Do-it-yourself air compressor from a gas cylinder. Compressor design at home

In the garage of a car enthusiast, you can find many useful and not so useful tools. In addition to the usual set, an air compressor will also be useful. It is suitable for car painting, tire inflation, air supply for pneumatic tool operation. Let's see how to make a car with your own hands. We will also find out how it is arranged and on what principle it works.

Compressed air to help the car enthusiast

Air compressors are quite useful in workshops and garages. There is always a task for these devices. This can be banal cleaning, cleaning from dust that has formed after grinding, or creating air pressure for the operation of various air tools. Most compressors are used for painting. This imposes some requirements on the device.

Air flow and spray painting

For work with paint, the air flow must be as uniform as possible. Also, the compressed air stream must not contain water particles, oil impurities or other oil products. The presence of suspended and solid particles is unacceptable in the flow.

Sometimes when painting you can see defects. Often this is graininess on a freshly applied coat of paint. This happens due to the fact that there were foreign particles in the stream. If paint streaks or dull spots are observed, then this is a sign of uneven supply of paint, enamel or varnish.

Branded or homemade?

What is the difference between a proprietary compressor? Its characteristics are ideal for working with an airbrush or spray gun, but factory products cost serious money. If the device is needed infrequently, then you can save a little and make a unit that will not be inferior to factory models.

The principle of operation of the compressor

Both professional and self-made devices work on the same principle. In a container for storing compressed air, which is called a receiver, an excess pressure level is created. The air itself can be blown into the receiver both automatically and manually.

If you work in manual mode, then it is certainly very cheap in finance, but it will require serious energy costs. You also need to constantly monitor this process. After such work, it is unlikely that you will want to do anything else.

If you use the mechanisms for pumping air, then this will facilitate the process. There are no drawbacks here, you just need to change the oil in the air pump, depending on the regulations.

Further, the compressed air flow passes through the outlet valve of the compressor or in this case the receiver and is directly supplied either to the airbrush, or to the car chamber, or to the pneumatic tool. In general, the principle is very simple, and therefore the simplest working model can be built in a couple of minutes.

Homemade compressor

Let's look at how to make the simplest compressor for painting a car with your own hands. As one of the options, we will try to make a device for painting work from a car chamber. To create, we need a receiver, a supercharger, a spool from a damaged camera, a repair kit, an awl. When everything you need is assembled and prepared for work, you can start assembling.

At the assembly stage, you need to check the tightness of the chamber. To do this, you can use a car pump. Every motorist knows how to do it. If the rubber holds the air pumped into it, you can proceed to the next step.

If air leaks are found, then you can use a repair kit or vulcanize the hole with raw rubber.

At the next stage, in the so-called receiver, it is required to make holes for another spool. It will be the outlet valve. This fitting can be glued using the same pre-stocked repair kit. This valve is connected to the airbrush. The nipple must be unscrewed from the fitting. The compressor circuit provides for the free passage of air. We will not unscrew the nipple in the main spool. He will keep the pressure.

Then, by the method of scientific poke, we will try to determine the required pressure level in our receiver. For this, a spray gun is used. If the paint lays down evenly, without jerks, streaks or anything else, then everything is done correctly. It is desirable to control the amount of excess pressure in the receiver. When you press the airbrush button, the level should not jump.

As you can see, this is the most primitive compressor for painting a car with your own hands. Now you can create masterpieces or just repaint the body.

It is not difficult to assemble this unit, and its usefulness can be seen during various repairs. If you have used for painting before, then you will definitely be able to appreciate all the advantages.

Just remember that in no case should liquid, dust or anything else get into the spray gun and into the camera. In the event of a violation, dust or moisture will mix with the paint, and the work will have to be redone. Then no adjustment of the spray gun will help. It will be more convenient if our camera is fixed on something. This will prevent her from moving across the floor.

This model works great, and it is already quite usable. But even better, with small changes, make the injection system automatic. Next, we will learn how to make the compressor more serious.

