Compressor Talk

[Bryan]

I know quite a few of you have your own compressors so I thought I'd start a thread about them and perhaps you could provide some information to divers that have just not made the jump yet.....If we get a lot of info and questions I'll move it to it's own category.

My AireTex/Alkin W-31 at work...Got it used on E-bay for $2300.00 If I remember right. I could not be happier and I'm sure it's some of the best coin I've ever spent on diving related gear. 2nd picture shows most of the service kit for it. Parts not shown are the absorbent and charcoal media. If you can change your oil you can service a compressor like this. Uses a simple 220V dryer style hookup or you can easily put on a 5hp engine, change the pulley and go gas!!!
They have an even smaller one that pumps the same CFM called the Atlantic and it looks like a winner too.

Atlantic Compressor click here

[captain]

A compressor forum is a good idea. I bought my compressor around 1967. It is a US Divers Cyclone made by Luchard in France. By chance the company I went to work for after closing the shop had the exact same compressor to fill scba tanks. When they decided to contract out the filling of their scba tanks I bought it and all the spare parts they had on hand.
Over the years I have rebuilt it a couple of times and used the second one to scavenge any needed parts from.
About four years ago I built a new frame for it and added a second drying tower to it.
I have always maintained that without the compressor I probably would have quit diving years ago when the dive shops started with the tank stupidity.
Parts haven't been avaiable for over 25 years but I figure I have enough to last the rest of my diving life time.

[Bryan]

Tom, please post some photos of your rig. I have some from an old SD where you had it mobile but I'm sure you could take some better ones at home. I will host the photos if you send them to me... I'll work on the compressor section.

[Douchebag]

So would this forum be ONLY for air compressors and no gas mixing? Didn't Cousteau do some mixing during his days? So it would still be considered vintage.

[seakrakken]

I totally agree with a compressor being a great investment.
I bought one on ebay from bargain marge down in Corpus.
It is a jem to use.
I bring it with me now when I hit the local wet spots.
I get a lot of beer that way! :)

[WD8CDH]

JYC used Trimix on the Britannic in 1975 and that wasn't his first use of non-air diving.

[eskimo3883]

I would like to see some Vintage compressors. Anyone want to show off their Cornelius?

I have a small Cornelius with the original vintage filtration system. As I understand things the most important thing is to use a fluorinated oil that can handel the added heat caused by pushing the small compressors to higher pressures. Is the original filter system safe by itself? Do folks use modern packings within the original systems or do they add a filter system?

[seakrakken]

I have a Stewart-Warner that was originally used by the Army as a flame thrower compressor. It was set at about 2000 PSI on the relief valve. I added a dessicant/charcoal housing after the water trap and put a fill whip with a gauge and bleed valve on it. I'm running a synthetic oil in the compressor it is Chemlube 201. I'm also running a synthetic motor oil in the Honda 6.5 HP motor that runs the beast. I'm keeping a log of thne hours and will change the compressor oil and dessicant & Charcoal at 50 hrs.

[JES]

Tom, your compressor looks great. The "upgrade" work really sets it apart.

[Scuba Cowboy]

Am I the only one who can't see pics of Tom's compressor? Below his post it says I don't have the required permission to view files attached. ??? Can someone teach me the secret handshake?

Edit: I see 'em now, very purdy little compressor. Nice.

[eskimo3883]

Hi seakrakken,

Can you speak more on the filter housing you added and what you use inside?

[eskimo3883]

I have an original Cornelius set up for diving. All the traps are original and vintage. I also have another Cornelius I got very cheap but it has no traps of any kind. It was used for planes.

I am very interested in the added a desiccant/charcoal housing and water trap. Are the vintage traps considered out of date or inadequate today? Is there any trap system that folks prefer?

[crimediver]

I also am interested in learning more about compressors. I have a couple of Bauer compressors I got as a project. They are just sitting as I have not gotten motivated to get them going. I am a public safety diver so I get free air either from fire departments or the dive team Bauer we have on our dive trailer. The state even buys me an air card at our LDS if I need to use them.
So I don't really have much need for a compressor of my own just yet. But I have them handy if the urge hits to get them running.

One is a smalller gas compressor that is missing the engine and I do not know what kind of shape it is in. The other is a huge beast that has a 3-phase motor but I have no way to hook up to three phase where I am located. I know I can rig up a transformer to run it off of but it seems like an expensive hassle. I think it would be easier to convert it to gas but am not sure just what is entailed to accomplish this. It was just serviced before I got it and has about 700 hours on the meter so the only thing keeping it from being up and running is the motor issue as far as I can tell. I have kicked this around a bit on another forum and get differing opinions. To be honest I am not much of an electrician and it gets a bit confusing so I think a gas engine may be best.

It does seem that I have been getting a lot of contradictory advice from people.

A compressor section on the forum does seem like a good idea and maybe you guys may get me motivated to get one up and running.

[pearldiver]

One day I"ll get another compressor. I used to have a trailered model from the Navy. I think it had a Wisconsin two cylinder gas engine, the same engines they used on CAT tractors as a pony engine to start the main engine. Maybe some of you Navy guys would remember the one I'm talking about. I shoulda never sold it. I bought it in 1982 for $250.00, had my husband make a valve for it and it ran and pumped air like a charm. A tear just dropped into my coffee.

[antique diver]

One day I"ll get another compressor. I used to have a trailered model from the Navy. I think it had a Wisconsin two cylinder gas engine, the same engines they used on CAT tractors as a pony engine to start the main engine. Maybe some of you Navy guys would remember the one I'm talking about. I shoulda never sold it. I bought it in 1982 for $250.00, had my husband make a valve for it and it ran and pumped air like a charm. A tear just dropped into my coffee.

Wow, my kind of woman... crying over a lost compressor!
Well, my wife appreciates them too, but just not that much.