Ken Christopherson
Well-known Member
Hello all! Well, it has been a busy week for me - been getting a lot of things for 'just come get it out of my garage' prices lately it seems (which is never a bad thing unless you are limited for space yourself).. So, I thought you would all like to see what I got my hands on this time. I have been using hand tools pretty much my whole life (at least at home), and on some of these tractors it is nearly impossible to get things loose that have never been turned in 80 years since new.. I've been wanting an air compressor forever but just never got around to buying one.
A couple days ago, a friend of mine gave me one he had sitting in his shed that was given to him by his neighbor... I put 240V in the garage and plugged it in to see what it did. To my surprise, the compressor ran, was extremely quiet, and made no abnormal noises! It was a 22 Gallon, 3HP Sanborn. But, I discovered a pinhole in the tank, and also a previous welding repair. While turning the tank to inspect it, I heard a LOT of clattering inside... RUST. I immediately unplugged and pulled the safety valve to prevent becoming a headline on the evening news, and got to looking for a new tank.
Found a 60 gallon Husky (Homt Depot) tank locally. Went to look at it and ended up bringing it home. Seeing as from the factory, the Husky tank comes with a 3.7 HP motor, I figured my 3HP would work ok (and my 3HP looks exactly like the ones on the Home Depot show floor)... After some new fittings, reshaping the lines, a new drive belt, and a little time and ingenuity, I plugged it in a viola! My first air compressor works like a champ! Pumped it up to 100 PSI in short order, and I have let it sit overnight - tank pressure has not moved at all. Looks like I done good, as I am only into this compressor for $107 in parts. Retail is $449. Even gave it a fresh bottle of oil to keep it all lubed, but the oil that I drained was like brand new.
Enjoy the photos, and the story! (Video included)
Building A Compressor
A couple days ago, a friend of mine gave me one he had sitting in his shed that was given to him by his neighbor... I put 240V in the garage and plugged it in to see what it did. To my surprise, the compressor ran, was extremely quiet, and made no abnormal noises! It was a 22 Gallon, 3HP Sanborn. But, I discovered a pinhole in the tank, and also a previous welding repair. While turning the tank to inspect it, I heard a LOT of clattering inside... RUST. I immediately unplugged and pulled the safety valve to prevent becoming a headline on the evening news, and got to looking for a new tank.
Found a 60 gallon Husky (Homt Depot) tank locally. Went to look at it and ended up bringing it home. Seeing as from the factory, the Husky tank comes with a 3.7 HP motor, I figured my 3HP would work ok (and my 3HP looks exactly like the ones on the Home Depot show floor)... After some new fittings, reshaping the lines, a new drive belt, and a little time and ingenuity, I plugged it in a viola! My first air compressor works like a champ! Pumped it up to 100 PSI in short order, and I have let it sit overnight - tank pressure has not moved at all. Looks like I done good, as I am only into this compressor for $107 in parts. Retail is $449. Even gave it a fresh bottle of oil to keep it all lubed, but the oil that I drained was like brand new.
Enjoy the photos, and the story! (Video included)
Building A Compressor