Semi-professional equipment

Professionals say that such handicraft equipment has a huge resource and service life, unlike factory models of foreign brands and domestic manufacturers. But this is understandable, because, knowing the scheme of work, if any part fails, it can be easily replaced. Let's see how to make a compressor that can be used professionally.

What is needed for assembly?

So. Here you will need readily available spare parts for the compressor. This is a pressure gauge, as well as a gearbox with a filter. You also need a relay to control the pressure in the chamber, a fuel filter from a car, a water quad with internal thread by ¾. In addition, you should pick up threaded adapters, car clamps, a motor, a receiver tank, 10w40 oil, a toggle switch for 220 V, brass tubes, and oil-resistant rubber hoses. These compressor parts can easily be found in the garage.

Thick wood will be used as the basis for the unit. You will also need a syringe from the nearest pharmacy, anti-corrosion fluid, fasteners, sealants and FUM tape, paint, a needle file, wheels from office chair and a filter from the auto power system.

So, knowing the principle of operation of the compressor, it's time to start building. Let's start with the blower.

Engine as supercharger

We will use a compressor from old refrigerators as a motor. Often it already has a built-in starting relay, which in our case is very convenient. This will automatically maintain the desired pressure in the receiver chamber. It is better to use a motor from old Soviet cooling units. They have higher performance compared to imported products.

Preparatory procedures

Feel free to get the executive part out of your old refrigerator. Naturally, you need to clean the part, because over the years the block has managed to acquire centuries of dust, and also, possibly, to rust. After cleaning, you can treat the body with a rust converter to save the block from corrosion. So, the preparation for painting is done.

Change the lubricant in the actuating unit. It is rare that a refrigerator received service according to the regulations. This system is almost completely isolated from environmental influences. Semi-synthetic is suitable for changing the oil. It is no worse than specialized compressor fluids.

Inlet, outlet and oil change

Must have tubes. Two of them are open, one is soldered. Open tubes are used for air inlet and outlet. To find out which handset is the input and which is the output, you can briefly turn on the power. Next, remember which of the tubes releases air.

The refrigerator compressor circuit says that the lubricant needs to be changed through a sealed tube. You should very carefully cut off the end of the tube with a needle file. It is necessary to saw so that the chips do not get inside. Next, the tip must be broken off and drained into some jar of old grease. Then, using a pharmacy syringe, fill in more lubricant than poured out.

In order for the unit to work properly, the lubrication tube must be sealed. A screw of a suitable diameter will help us with this. It must be wrapped with a pre-prepared FUM tape and screwed into a long-suffering pipe.

Next, attach this device to the board using the prepared fasteners. The electronic part is very sensitive to position. Therefore, the top cover of the relay is marked with an arrow. The operating modes will only switch if the setting is correct.

Choosing a container for the receiver

As practice shows, it works best for painting if a used fire extinguisher is used as an air container. These cylinders are good because they contain the necessary margin of safety. In addition, the fire extinguisher is designed for. This choice is also good because various attachments can be placed on the cylinder body. Take, for example, a metal 10-liter cylinder from OU-10. It holds a pressure of 15 MPa and has high strength.

Fire extinguisher preparation

Immediately boldly twist the lock-starter, we will not need it. And you need to screw the adapter into place, having previously wound the FUM tape onto the thread. If the body is rusted, you need to treat the rust with either chemistry or sandpaper.

Outside, in the fight against corrosion, everything is very, very simple. What about corrosion inside? Pour the cleaner into the bottle, and then you need to mix the product very well. Next, screw the cross from the water supply. And don't forget to seal the threaded connections. Now everything is almost ready.

We mount attachments

We almost made a compressor for painting a car with our own hands. To make it easy to move, the best way- this is the fastening of all components and parts on one platform. We have a wooden board. The motor from the refrigerator is already fixed on it, and now you need to place a fire extinguisher-receiver there.

In the plate, it is necessary to make holes for fasteners in advance. The motor from the refrigerator is already fixed with studs and nuts. The fire extinguisher must be placed vertically. To do this, you can use plywood. This will require three sheets.

