It is not necessary to buy a compressor for painting work or inflating wheels - you can make it yourself from used parts and assemblies removed from old technology. We will tell you about structures that are assembled from scrap materials.
In order to make a compressor from used parts and assemblies, you need to be well prepared: study the diagram, find it on the farm or buy some additional parts. Let's look at a few possible options for making your own air compressor.
Air compressor made from refrigerator and fire extinguisher parts
This unit operates almost silently. Let's look at the diagram future design and make a list of necessary components and parts.
1 — tube for filling oil; 2 - starting relay; 3 - compressor; 4 - copper tubes; 5 — hoses; 6 — diesel filter; 7 — gasoline filter; 8 — air inlet; 9 — pressure switch; 10 — crosspiece; eleven - safety valve; 12 - tee; 13 — receiver from a fire extinguisher; 14 — pressure reducer with pressure gauge; 15 — moisture-oil trap; 16 — pneumatic socket
Necessary parts, materials and tools
The main elements taken are: a motor-compressor from a refrigerator (preferably made in the USSR) and a fire extinguisher cylinder, which will be used as a receiver. If they are not available, then you can look for a compressor from a non-working refrigerator at repair shops or at metal collection points. A fire extinguisher can be purchased on the secondary market or you can involve friends in the search, who at work may have written off fire extinguisher, fire extinguisher, fire extinguisher for 10 liters. The fire extinguisher cylinder must be emptied safely.
In addition you will need:
- pressure gauge (as for a pump, water heater);
- diesel filter;
- filter for a gasoline engine;
- pressure switch;
- electric toggle switch;
- pressure regulator (reducer) with pressure gauge;
- reinforced hose;
- water pipes, tees, adapters, fittings + clamps, hardware;
- materials for creating a frame - metal or wood + furniture wheels;
- safety valve (to relieve overpressure);
- self-closing air inlet (for connection, for example, to an airbrush).
Another viable receiver came from a tubeless car wheel. An extremely budget-friendly, although not very productive model.
Wheel receiver
We invite you to watch a video about this experience from the author of the design.
A compressor is an indispensable thing in the household and in the country. This is especially true for those who have their own workshop and love to craft or do airbrushing. Of course, you can go and buy this unit on the market, but often its price is quite high, which prevents the purchase. But, of course, there is a way out - to make a compressor with your own hands.
You don’t need much for this, although you will have to buy something in addition. Many probably still have old refrigerator, which does not fit into the interior. While still in working condition, it is sent to the dacha, where it sits and rusts, or to the trash heap. So, its compressor will be the main part of the future installation. As a receiver regular will do an old fire extinguisher or a small gas cylinder that has expired is not such a problem, since almost everything is gasified. In a specialized store you will need to purchase adapters, relays pressure, pressure regulator with pressure gauge, air purification filter and water separator filter.
Installation does not involve complex work.
If a compressor, made with your own hands from scrap materials, requires a receiver made of gas cylinder, then it is necessary to remove the remaining propane. To do this, open the valve, place the bottle upside down, then fill it with water and turn it over again. After this, the procedure with water must be repeated, but leave the tank in its normal position - allow the remaining gas to escape. Then you need to make outlet holes on the receiver: this is done by conventional drilling and tapping fittings and adapters. A do-it-yourself compressor requires hose connections (oxygen, high pressure). The outlet hole at the end of the receiver is modified - a pressure gauge is installed, and there is also an outlet for the working hose. In addition, the receiver must be equipped with an upper platform if the engine itself will stand on top. Such a compressor, made with your own hands, will take less space. And the installed wheels will give it maneuverability.
How does a compressor work?
The principle of its operation is simple. Its main part is the engine, thanks to which air is pumped into the receiver. The receiver, in turn, is equipped with a valve that prevents it from escaping. Due to this, air pressure is created. The compressor is equipped with a sensor that prevents the pressure in the receiver from exceeding, and the relay automatically turns off the engine. This helps to avoid an explosion and, therefore, not only damage to the mechanism, but also harm to human health. Using this design, you can make various compressors, it all depends on capabilities and ingenuity: the larger the receiver, the more power engine required. Compressors from refrigerators, if they are paired, are capable of working with gas cylinder with a capacity of 50 liters and a pressure of up to 16 atmospheres.
How to connect a compressor to the network?
The electrical part consists of such parts as a starter, a shutdown relay, and a terminal block for connecting wires. Power is supplied from a regular network, which allows you to use the compressor in any place where there is a regular outlet.
» today we will look at step by step instructions how to make a compressor from a gas cylinder with your own hands.. Every master in our time is simply obliged to have a compressor in his workshop, because you can connect a spray gun to it, as well as a pneumatic tool that works due to the supply compressed air from the compressor reservoir, and it’s simply convenient to use a gun to remove dust and blow through parts.
To understand how a compressor works, it is necessary to study its circuit diagram.
Then you need to safely drain the remaining gas from the cylinder and unscrew the valve using a wrench or gas wrench, see how to do this correctly. 
We remove the motor from the old air conditioner. 
We unscrew the valve. 
Fill the bottle with water from a hose. 
We drill holes for the gearbox and valves. 
We saw off the protruding parts. 
We are welding a new squeegee. 
And also for ease of movement, be sure to put the compressor on wheels. 
We make a shelf and install a motor from an air conditioner or refrigerator. 
We paint using a can of paint. 
We connect the electrical wiring and connections. 
This is such a simple and budget compressor made from junk. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments. Everyone Thanks a lot for your attention!
To increase the efficiency of work using compressed air, the vast majority of compressor units use receivers - tanks for storing air under the required pressure. Depending on the intensity of work, receivers of 50, 100 liters or even more can be used.
Why do you need a receiver in a compressor?
The compressor receiver performs several important functions:
- Stabilizes the air pressure supplied to the work area(differences in pressure values are inevitable, since a single cycle of operation of any compressor involves a suction phase and an air injection phase).
- They provide the supply of compressed air for some time in the event of interruptions in the operation of the compressor, or when an additional consumer is connected to it.
- Cleaning the air from accumulating condensate, since high humidity air, which increases with increasing pressure, leads to intense corrosion of the steel parts of the compressor.
- The accumulation of compressed air in the receiver for the compressor leads to a subsequent reduction in the total vibrations in the system, which, in turn, reduces the overall noise level and reduces the level of loads on the base of stationary units.
When performing work involving the production of compressed air in particularly large quantities, a standard receiver may not be enough. For example, when sandblasting surfaces from large area In order not to purchase a more powerful compressor, an additional receiver is often used.
The presence of a receiver, in addition, allows you to use the compressor periodically, i.e., reduce its consumption electrical energy.
Structurally, the compressor receiver is a sealed tank with a certain capacity. For mobile compressors, receivers up to 50...100 l are used, for stationary ones - up to 500...1000 l. It is equipped with air-cleaning filters, condensate drains and shut-off valves for connection to the main unit and to the working device that consumes compressed air - nozzle, spray gun, etc.
The container is made of steel, from corrosion-resistant steels of type 10ХСНД or 16ГА2Ф. In exceptional cases, for particularly low-power compressors, receivers can be made of plastic or even high-strength rubber.
The layout of receivers can be horizontal or vertical. The first is used in mobile units, the second – in stationary ones. Each variety has its own advantages and disadvantages. In particular, it is easier to drain condensate in vertical receivers, but horizontal receivers are more compact and require shorter pipelines.
How to choose the optimal receiver parameters?
In addition to capacity, the compressor receiver is also characterized by:
- Limit values of air humidity.
- Operating conditions (allowed difference in external ambient temperatures -15...+40ºС and relative humidity no more than 75...80%).
- Requirements for the installation location (away from heat sources, flammable and explosive materials, as well as in an atmosphere contaminated with mechanical particles - for example, near circular saws).
Requirements PB 03-576-03 (device rules and safe operation vessels operating under pressure) it is also prohibited to operate receivers that have not passed the performance check of the tank walls, as well as those that have external surface defects - cracks, dents, traces of atmospheric corrosion.
The selection of receiver characteristics for a compressor is done as follows. Set the required compressed air consumption, duration of its consumption, minimum and maximum pressure values. Next, using standard online calculation tables (for example, //www.kaeser.ru/Online_Services/Toolbox/Air_receiver_sizes/default.asp) determine the required parameter. For example, with initial air flow data of 0.1 m 3 /min, peak load duration during operation of 5 minutes, permissible pressure difference minimum/maximum 3/4 atm, optimal volume The receiver tank will be 500 liters.
This method is focused on the time it takes to completely empty the receiver. There is also a simplified tabular method that correlates the volume of the receiver with the power consumption of the compressor. The ratios used in practice are:
- For a compressor with a power of up to 5 kW – up to 100 l;
- For a compressor with a power of up to 10 kW – up to 300 l;
- For a compressor with a power of up to 20 kW – up to 550 hp.
It is recommended to obtain intermediate values by interpolation. There are also experimental dependencies. For example, the capacity of the receiver tank cannot be less than the performance of the compressor for 8 seconds of its continuous operation. In particular, with a compressor air flow rate of 400 l/min, the tank volume will be no less than:
V = (400×8)/60 = 53.33 (l)
Do-it-yourself additional receiver for a compressor
A number of works in household or in a small workshop require increased compressed air consumption, with which conventional household compressor can not manage. One solution is to install an additional receiver for the compressor. Such a device can be purchased (the price, depending on the volume, is 12,000...15,000 rubles), or you can make it yourself. Moreover, most of the proposed models of receivers are focused on standard compressors, which explains high price on them.
Depending on the calculated volume (it is easier to connect an additional receiver in series to the main one), a liquefied gas cylinder or a fire extinguisher body can be adapted for production.
The cylinder for a homemade receiver is first cleaned of gas residues. To do this, the inlet valve must be removed (the use of a power tool is unacceptable, since gas residues may remain in the cylinder). Next, the container is filled with water and left for 24 hours. After this, tubular splitters under the hoses can be welded into the cylinder, although threaded plugs with reliable gaskets can also be provided. The tank is painted weatherproof paint.
You can install a pressure gauge in the finished receiver, and bottom part cylinder - condensate drain. The size of the condensate drain must be consistent with the performance of the compressor, its operating pressure and the dimensions of the connecting thread. Prices for condensate traps range from 2500...3000 rubles.
The finished additional receiver, mounted for stability on a tripod welded from a steel bar, has the appearance shown in the photo.
When using this device, the following must be considered:
- Installation of a condensate drain on an additional receiver is mandatory;
- Before loading, it is necessary to check the compressor electric motor to see if it can work with an additional receiver. To do this, turn on the compressor drive to Idling, and using a flow meter, check the actual difference in the parameter during long-term (more than 20 minutes) switching on. If the pressure does not fall below the minimum set value, then an additional receiver can be used;
- If the pressure drops, you will have to reduce the desired value of the on-time duration from the standard 75...80% to 50...60% (with lower values, it is not advisable to use a homemade receiver).