I'm working with some church guys on a roof shingle project. The compressor is in the garage, at the power socket. There is air hose going to the air nailer, which is in use on the roof.
A couple times, the hose was not long enough to reach. The question was raised, should we get more hose, or an extension cord and move the compressor?
There can be problems with air flow. There is also voltage drop in extension cords. Which should we use?
Neither. Move the roof closer to the compressor thereby eliminating the concern of air flow reductions or voltage drop.
Any time you need my help all you have to do is ask. :-)
Go with the air hose. It is probably less expensive. As you are probably using nail guns there is very little air used at one time. I worked in a large plant and the air line were ran for over 1000 feet to some of the equipment with no problems. Just get some air hose that is reasonable size and not the 1/4 inch type.
I can be so dense, some times. What would I ever do without you? You are so kind.
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I've got two length of Harbor Freight hose. One is
3/8, other is 1/4.The green vinyl hose is twisty, and looks to be PIA. The black rubber hose is much more workable.
How about the quick connect couplers? I'd guess that to thread the hoses together with out the couplers would be a bit of work, but would also provide better air flow. Need a 1/4 pipe thread coupler or union.
Quick connects are convenient, but they can't be full flow.
In a plant, seems like it should be possible to run rigid tubing, maybe half inch galvanized. That would help with the air flow.
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I have extended my air using a commercial grade garden hose. That will have no problem handling the 80-100 PSI recommended for air nailers. YMMV if you use a cheap vinyl one. It was easy for me because my compressor uses the same fitting to get to the piping in my shop but you can make up adapters.
The garden hose with the larger diameter will also hold more air (between the compressor and the nailer). That would help provide a bit of buffer space.
I do have some garden hose. Not really needed at present. With the air hose I have and what is on site, we're good. I'll remember that for future moments, when a longer run of air hose is needed.
I believe that Gordon was being facetious. There is no way to move the roof closer to the compressor. That's just silly.
However, you could bring the shingles and nails to the compressor, shoot the nails, and then bring them back up to the roof. That would be a lot easier.
Sure as long as you bring the plywood too.
...which can be brought down in easy to manage sections, such as 17" x 17".
OK...serious comment:
Everyone is recommending a longer air hose as opposed to an extension cord, yet no one knows anything about the circuit that the compressor is current ly plugged in to.
For all we know it's 14g wire, 5000' feet from the source. The voltage drop could already be huge. Let's say you used a 10' 12g extension cord to move the compressor. Would there really be much more of a drop, enough to make any difference?
This may be one of those cases where we don't know enough about the current (pun intended) situation to really offer a definitive answer. For all we k now, there is another receptacle that is physically farther from the roof b ut electrically closer to the source such that even after adding a decent e xtension cord there may be less overall voltage drop than you're getting no w.
Just sayin'
I have a 1HP (13a FLA) compressor and it would not start on a 200'
10ga cord.
Why? They should be rated at 100 PSI minimum. City water is nominally
80 or more. Your roof nailer will run best at ~80 unless it is really worn out. A lot depends on the hose tho. Note that I did say "commercial grade".
I'd go with a 1/4 inch hose, easier to deal with and won't matter with a nail gun. And if you don't have a palm nailer, you ought to get one, those are pretty handy. Cut and pasted.............. The reason that one would want a large sized hose for certain types of air tools has to do with mass flow rate. For a given pressure differential (whatever is in the compressor tank and zero at the air tool's exhaust), the larger the hose, the higher the airflow.
For something like a nail gun, this typically has no effect on the force that is applied to a given nailing stroke. The diameter of the cylinder in the gun that applies the force to the nail head and the static air pressure determines this force.
However, what a larger hose will do is to allow the gun to come back to the ultimate static pressure in the system faster. So theoretically, one could use more cycles per minute from the gun with a 3/8" hose and connectors than one could with a 1/4" hose.
This might matter if you're nailing down T&G flooring, but generally doesn't matter in a furniture shop.
There are other air-powered tools where the flowrate is critical to the tool's performance - among them, spray guns and power sanders and grinders.
no way to move the roof closer to the compressor. That's just silly.
the compressor, shoot the nails, and then bring them back up to the roof. That would be a lot easier.
What's worse, is that I had emergency work call last night. I went to the work call with my extension cord and air hose in the back of my truck (call was east of me, work project was west). I could not even stop by the house, drop off the hose and cord and pick it up on the way back. I telephone two men I knew would be there, neither answered or called back. Don't even know if the job is done. I don't get no respect. Guess my friends are RIGHT HERE. Thank you.
- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .
Now, this is really taking shape.
- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .
an extension cord, yet no one knows anything about the circuit that the compressor is currently plugged in to.
The voltage drop could already be huge. Let's say you used a 10' 12g extension cord to move the compressor. Would there really be much more of a drop, enough to make any difference?
about the current (pun intended) situation to really offer a definitive answer. For all we know, there is another receptacle that is physically farther from the roof but electrically closer to the source such that even after adding a decent extension cord there may be less overall voltage drop than you're getting now.
I've not been in the house, don't know where is the panel box. The recepticle we've been using is a two socket grounded one in the garage. I'd dare to guess it's probably wired 14 GA on a 15 breaker. But, that's just guessing. Might even be fuse panel. We don't know.
If I were in charge, I'd have opened a living room window and plug in at the living room. But, I'm just the foreman (really; I signed up to be the foreman). No one gives me any respect.
I don't even know if the job is done, had emergency call in the other direction. I've not been to the job site yesterday.
- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .
I didn't look at the name plates, but the two compressors being used this week were possibly six gal tanks. Some how, the men were able to bang nails in at a rapid rate, and the compressors kept up.
My 3 gal oilless compressor did not have enough to power a pistol style impact wrench. I tried.
- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .
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