In the first sheet, cut a hole suitable for the diameter of the balloon. Fix the rest on the plate. Next, fix these plates to the plate along with the sheet with the hole using glue. To make the fire extinguisher conveniently located on the platform, you can make a recess under the bottom. To make our device maneuverable, take out the prepared furniture wheels and screw them onto the platform.

Protection against dust and small debris

Naturally, the equipment must be protected from dust as much as possible. To do this, we will use a car. The filter must be mounted in the air intake.

How to do it? We use a rubber hose. It should tightly compress the autofilter fitting and the compressor inlet pipe from the refrigerator. On the inlet tube, you can not clamp the hose with clamps. There is no high pressure.

Moisture protection

An oil separator must be installed at the outlet. It will not allow liquid or oil particles to get into the system. To do this, you can apply a filter from the diesel power system. The connection is made using the same hose. But here it is already necessary to strengthen the connections with a clamp, because there will be decent pressure at the outlet.

denouement

The diesel filter must be connected to the reducer input. It is necessary to untie the pressure at the inlet and outlet of the refrigeration compressor. To do this, the high pressure outlet of the supercharger must be screwed into the left and right side of the crosspiece.

We fix the pressure gauge

A manometer is fixed at the top entrance of the crosspiece. On it we will perform pressure control. You also need to tighten the adjusting relays. Do not forget that the threads must be sealed.

Relay importance

This device makes it possible to regulate pressure levels over a wide range. It can, if necessary, interrupt the power supply to the refrigeration motor. For these purposes, either PM5 or RDM5 is suitable. Both devices will start the motor if the pressure drops and turn off when it rises. The pressure level is adjusted using the springs on top. So, with the help of a large one we set the minimum levels, and a small one - the maximum limits.

Electricity

To make it all work, we connect the neutral power wire to the relay, and connect the second wire to the refrigeration engine.

Pass the phase wire through the toggle switch to the second contact of the compressor. This will allow you to turn off the power faster. Naturally, after connecting, you need to securely insulate all this.

So we made a compressor for painting a car with our own hands. It remains only to paint, adjust and test it.

Adjustment and first tests

After assembling all this together, you can safely proceed to the first tests. Connect an actuator to the output of the unit. Then plug the cord into the outlet, set the relay to the very minimum and turn on the toggle switch. Look at the pressure gauge. If you are convinced that the relay turns off the motor, you can check the tightness. To do this, use the old-fashioned way with soap.

If everything is fine, then bleed the air from the receiver. When the pressure drops, the relay should start the motor. If everything works, then painting with an airbrush will no longer cause difficulties.

First samples

To test the unit in operation, any unnecessary part will do. There is no need for any surface preparation. It is important to determine operating pressure by trial and error. With the help of experiments, determine the figure at which there is enough pressure for a complete painting without frequent switching on of the motor.

As you can see, it is quite easy to make for painting. This unit can already be fully used for professional activity. The costs will definitely pay off soon. The compressor is needed not only for painting work. It has a very wide range of applications. A semi-automatic system will allow you not to be distracted from work.

Spray guns

In addition to the compressor, airbrushes will also be needed for painting work. To do this, you need to purchase a pneumatic model. A properly selected airbrush will allow you to successfully carry out work. The tool should be selected based on the characteristics of the compressor.

An airbrush for a car should be correctly selected in accordance with the working pressure. If the choice is wrong, the pressure will drop too quickly, and the quality of work will be very low. There are several technologies that are used in this tool. They need to be selected based on the task. For instance, modern technology LVLP allows you to use paint very economically with a small air flow, and the surface will be of high quality.

How to set up the spray gun?

High-quality painting is possible only with properly configured equipment. The spray gun setting allows you to change the width of the torch, air pressure, as well as the paint supply.

With the width of the torch, everything is very clear. Maximum Width - maximum speed, uniform overlay. For touch-ups, the flame is reduced, but the air supply is also reduced.

