Now I have to say, I envy the guy who can just throw something in and be done with it. That's not me! I have to do it to the best of my ability so that everything is neat and tidy. So first I had to run 220 volts out of the main service. I really don't like working in the main service, but I had a new one installed a few years back so there was plenty of room and a master kill switch, so it was good as long as I stayed away from the live side of the bus bars! The wire run easy since the service is on the same wall as as the compressor. It was a simple matter of running Romax out of the service, down the wall and across using external boxes and solid PVC conduit. I got the compressor with a good length of flexible conduit and I was able to use that to connect the compressor to the box on the wall. I did have to call my Brother-in-law for some wiring advice, but his extensive experience helped me out immensely and he had me on the correct path in about five minutes.
The next challenge was how to run the air. As you can see from the pictures, the area is a bit tight and the air outlet of the tank sticks out a bit. I bought a nice regulator/filter to go on the tank , but it would stick out too far and be a hazard. The regulator had a mounting bracket that came with it, so I was able to use that to mount the regulator on the wall. I had to buy a length of hose to connect the tank to the regulator, but that was easy to find at Home Depot.
Once I got everything hooked up, I put oil in the compressor (it was drained so that we could move it on its side), turned on the circuit breaker and fired it up. Sure enough, it ran fine and filled the tank up beautifully. I tested all my connections for leaks and found none which surprised me! I hooked it up to my air nozzle and it worked fine. I did not try the sandblaster, but that's coming next.
The only thing I have left to do is bolt the tank to the floor. I was wondering if I could get away with not doing so, but when the pump is running, there is enough vibration to cause the tank to "wonder" around. So I need to get a concrete bit and drill some holes and fasten it down. That's next week's project.
So, It two runs to Home Depot and about $100 worth of parts, but I now have a big beautiful air supply! Now I got to get busy sand blasting!
Here are pictures:
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| Air compressor left, regulator in middle and service on right |
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| Regulator mounted on wall, orange hose in input, yellow is output. |
