Installation 

What can be done from the compressor. Do-it-yourself compressor: step-by-step instructions on how to make an air blower from improvised materials. Compressed air - a true assistant to a true master

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; eleven - 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: motor-compressor from the refrigerator ( better production USSR) and a fire extinguisher cylinder that 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 attracted to the search for acquaintances who at work 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.

It is possible to carry out high-quality painting of a car in garage conditions. To do this, you need to arrange a convenient spray booth, as well as equip essential tool. Buying expensive equipment for many car owners can not afford, so you have to make a compressor for painting a car with your own hands. This operation is much cheaper.

For the competent manufacture of this device, you will need to familiarize yourself with the theoretical part. Thanks to this preparation, in the process of subsequent work, it will be possible to avoid the appearance of graininess, shagreen or dust particles mixed with paint on the painted surface.

The operation of almost any compressor, factory or home-made, is based on the same principle. In a sealed cavity is formed high blood pressure, which is higher than atmospheric, and then it is directed and dosed using.

For injection, a mechanical or manual way. In the second case, energy savings are obtained, as well as independence from the presence of power supply points near the working area. In the case of automatic air supply to the working cylinder, it will be necessary to control the presence of oil for the air compressor.

Before you make a compressor for painting a car yourself, let's prepare the tools. There is a way in which the working element is a car camera. To do this, select the components according to the list:

  • working chamber from a car or truck;
  • a pump with a built-in pressure gauge for pressurizing;
  • additional nipple for the camera;
  • hard awl;
  • camera repair kit.

We first check the tightness of the selected chamber. To do this, it is pumped up and lowered into the water. If leaks are found, be sure to get rid of them.

We mark in the free space the point where the installation of the second nipple is supposed. In this place we make a hole with an awl. The fitting must be glued using a repair kit. Through it, a uniform air supply will be ensured.

The initial nipple built into the chamber is necessary to maintain the working pressure at the required level. The performance of the installation is determined by the final result. When the paint is evenly distributed, this indicates correct assembly and sufficient pressure in the container. The pressure gauge built into the pump will help you choose the right parameter.

When such a home-made compressor for painting a car is working, you should try to prevent moisture and small debris from getting inside the cavity. This will ensure maximum cleanliness of the painted surface. It is also desirable to prevent condensation inside the chamber.

advanced compressor

With proper assembly and regular maintenance of the device, a home-made compressor can last much longer than the factory one. With all this, it is unlimited in repair parts, and can also be improved and refined from time to time.

The basis for a more progressive model are the elements of the old refrigerator:

  • receiver for compressor;
  • pressure gauge 10 atm;
  • a relay that provides pressure control inside the compressor;
  • adapters with pipe thread;
  • gasoline cleaning filter;
  • a reducer with the filter protected from moisture and oil;
  • water cross with ¾ inch thread;
  • electric motor for compressor operation;
  • hydraulic hose clamps;
  • semi-synthetic oil;
  • oil resistant hose;
  • copper pipes;
  • medical syringe;
  • wooden plate;
  • rust remover;
  • power system filter;
  • hardware elements;
  • furniture wheels;
  • sealant, sealing tape;
  • a small file or saw for metal;
  • electric switch (220 V).

The advantage of earlier models of refrigerators is the presence of a starting relay. Also positive is the rather powerful pressure that the compressor develops. Using a rust converter, we clean the problem areas on the body and working elements of the unit being prepared.

It is advisable to carry out a small maintenance of the compressor, replacing the oil in it with a semi-synthetic one. Modern oils contain a sufficient amount of additives to ensure long compressor operation. Its design has three nozzles, one of which is hermetically sealed. In the other two, air circulation will be carried out. To determine the direction of flow, you will need to connect the device to the mains.

The sealed pipe hides half the oil. Having bitten off with wire cutters or sawed off its end with a needle file so that the chips do not get inside the cavity, carefully drain the liquid into the prepared container. This will determine the required amount of oil to replace. It must be infused with a syringe of the same volume that was removed through the tube.

After topping up, we plug the hole with a screw or self-tapping screw wrapped around the thread with sealing tape. Now begins the installation of the entire structure on wooden base or a welded frame from a building profile. Compressors from refrigerators are quite sensitive to position in space. To determine it, there is a special arrow on the case. The correct operation of the entire node depends on this.

A regular foam or powder fire extinguisher is suitable as a container for air. It is advisable to select it so that the cavity is at least 10 ... 12 liters. Usually they are tested to withstand pressure up to 15 ... 20 MPa. To release the cavity, we unscrew the adapter with the locking and starting device.

If areas with corrosion are found on the surface, then it is necessary to eliminate them., preventing the spread of rust, which can lead to through damage. Such phenomena are unacceptable, as they contribute to the depressurization of the container.

