User avatar
Bryan
Plank Owner
Posts: 5279
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 11:40 am
First Name: Bryan
Location: Wesley Chapel Florida
Contact: Website

Compressor Talk

Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:17 pm

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

Image
Image
Doing it right should include some common sense, not just blindly following specs and instructions. .Gary D, AWAP on SB

User avatar
captain
Plank Owner
Posts: 1440
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2005 11:32 am
Location: LaPlace, LA

Re: Compressor Talk

Mon Aug 17, 2009 12:36 pm

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.
Captain

User avatar
Bryan
Plank Owner
Posts: 5279
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 11:40 am
First Name: Bryan
Location: Wesley Chapel Florida
Contact: Website

Re: Compressor Talk

Mon Aug 17, 2009 12:40 pm

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.
Doing it right should include some common sense, not just blindly following specs and instructions. .Gary D, AWAP on SB

User avatar
Douchebag
Master Diver
Posts: 216
Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 9:17 pm
Location: Edge of insanity

Re: Compressor Talk

Wed Sep 02, 2009 5:25 pm

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.

User avatar
seakrakken
Master Diver
Posts: 107
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2005 4:47 am

Re: Compressor Talk

Mon Sep 14, 2009 1:17 am

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

Re: Compressor Talk

Mon Sep 14, 2009 1:03 pm

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

User avatar
eskimo3883
Master Diver
Posts: 383
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 5:15 pm

How about some vintage compressors...

Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:38 pm

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?

User avatar
seakrakken
Master Diver
Posts: 107
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2005 4:47 am

Re: Compressor Talk

Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:08 pm

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.

User avatar
JES
Plank Owner
Posts: 1341
Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2005 11:23 pm
First Name: Joseph
Location: Fleming Island, FL

Re: Compressor Talk

Sun Oct 18, 2009 12:12 am

Tom, your compressor looks great. The "upgrade" work really sets it apart. 8)
NAVED Master Diver #108
'Anima Sana In Corpore Sano’

Scuba Cowboy
Master Diver
Posts: 109
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 2:25 pm
Location: Yuma, AZ

Re: Compressor Talk

Sun Oct 18, 2009 3:26 pm

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.

User avatar
eskimo3883
Master Diver
Posts: 383
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 5:15 pm

Re: Compressor Talk

Sun Oct 18, 2009 4:51 pm

Hi seakrakken,

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

User avatar
eskimo3883
Master Diver
Posts: 383
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 5:15 pm

Re: Compressor Talk

Sun Oct 18, 2009 8:02 pm

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
Master Diver
Posts: 412
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 7:38 am
Location: Richmond, Va

Re: Compressor Talk

Mon Oct 19, 2009 6:07 am

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.

User avatar
pearldiver
Vintage Diver
Posts: 81
Joined: Sat Jul 02, 2005 12:45 am
Location: Rockton, IL Near of course Pearl Lake

Re: Compressor Talk

Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:26 pm

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. :(
Don't Drown, it will ruin your day!

User avatar
antique diver
Master Diver
Posts: 2210
Joined: Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:50 pm
First Name: Bill
Location: North-Central Texas

Re: Compressor Talk

Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:51 pm

pearldiver wrote: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.
The older I get the better I was.

Return to “Compressor Talk”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests