Homemade: Tricks for your shop/garage

terry cloyd · Post by **terry cloyd** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 9:12 am

If you run air lines, use copper or steel pipe. PVC pipe and compressed air don't mix. The PVC pipe when hit will blow up. Run the pipe lines with a 1/4" fall to them, so the water ends up at your drip leg. Compressed air will make water so pull off the top of the main line. Slope the line to a drip leg or the tank. Use dish washer soap to find your leaks. Good Luck

MNAirHead · Post by **MNAirHead** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 9:19 am

terry cloyd wrote:If you run air lines, use copper or steel. PVC and compressed air don't mix. The PVC when hit will blow up. Run the lines with a 1/4" fall to them, so the water ends up at your drip leg. Compressed air will make water so pull off the top of the main line. Make a drip let to drain the water out of the main line. Use dish washer soap to find your leaks. Good Luck

Why not 3/4 drops?

terry cloyd · Post by **terry cloyd** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 9:25 am

Tim 3/4 is fine. All you want to do is move the water to a holding part of your line. The longer the holding part (Drip Leg) is, the less you need to drain it. You don't want the water to move to your tools.

MNAirHead · Post by **MNAirHead** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 9:57 am

I was told because of costing and volume.. to use 3/4 min.... this was on a construction forum.

One of the notes was that 3/4 is less expensive and has higher strength and pulled.

I was instructed to run about a foot below my hose outlet...

Then put a ball valve at the bottom to bleed.

I did this project a few months back and do not regret any part of the project.

A_67vdub · Post by **A_67vdub** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 10:17 am

I think Terry means to slope the pipe 1/4", not use 1/4" pipe. It's just so the water that builds in the lines will drain.

MNAirHead · Post by **MNAirHead** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 10:19 am

thanks for the clarification.. I had interpreted as vertical drops being 1/4"

Here's the best link I could find on layout.

http://www.sharpe1.com/sharpe/sharpe.ns ... penElement

Billyisgr8 · Post by **Billyisgr8** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 10:57 am

I used 1/2" plastic pvc water pipe, and regular pvc glue. easy to work with ...CHEAP.....tons of fittings available at most places. I liked how quick it went in and was done. about 2 hours to do our entire shop by myself with 10' ceilings which has 8 legs hooked up to machines and air hoses.

The PVC is rated at 600+psi so 120psi running through it is nothing.

Kevin

fastactracing · Post by **fastactracing** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 12:00 pm

I used 1/2 copper. Granted it is more expensive, but for the long haul, it will last. PVC does tend to get brittle as the years pass. Guess it is just a matter of opinion and what you can afford.
I have left each leg at the end open, with a shut off valve just before it. If I pitch it correctly, I should be able to open them after working and any water should in theory run out. Also, when I put the quick disconnects in, I have them face upwards, water has a more difficult time going uphill!
I also use a water seperator at the entrance of the legs from the compressor.

You guys are a wealth of info!!!

I like the Body stands, I may have to build one for my racer to live on in the off season.

terry cloyd · Post by **terry cloyd** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 12:24 pm

A_67vdub wrote:I think Terry means to slope the pipe 1/4", not use 1/4" pipe. It's just so the water that builds in the lines will drain.

Thanks..........The pipe must have slope to drain the water.

Tim the link picture you have there should be a drip leg by the tank where the line goes up. A drip leg can be a piece of pipe with a hose bibb on it. The main line in the picture where the tees are going down should be going up. You want to pull off the top of the line. The water is on the bottom of the line.

The rating of 600psi for PVC pipe has nothing to do with what happens to the pipe when there is a impact to it. You can buy sch 40 or sch 80 or even class 315, compress air will make the fitting or pipe fly. Not everything we do unsafe will produce a accident. I would run your air lines in copper or brass pipe.

MNAirHead · Post by **MNAirHead** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 12:31 pm

Terry..

Good point on the error... I'm with you.. over engineering (when it's cheap) is prudent.

The Sharpe Rep gave me a ghettofab method to a weekender chiller... anyone interested?

Thing4vw · Post by **Thing4vw** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:20 pm

If you are worried about impacts to the pvc tube just slip a larger diameter pipe over the supply pipe. This acts as a blast shield should the pipe burst and also protects the pipe from impacts. So if your legs are 3/4 pipe gets some 1 1\2 pipe to run your supply lines inside of. Or 1 inch pipe to shield 1/2 inch lines. You only need it in areas where there is a danger of the pipes being struck by something i.e. your vertical drops.

Post by **david58** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:45 pm

Thing4vw wrote:If you are worried about impacts to the pvc tube just slip a larger diameter pipe over the supply pipe. This acts as a blast shield should the pipe burst and also protects the pipe from impacts. So if your legs are 3/4 pipe gets some 1 1\2 pipe to run your supply lines inside of. Or 1 inch pipe to shield 1/2 inch lines. You only need it in areas where there is a danger of the pipes being struck by something i.e. your vertical drops.

Now that's a good idea put a bandaid on a bandaid. I see no need for a tourniquet.

terry cloyd · Post by **terry cloyd** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 5:03 am

It's nice to do whatever you want in your own shop or garage, but what happens when there is a lost? Do you want to test your insurance? You have none. You need the third party to inspect your work. Maybe this will help clear up the using of PVC pipe for your air lines.

http://www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19880520.html

Post by **Daniel G** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 4:08 pm

terry cloyd wrote:It's nice to do whatever you want in your own shop or garage, but what happens when there is a lost? Do you want to test your insurance? You have none. You need the third party to inspect your work. Maybe this will help clear up the using of PVC pipe for your air lines.

http://www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19880520.html

I have to admit, using something from OSHA is a great way to back up an argument. It's hard to disagree with those guys on safety issues...

Daniel