Adjusting the flow of paint is also easy. Many experts open it to the maximum. But the air supply can be problematic. For correct setting you will need a compressor, instructions for a specific spray gun. It is necessary to use a sheet of drawing paper and direct a jet from the spray gun at it. If the flame is in the shape of a figure eight, reduce the pressure. If the paint is dripping, add it. Find the best position.

The compressor is used for self-service car, including painting, tire inflation, air supply to pneumatic tools and other repair work. Make a compressor for painting a car - economically profitable solution which does not require significant financial investments.

Principle of operation

Based on the principle of operation, there are different types equipment, but it is based on one technology - the air supplied by the engine is transferred to the tank and, accumulating, reaches advanced level pressure indicator. As soon as the pressure reaches a critical point, excess air is removed using the bleed valve. Thus, compressors work by maintaining pressure at a certain level.

The most important condition is a constant indicator of the pressure level in the compressors used to paint the car. However, regardless of the functionality of the tool, this parameter is key, and therefore the manufacturing technology and materials used are selected depending on the required pressure. On the Internet you can find many various videos assembly of any compressor, however, there are very few most popular options.

We assemble quickly and easily

One of the most available options The compressor for paint work is a tool made from an automobile chamber on wheels. She is the receiver. You must also have the following materials and tools:

The nipple of another car camera.
Car pump with pressure gauge.
Consumables for working with rubber.
A set of automotive tools.

The chamber must be intact, since the main function of the receiver is the accumulation of air. An automobile pump acts as a supercharger in the device. We assemble the compressor with careful observance of all necessary actions.

First of all, you need to make a hole in the chamber and glue the nipple in this place. Thus, the “native” nipple will serve to force air into the chamber, and the new one to supply air to the atomizer. Next, you need to adjust the pressure using a monometer, selecting the optimal indicator in the process.

To simplify the work for the manufacture of a compressor for painting a car, you must follow the following recommendations:

To prevent fluctuations during air supply, it is necessary to secure the chamber carefully.
Do not fill the chamber with loose materials, as this leads to clogging of the channels, which means that the paint is mixed with them.

Compressor with receiver

This option is much more complex in design than the previous one. Such a tool is already semi-professional, which means that in order to assemble a compressor, you need a larger number of tools and material. An important element of such equipment is a do-it-yourself refrigerator compressor. It should be borne in mind that the compressor of an old refrigerator may lose its sealing, which means that its functionality is reduced. In such cases, it is necessary to take care of changing the oil. This procedure is performed as follows:

File and break off the tube on the side of the compressor.
Pour the oil inside using a syringe.
Plug the tube with a screw with a rubber gasket.

In order to compensate for the abundant evaporation of oil, it is necessary to install an oil and moisture separator filter at the inlet to the receiver, which will prevent foreign liquids from entering the paint.

After that, it is necessary to drill a hole for the adapter and install it using, for example, cold welding. The outlet is fitted with an automotive air filter to prevent dirt and liquids from entering.

As soon as the preliminary assembly is over, you can assemble the compressor:

Fasteners are screwed onto the separator filter and installed with one side on a reinforced oil-resistant hose, and the other side on the compressor tube.
All connections are clamped with clamps, and the threads are sealed with fum tape.
Screw the cast iron lid backed with a rubber gasket.
Install a toggle switch, pressure switch, reducer, pressure gauge and connect all the wires.

At the end of the assembly, the compressor must be adjusted and tested. It is certainly more difficult to make such a tool yourself, however, its functionality is much more extensive. For ease of use, furniture wheels can be installed on the compressor.

The most common faults

The receiver does not maintain the set pressure level when the power is turned off. This is possible if there is a leak in the system and it can be detected using a soap solution on the following most vulnerable points:

highway;
piston valve;
pressure relief valve on the receiver.

If a leak is detected on the compressed air line, this malfunction can be eliminated with a simple electrical tape and sealant. If the valve is faulty, the valve must be replaced.

The engine does not respond to starting. First of all, you need to make sure that the power source is working and the integrity of the cable, as well as evaluate the quality of contact connections and fuses. Incorrect receiver pressure settings can also affect instrument performance. To diagnose this malfunction, it is necessary to bleed the air from the reservoir and try to start the engine.
No injection. The first cause of such damage may be damage to the electricity network. It is also possible that the pressure in the receiver is too high.
Compressor overheating. This situation is possible with increased temperature regime and when the voltage drops in the network, as well as when the tool is used for a long time.
At the exit, the air contains water. As a rule, the reasons for this phenomenon are as follows:

The collected water in the receiver has reached a critical level
inlet filter contamination:
increased room humidity.

Of course, self-assembly of the compressor is a complex and time-consuming process, but the benefits are undeniable. It is worth noting that and Maintenance such a tool is much simpler and cheaper. Painting a car with your own hands using such a compressor will also be much cheaper than in any car repair shop. Do-it-yourself paint compressor for a car - will last a long time with proper assembly and operation.

It is not necessary to buy a compressor for painting work or pumping wheels - you can make it yourself from used parts and assemblies taken from old equipment. We will tell you about the designs that are assembled from improvised 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 parts. Consider a few options for independent design of the air compressor.

Air compressor from refrigerator and fire extinguisher parts

This unit runs almost silently. Consider the scheme of the future design and make a list of the 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 - cross; 11 - safety valve; 12 - tee; 13 - receiver from a fire extinguisher; 14 - pressure reducer with pressure gauge; 15 - moisture-oil trap; 16 - pneumosocket

Necessary parts, materials and tools

The main elements are taken: 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 in repair shops or at metal collection points. A fire extinguisher can be purchased on the secondary market or you can bring friends to the search, at work who may have decommissioned OHP, ORP, DU for 10 liters. The fire extinguisher must be safely emptied.

In addition, you will need:

pressure gauge (as for a pump, water heater);
diesel filter;
filter for gasoline engine;
pressure switch;
electric toggle switch;
pressure regulator (reducer) with pressure gauge;
reinforced hose;
water outlets, tees, adapters, fittings + clamps, hardware;
materials for creating a frame - metal or wood + furniture wheels;
safety valve (to relieve excess pressure);
self-locking air inlet (for connecting, for example, to an airbrush).

Another viable receiver came from an automobile tubeless wheel. Extremely budget, although not very productive model.

Wheel receiver

About this experience, we suggest you watch a video from the author of the design.

In some cases, an air compressor is indispensable for performing various tasks around the house. With sufficient skills, as well as some initial components and parts, such an assembly can be made independently.

When do you need a compressor for household chores?

First of all, it will be needed by owners of individual vehicles. Painting the car, cleaning the interior and engine from dirt and dust, bringing the tire pressure to the required value - only a small list of operations that a homemade compressor can perform. The scope of the unit will increase dramatically if pneumatic tools appear on the farm. For example, in the country, their use in many situations turns out to be more profitable than electric ones: there is no connection to a stationary power line, and designs based on the use of pneumatics often turn out to be more reliable.

Before embarking on the manufacture of a home air compressor, an initial technical task should be drawn up, in which the following requirements should be clarified:

what excess air pressure is required;
from what and how the drive will be made;
from what components it is possible to assemble the device;
how long will the compressor run non-stop;
what should be the minimum acceptable energy consumption;
whether the quality indicators of the energy carrier are critical: its humidity and temperature.

To perform most housework, 4 ... 6 atm is enough, however, it should be noted that with prolonged use of the compressor, its moving parts heat up, due to which this characteristic can fall by 20 ... 30% over time. Performance is determined only technical specifications pneumatic tool. The minimum consumption is usually for drills, wrenches and dowel mounting guns (up to 100 ... 120 l / min). However, for a percussion instrument or grinding machines a flow rate of up to 350 ... 400 l / min will be required. When performing outdoor work (in particular, painting), higher performance values may be required, so it is necessary to provide a margin of 20 ... 30% for this parameter. The same approach is necessary for estimating the power consumed by the unit.

