T-Force Air for nailers?

[Robatoy]

There are days when I do a lot of little things in a lot of different places and dragging a compressor (even a pancake) becomes an inconvenience.

Doing my duty-ful DAGS-thang, I stumbled upon these fellas:

before I get an overdose of sticker-shock, I would like to ask my BIT's (Brethern-In-Tools) here if any of you have had the pleasure to use this air delivery system. It sure makes a heckuvalot of sense to me.

The usual caveats apply: I have NO affiliation with this company. I have NOT been drinking.

Respectfully, I remain,

r

[Jack]

The 3000psi fill center is interesting (scuba?) (I didn't see the price). I think the high pressure carbon fiber wrapped tanks can be used for only a few years (6 ?). I know that scuba tanks over 1800psi have to be inspected every year ( having your own mini compressor it might not be an issue ) . To reach 3000psi with that little pump may take awhile. The system looks expensive, what are they asking with refill pump?

[GeeDubb]

I've never used one of these but have used steel Nitrogen tanks available from any local welding supply. Of course the appropriate regulator must be used. I've also seen others using CO2 tanks. A 30 cubic inch cylinder would last for quite a while (never used it continuously).

Now having said that, I also worked in an industry which uses high pressure gas to inflate escape slides for aircraft.....there's a lot of kinetic energy in one of those tanks and I've seen the havoc that occurs when a cylinder is compromised. Makes a table saw accident look pretty benign.

My concern would be the pump life if you opted for that system. The portable pumps we used were always breaking down.

Gary

[Jack]

A 3000psi pump requires more maint. than a 150 psi pump. It also has less volume. The compressors used in dive centers cost thousands of dollars. Air purity isn't needed in this application (like scuba) so compressor and maint. should be less. A 3000psi tank that fails can destroy a room or become a projectile. The contractors I know on the construction sites are using Paslode airless nail guns.

[bremen68]

You know Gary I've always wondered just how bad it is when one of those tanks goes off...Are you talking about sudden catastrophic failure (explosion), or having a tank failure/extreme leak of some sort (ballistic)

I've always wanted to see just how far one would fly if you knock the valve off of one.

Just curious.

[RicodJour]

A construction manager friend told me he saw one go through a block wall like it wasn't there.

R

[Teamcasa]

Its a paintball tank. A local finish carpenter tried it, hated it. He would only get halve a rack of nails before he was out. If the hose connection proved too difficult, he lost most of the air. He finally took my advise and switched to the new 1/4" poly hoses. Now he leaves the compressor outside or in the truck.

Dave

[Jack]

I saw a picture of a dive shop in the caribbean that had a tank failure. I looked like a bomb went off. Walls knocked down and one person dead (Tank fill person)

[Murray Peterson]

"bremen68" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Mythbusters (an amusing television show) shot the valve off a SCUBA tank and got the result on camera. What you get is a rocket, but one that flies around like a balloon when you let it go -- pretty scary. They also shot holes in the sides of the tank -- much less impressive results.

[B A R R Y]

There are valid reasons why trucks carrying compressed gas cylinders are set up they way they are, as well as all those OSHA rules for cylinder use and storage.

I'm glad I got to see it from the safety of my tee-vee.

[Robatoy]

$ 545.00 for the small tank and regulator/holster. Around $ 2600.00 for the compressor.

I sure like the concept, but at those prices, I can buy one big reel of 1/4" poly.... and suddenly my pancake doesn't seem that heavy anymore.

I mean.. whoa... 4-kilobucks by the time I get it up to Canuckistan?

The safety issue, even though I respect it, is not really problematic to me. After all, it is paintball technology.

Thanks Dave.

r

[Lee Michaels]

Most welding shop have some pictures of destruction caused by stupid people and compressed gasses. Also some tall tales of various idiots who ignore basic safety rules and cause great harm to themselves and/or their surroundings.

[RicodJour]

Aren't the paintball tanks a _lot_ smaller? Don't underestimate safety concerns.

The carbon fiber wrapped tank is a tip off. It's the same wow factor coefficient as the masters fatty cyclist who buys a $8000 carbon fiber bike and is carrying 50 extra pounds in his beer gut.

R

[Mike Berger]

[Chris Friesen]

No, the hardcore paintballers use big carbon fiber tanks to refill the little tanks on the gun out in the field.

The carbon fiber wrap theoretically could reduce the weight, given that you can then thin out the metal tank walls and rely on the carbon fiber to take the pressure.

Carbon fiber tanks can also be rated up to 4500psi, while regular scuba tanks are 3000psi.

Chris

[Jack]

I've used a scuba bottle (3500psi, steel), regulator , and a nail gun (tried once ,not worth the trouble. Tank refill, weight, short use time are all negatives). My buddy owned a dive shop with 4500psi compressor and 20 large storage bottles, I already had the parts and it still wasn't worth using. I have a light, cheap ($25 ) pancake compressor now. I leave the big compressor in the shop.

[B A R R Y]

And carbon fiber bikes can now be had for well under $2000.

[mlpogue]

Take a look at allinonewood.com in Mississauga Ont Canada, page two of their current flyer has a CO2 system for 100 + Cdn $ shoots up to

500 nails per charge. Looks nice and compact . I'd expect a recharge to be in the 8-10 $ range but this is a guess so YMMV and no I am not drinking or affiliated with Allinonewood, although I did once buy a Jet mini lathe from them and I like it a lot.

Ken

[Norman D. Crow]

IIRC, it was an oxygen cylinder in a vendors stand that fell over(without the safety cover over the valve), broke off the valve & wreaked havoc, including fire, explosion and several deaths at the Indianapolis fairground coliseum back in the '60s.

[jo4hn]

Robatoy wrote: [snip]

Bingo.