A rust converter can be poured inside the cavity and shaken well, then poured and dried. Outside, we fix the water cross.

General installation of the structure

The most convenient option would be the location of all parts on wooden base. For installation, drilling holes and fixing the elements with bolts and nuts are used. You can also use a sheet of plywood, to which everything is easily attached with self-tapping screws. 360 movable wheels are installed on the bottom plate or frame for greater mobility.

Gasoline coarse filters will help provide sufficient protection against the ingress of fine dirt or moisture. They are usually mounted on the side of the air intake. An inlet tube is placed on this side, which can be held even without clamps, since there is no high pressure in this place.

On the outlet side, you will also need to install a protective filter that will protect the air flow from moisture and oil particles from the compressor. Fuel filters are used as such a blocker. Without clamps, such a knot will not stand.

We will mount an adjusting relay, as well as a pressure gauge to control the pressure, into the output cross. We connect the free plug to the gearbox. Using the relay, it will be possible to adjust the pressure height range in the receiver.

As executive mechanism applied RM5 (RDM5). It was originally used in plumbing systems, but since it is a two-contact switch, it will work in our case. One contact goes to the connection with the supercharger, and the second to the “zero” of the 220 V network.

Using the toggle switch, we connect the phase of the network. It will help you quickly, if necessary, turn off the power supply, so as not to run to the outlet for this.

Pressure monitoring

Having collected all the elements together, we need to check the performance of the mechanism. To do this, we connect the device to the mains, and set the relay to the minimum pressure supply. We monitor the pressure gauge readings during system operation.

After checking the relay, you will need to identify possible places of loss of tightness. For this operation, a prepared soap solution is used. It is made thick in the form of gruel. We coat problem areas with a solution on a running compressor. If air bubbles appear, then seal the leak.

During a possible pressure drop to critical values, you can install additional air pumping with the compressor turned on. After receiving positive results during the test, you can.

Satisfactory pressure for the operation of the system is selected empirically. In this situation, it is necessary to choose the settings so that everything happens at the minimum values ​​​​of the blower drawdown. With this design, you can paint any surface.

Budget compressor option

Building a paint compressor can be quite economical. It can also be based on elements from an old refrigerator, and any airtight cavity is usually used for a container with air:

  • Produced oxygen cylinder. It is able to withstand high pressure parameters, but has the disadvantage of a large mass.
  • propane tank. It has the same positive qualities as oxygen.
  • Fire extinguisher. Models with a volume of 10 liters or more will fit, as they have a better ability to carry high pressure. However, at the exit they have a metric thread.
  • Hydraulic accumulator. The cavity has a good volume with sufficient working pressure. Requires some modifications to get rid of the membrane and metric threads.

At the next stage, we combine the receiver with the compressor. It is necessary to provide for maximum compatibility of connectors for connecting a relay capable of turning off the compressor at the right time. You can also use RDM-5.

The pressure gauge is selected with maximum values ​​​​at the level of 10 atm. We select fittings, tees or corners with an inch thread. This will facilitate assembly and ensure maximum air passage through the channels. To accommodate the structure, the use of chipboard is allowed.

As a result, the list of necessary elements will be in the following configuration:

  • Prepared compressor;
  • Receiver for distribution of air flows;
  • Pressure switch connected to the network;
  • Pressure gauge up to 10 atm;
  • Filter reducer;
  • Emergency release valve;
  • Transitional threaded elements;
  • Sealing elements (tape, paste, etc.);
  • Wiring, plugs and on/off elements;
  • Hose protecting against moisture and oil;
  • Particle board;
  • Hardware elements, wheels, gaskets.

If you are afraid of the number of spare parts and the complexity of manufacturing, you can always purchase an inexpensive factory-made compressor.

Mounting the receiver in the form of a hydraulic accumulator will be the easiest, as it is already equipped with the necessary brackets. They can also be used to mount the compressor from above. Get a two-tier design.

As fasteners, it is desirable to use bolts with hooks, passed through pre-drilled holes. This will provide greater structural stability.

It will be possible to reduce the influence of vibrations with the presence of rubber / silicone gaskets used as damping.

With the help of prepared flexible tubes, we connect the compressor outlet and the inlet to the receiver. Be sure to put protective mechanisms in the form of filters. Power is supplied to the switch and relay. The structure must be grounded.

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, you should draw up an initial technical task in which to clarify the following requirements:

  1. what excess air pressure is required;
  2. from what and how the drive will be made;
  3. from what components it is possible to assemble the device;
  4. how long will the compressor run non-stop;
  5. what should be the minimum acceptable energy consumption;
  6. 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. Minimum consumption typically for drills, wrenches and dowels mounting guns(up to 100…120 l/min). At the same time, impact tools or grinders will require a flow rate of up to 350 ... 400 l / min. When performing outdoor work (in particular, painting), higher performance values ​​may be required, so it is necessary to provide for 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 dimensions settings 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.

