseen vilan...RUST in the air

copper...expensive, a pain to work with....but once done means no moisture issues

stainless steel..you will NOT find this stuff off the shelf....but if you want the best..this is it

aluminum....this seems to be the new standard for industrial aplications....again..your not going to find it off the shelf

"hybrid" ...its similar to pex..some versions have thin aluminum in it as well.....i have little to no info on this "new" setup..lots of different sizes and flavors of kits
https://shop.rapidairproducts.com/p...MfXAgW0u7gEi_dEInklTaz62N_VlAE1iVoaAglC8P8HAQ


now heres the real thing that i dont see addressed anywhere..and thats line size,,,industrial runs 1-2inch..anyone else runs whatever they seem to get the best deal on....the hybrid stuff that ive seen localy is just a smidge bigger than the nipple in your air chuck......

so whats "ideal" on size....right now im looking at either the 50$ 3/8s hybrid "kit" 80$ 1/2 hybrid "kit" or about 80 ..or going copper 1/2 is about 80$ and 3/4 would be about 110-120......however if i go with a "kit" i can do the extra drop id like to add at the garage door...it would be another 40-75$ for the copper so it would wait

 

[restoman]

Finally, something of which I know something about!

Short on time right now, but I can tell you anything you'd like to know.

Back later...

 

[restoman]

I've seen the plastic air lines in use and while they're likely strong and durable enough to last a long time, getting them affixed to the wall in the proper angle of slope is a nightmare. Be prepared to use a shitload of hangers if you want the proper slope.
I've also seen heavy wall copper and PVC lines and they worked well. Pricey, though, as you say.

Myself, if I was to do it over again, black pipe is the way I'd go.
Again. I used it in my shop, and have plumbed two other shops with black pipe.
It's the most cost-effective, it's readily available, it's stronger than anything else out there and, this is important to consider, if you ever want to change or add something, it's simple. Rust is not a problem if you drain the lines at regular intervals (daily) and use quality water separaters.
I don't know what your air supply needs are, but I wouldn't use anything under 1" pipe if you use a lot of air. My shop had 2.5".
Larger pipe also adds air storage. Volume... that's what you want. You won't get any volume in tiny stuff like 1/4" or 3/8" and the pressure surges will drive you nuts.
Run the main lines in a loop - from both ends of your compressor - and slope them just as you would evestrough. Keep them close to the upper height limits of your shop walls, and leave enough room to run your take-offs from the top.
Run the take-offs up, over and then down to the water traps. Put a shut-off valve ahead of every trap.

The thing most people don't understand about shop air supply, is that you want to keep any moisture in the main line and have it drain back to the compressor tank. The less moisture at the trap, the better.
Drain the compressor daily, sometimes more if it's humid.
In my opinion, stay away from those stupid automatic drain contraptions. Stick to manual drains and get used to using them.
Put shut-off valves on both ends of the compressor lines, use proper unions throughout the main lines (makes any future changes easy-peasy).

There's a ton more info, but instead of me typing out several pages worth, how about just asking if you have any questions?

 

[69.5CUDA]

in my shop its not really possible or much point to do a loop...since i have 1 overhead 1 wall mount and then another outlet on the front going out to the shelf unit to a reel way down the otehr end(obviously air out there is just for tires and blow offs)......teh comp itself is in the carport which the shop is butted up to making it a more or less sealed contained area..with the blaster next to it

my plan...was to run out the comp and thru the wall to a reel..then up and over to the drop center reel with a t off that going across above the door to the shelf drop..drain and valve at the drops seemed like a no brainer to me...as ive had reels turn into raging whips that cant be shut off fast enuf..or...they half blow in your hand and its either let it fly or find the vlave

as for my air useage..yes..paint, sanders, impacts etc..im in need of a GOOD air saw otherwise im well enuf stocked..i need CLEAN air ..moisture is hell you think a paint gun gets picky..try a blasting cab thats useing TONS of air...thats the reason that bastard has 2 water seperators(vintage devblis units) and is mounted withing 3 feet of the comp....ive even considered doing the snake up/down setup to furtehr kill water issues.....but have been reading the mention of aftercoolers

any routing issues will be delt with..with a welder..being its a stick built steel i can weld hang points right onto the main tubes making them a non issue

im still baffled that black pipe isnt as much of a rust issue as i thought it would be..course i guess last time i delt with any it was a shop that was never realy maintained....i clearly did it while working there tho i doubt anyone did before or after me

2inch seems like serious overkill for my 20x20....2thru t drop 6 up t left corner 20 out to shelf, right 10 turn 10 drop..thats the kind of footage we are talkin about

now..if by the end of the year i get that 8x20 expansion installed..yeah ill be looping the shop without question as ill need atleast 1 drop on the other wall .....overkill..nah just having it where you need it when you need it..there is a reason there is 2 outlets per main ceiling tube and followed by mkatching on each wall...no need for extension cords 2 reels in the shop right now is nice..as i can have 2 things hooked up and just grab not unplug n swap

 

[restoman]

The loop in the main system is for two reasons: First is to eliminate surging in air pressure, it's more of a balance-thing. Ever been using an air tool and someone else starts another tool, and you find your tool drops significantly in rpm? A loop will help eliminate that, along with hefty sized piping.
Second is to get rid of the dreaded moisture... with both sides of the loop draining back toward the compressor.
I can't stress this enough: keep the moisture in the main line as much as possible and away from the drops and air tools.
A few years ago I helped a friend plumb his 28 x 30 garage with 1/2" black pipe. He didn't see the wisdom or need to run a loop either. I talked him in to it anyway and stressed the slope points and daily line and compressor draining. He tells me he has zero moisture at his air lines, no matter how hard he runs his indoor compressor.

"my plan...was to run out the comp and thru the wall to a reel.."

Do you mean a hose reel, as in circular wound hose? That's a surefire way to keep moisture where it's not wanted. Kind of like a plumbing trap...

 

[69.5CUDA]

hose reel..shoulda said drop

i get what your saying tho about the loop..tho..i dont think that will be an issue in the short term..but ill pre-plumb for it with t's and plugs

now heres the thing tho..say you want some waist high drops...do you come out of the top of the top ring and then loop over and down..then past your output point to a drain out?

my current plan is 1 waist high 2 ceilings..later with the expansion ill add atleast 1 more waist high

thankfully the shop is me and me only and will remain that way forever ..but i have felt that surge when working"somewhere else"

 

[restoman]

now heres the thing tho..say you want some waist high drops...do you come out of the top of the top ring and then loop over and down..then past your output point to a drain out?

Put a quality water trap on the end of your drop and take your air from the trap. No need for a drain out if you're using a trap.
The traps have the added bonus of letting the air cool slightly more than if the air was kept in the drop. Cooler air means less moisture...