Any compressor needs a receiver - a storage tank that maintains air pressure within the limits necessary for stable operation of the tool. With an increase in the volume of the tank, the functionality of the air compressor increases, although the overall dimensions of the installation will increase. However, the volume cannot be less than 10 liters. It should be borne in mind that for the purposes of painting, the length of pipelines (and, consequently, losses) will increase.

How to make a compressor, and in what sequence to work?

Components of the future compressor

To make a compressor with your own hands, you will need:

Mounting order

How to make a compressor? The following sequence of preparation and assembly of elements is recommended: inlet intake hose with a pipe → pre-filter → final filter → rigid inlet pipe to the compressor → compressor → oil change pipeline → outlet pipeline to the receiver → tee → receiver → RD relay with emergency safety valve → tee with pressure gauge → regulator with valve → combined outlet filter → hose with self-closing pneumatic socket.

At the initial stage, it is necessary to prepare the compressor from the refrigerator for installation. It is cleaned from the inside of dirt and impurities, painted, and the oil is drained (it is more than likely that this has not been done during the entire period of work; however, there is no particular need for a refrigerator). The compressor already has a start relay set to its parameters, and it is not recommended to change it. The sealed hole in the lower part of the housing is designed to drain the oil. This hole is carefully opened (chip particles should not get inside), after which the old oil is removed with a syringe and the cavity is filled with fresh oil (any synthetic or semi-synthetic oil is suitable, the characteristics of which are almost constant). Oils must be poured 30 ... 40% more, taking into account the natural loss, for example, during continuous painting of large surfaces.

The next step is to prepare the air storage. The internal volume of the fire extinguisher body must be thoroughly cleaned using a rust converter. After that, a threaded hole is obtained in the lower part of the housing, which is plugged with a plug: it is necessary for the periodic draining of condensate. A tee is attached to the outlet. Possible problem- thread discrepancy - is solved by re-cutting it. A safety valve is attached to the opposite ends of the tee (its parameters are selected according to needs) and a second tee, also equipped with a pressure gauge. The storage tank is subject to mandatory painting.

The installation is completed by connecting the second tee of the filter-oil-moisture separator to the outlet. This tee should be equipped with a manual valve and a resulting control pressure gauge. By attaching the last outlet hose, the assembly process will be completed.

It remains only to install all the assembled components on the frame. It is better to use aluminum corners or thick plywood for these purposes. It is recommended to install the compressor from above: this facilitates the subsequent use of the unit. To avoid unnecessary noise and vibrations, all components must be rigidly fixed to the frame, with the exception of the compressor itself: it must allow some vibrations. To do this, it is better not to dismantle the fasteners remaining on it, or, in their absence, provide for mounting the compressor on spring compensators.

Adjustment and testing

The main test of a homemade compressor is to determine the possibility of effectively regulating the pressure that is created in the assembled system. The easiest way to do this is to test paint any surface. In this case, the following is sequentially performed:

Set the relay to 4 ... 5 at.
Connect the compressor to the network.
The pressure gauge monitors the stability of the parameter. If the relay is operable, then when the pressure is exceeded, it will turn off the compressor, otherwise open the relief valve and immediately turn off the unit.
Check the system for the absence of spontaneous bleeding of the energy carrier, for which you can use a regular soap solution.
When the pressure drops to a level below the minimum allowable, the relay should automatically turn on the compressor.
After painting a surface, it is necessary to check the quality of the paint applied to it - during an external examination, traces of moisture, foreign particles and dirt should not be detected. If such defects still occur, you should additionally check the operation of the output filter - oil and moisture separator.

The work of a do-it-yourself unit will be long and reliable if you periodically carry out routine maintenance on it. It comes down to replacing the inlet filters, periodically blowing out all air lines, and also changing the oil in the compressor.

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 parts. Consider several possible options for self-designing an air compressor.