On the initial stage the compressor from the refrigerator will have to be prepared 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. Storage capacity must be painted.

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

Main check homemade compressor- determination of the possibility of effective regulation of 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:

  1. Set the relay to 4 ... 5 at.
  2. Connect the compressor to the network.
  3. 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.
  4. Check the system for the absence of spontaneous bleeding of the energy carrier, for which you can use a regular soap solution.
  5. When the pressure drops to a level below the minimum allowable, the relay should automatically turn on the compressor.
  6. After painting any 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 input filters, periodic purge all air ducts, as well as changing the oil in the compressor.

A homemade compressor from the refrigerator is most often used in tandem with an airbrush or spray gun, as it works almost silently, takes up little space and creates sufficient air pressure. It is also suitable for inflating the wheels of the car. Next, we will tell you how to make a compressor with your own hands.

Materials and tools for a homemade refrigerator compressor

Compressor. The motor is from an old refrigerator and is called a compressor, it is - central element our product. You can see how it looks in the photo: details different models may differ, but are generally similar to each other. The compressor is supplied with a start relay (a black box attached to the side), from which a power cord with a plug comes out.

Receiver. The container into which air will be pumped by the compressor. Options are possible here: any tightly closed container with a volume of 3 to 10 liters made of iron or plastic is suitable. It can be an empty fire extinguisher, small tanks, various receivers from trucks, canisters from construction fluids.

Hoses. You will need three pieces of hose. Two are 10 cm long and one is 30-70 cm, depending on the shape of the receiver and the intended fastening. It is convenient to use fuel hoses in a car, as they will connect to car filters.

You will also need one hose or tube to connect the finished home-made compressor from the refrigerator to the air consumer itself. Here the length, the material depends on the specific needs. If you will be using the compressor with the airbrush, any thin polyvinyl hose (or the one that comes with the airbrush) will do. When using the compressor outdoors, it is better to look for a thicker hose.

  • Clamps. 5 pieces, size 16 or 20 mm.
  • Tubes. Two pieces - copper or iron, with a diameter of 6 mm or others - the main thing is that the hoses fit.
  • One is 10 cm long, the second is 20-50, depending on the size of the receiver, more details below.
  • Automotive fuel filters. One petrol and one diesel.
  • Manometer (optional).
  • Epoxy resin if a plastic receiver is used.
  • A piece wooden board(the basis). The size depends on the size of the receiver and the motor. They should be placed side by side on the board.
  • Steel tape or wire. Needed to secure the receiver.
  • Wood screws.

Instruments:

  • sharp knife
  • Screwdriver
  • Drill
  • Pliers.
  • Metal file (optional).

How to make a compressor with your own hands

Now directly about how to make a compressor with your own hands.

Three tubes come out of the compressor from the refrigerator: two open and one short, sealed. Plug the compressor into a power outlet and run your finger near the outlets of the tubes. The one from which air blows will be the exit, and the one that draws in will be the entrance. Remember which one is which, and unplug the compressor from the outlet. Cut two tubes with a metal file, leaving 10 cm or more to make it convenient to connect the hoses. You can bite off with pliers, but you need to make sure that the sawdust does not get inside the tubes. Next, we mount the compressor on the base board, screwing the legs with self-tapping screws (you can use bolts, it’s more reliable). Important: we fix the compressor in the same position in which it was fixed in the refrigerator. The fact is that the starting relay on the motor works due to the forces of gravity, on the relay case there is an arrow pointing up. Having fixed the compressor, we pass to the receiver.

We make a receiver. Option if you have a plastic container. We drill two holes in the lid for our tubes. We insert them there, as shown in the figure, and fasten them with epoxy. From above, we leave the ends 2-4 cm long. Now about the length of the tubes. Short (10 cm) will be the day off. The second will be the input, we make it as large as possible so that it does not reach a few centimeters to the bottom of the receiver. This is done in order to space the inlet and outlet holes inside the receiver as much as possible for greater air mixing.

If you have an iron receiver, we do the same, but do not glue the tubes, but solder or weld them. You can also weld the nuts, and then screw the fittings under the hoses into them.

The pressure gauge can only be installed in a metal receiver. To do this, we drill a hole in any convenient place on the receiver and solder a pressure gauge in it. A more preferable option: we weld a nut onto the hole and screw the pressure gauge into the nut already. So in case of failure of the pressure gauge, you can easily replace it.

Now we take a piece of hose (10 cm) and put it on the gasoline filter. If you use hoses for gasoline, then there should be no problems, if you use polyvinyl pipes, you may have to heat it with a match or hold it in boiling water so that it fits on the filter fitting. We put the other end of the hose on the compressor inlet tube. This inlet filter is needed to filter out dust. Here, the use of clamps on the joints is not necessary, since there is no pressure here.

We take the second piece of hose and connect it to the outlet tube on the compressor with the inlet on the receiver. We put clamps at the junctions.

Now we put the third piece of the hose (10 cm) with one end on the outlet tube of the receiver, and put the other end on the diesel filter. We put on clamps. An arrow is drawn on the filters (diesel and gasoline), indicating the correct direction of movement through the air filter. Connect both filters correctly. The diesel filter at the outlet is needed to filter water from the air.

We put our working hose on the outlet fitting of the diesel filter, which goes directly to the airbrush, spray gun, etc.

On the underside of the base board, we fasten rubber legs or glue felt pads for furniture. If this is not done, the compressor may scratch the floor during operation - it vibrates. The level of vibration and noise depends on the model of the refrigerator compressor you have obtained. Motors from imported refrigerators are almost inaudible, Soviet ones are also quiet, but there are exceptions.

The pressure generated also depends on the model. Ancient motors are more powerful. Most Soviet compressors are capable of pumping pressure up to 2-2.5 bar. The compressor in the photo creates a pressure of 3.5 bar.

Maintenance of a homemade compressor from the refrigerator

Compressor maintenance consists of regularly changing both filters and draining the collected oil in the receiver. But the main factor affecting the life of the compressor is the frequency of oil changes. The first time it is better to change it before assembling the compressor. There is a third sealed tube on the motor. We cut off the soldered end from it and drain the oil from it by turning the motor over. It will pour out about a glass of oil. Now, with a syringe, fill in fresh engine oil through the same tube, a little more than the amount that was drained.

After, in order not to solder the drain tube, we twist the bolt into it right size. At the next oil change, just unscrew the bolt.

Garage compressor is the right equipment in your garage. With it, you can paint a car, inflate tires, supply air for the operation of pneumatic tools.

To do this, they are subject to certain requirements in order to create the desired air flow with the required pressure. How to make a compressor in the garage, introduces the proposed article.

Features of using the compressor

An air compressor is always needed in the garage. It can be used both to blow off dust from the surfaces of parts treated with an abrasive, and to obtain excess pressure in pneumatic tools.

Often the working life of the compressor is necessary to paint the car, which imposes certain requirements on the generated air flow:

  • The flow must be strictly uniform without any impurities in the form of droplets of liquid, oil or suspended solids. On a freshly applied paintwork, graininess, cavities and shagreen are due to the penetration of foreign particles into the air stream.
  • Uneven flow of the mixture leads to streaks of paint and the appearance of dull spots on the enamel.
  • Branded air compressors manufactured by the industry have all the functions for such a process, but are quite expensive.
  • Not inferior to professional ones, you can create a product model yourself or use a compressor for a garage from a refrigerator.
  • In this case, the device for holding compressed air, which is called the "reservoir", builds up overpressure. The air flow can be forced manually and mechanically.
  • Manual feeding saves money, but it takes a lot of energy and effort to control the process.
  • These shortcomings are eliminated with automatic injection, but in this case, the oil in the air pump is manually replaced.
  • Then the compressed air is evenly supplied through the outlet fitting to the actuators.

How to make a simple refrigerator compressor

The simplest compressor in the garage can be made from an old refrigerator.

To make it, you will need to purchase:

  • Air filter from a car, designed for different pressures. Its price is quite small.
  • Bypass plumbing valve, which can be restrictive and disruptive, combined with check valve six atmospheres.
  • Any plumbing hose that can withstand more than six atmospheres.
  • Chinese pistol without pressure gauge.
  • Any capacity accumulative cylinder. The larger it is, the less often it will need to be turned on.
  • From copper tubes connecting communications or hoses of any formation.

Tip: The balloon is an accumulator for accumulating air. As you work, the pressure will decrease, which is not very important when inflating tires, where no more than three atmospheres is enough. But for pneumatic tools, this will not be enough and critical.

The instructions for making the device are as follows:

  • The tank is being assembled. Its device includes at least three nozzles:
  1. input;
  2. day off;
  3. to drain condensate. The element is installed after mounting the container strictly below, so that the liquid can be drained without problems.

  • With the compressor, the problem may be that it will spit out oil, so you need to close the outlet pipe so that it points straight up.
  • The hose to the tank should go in the same direction.
  • The intake pipe is bent up and supplied with a short rubber tube, an air filter from the machine is mounted on its end.
  • A check water bypass valve is placed between the cylinder and the compressor, which prevents air from escaping back, and is the simplest indicator that the pressure has become a predetermined value. When it reaches six atmospheres, it will begin to hiss, which means that it is time to turn off the compressor engine.