Compressed Air for the Casting/Forging Shed
Re: Compressed Air for the Casting/Forging Shed
Looks like a good set up. Almost like electric, you can't have too many connections.
Re: Compressed Air for the Casting/Forging Shed
You can have too many connections for compressed air, especially when one springs a leak and you need to find it, lol. Yea, the dream was to replace the pump jack on the hydraulic press with one that has air over hydraulic setup, so it would hook up to the block right behind the press and at the end of the lathe. I dont ever want to use compressed air on the lathe because it blows chips up into places you really dont want them to be, and my lathe is open enough that it would happen far too often and cause all kinds of problems to say the least.
I also did some work on the lathe while I was running air lines, which I have to replace the tape over the wall outlet there because it was there to protect the outlet from the oil and chips flying at it, but had to remove that to run the air lines up along the top of the wall plate, so I decided to do some work on replacing the light that was there since the flexable arm got weak and kept wanting to go limp and kept moving down as youre trying to cut, so you had to adjust it, so I just replaced the lamp from the manifold block and all of that. I also tore apart the oilers on the lathe and figured out what was causing problems there, and took a diamond needle file to the sight glasses in them and filed a groove in the top of the glasses to let air out of them, now the oilers work like a charm, as they should have. The glass on brass seal was so good that as oil got in between them, they created an air lock and kept making the oilers just blow up air through the bearings and not want to work at all.
But yea, lots of things to do, and with it warming up, I plan on really getting out and doing a ton of casting, as much as possible, lol. I have so many patterns that I want to pour this year, that Ive worked on and some going back 4-5 years now, so it's time to really just get things done up and get it all cast out so I can start to work on the projects, lol. I did go out early today and tore the flood light/security light off of the shop, which never got used, but I plan on wiring it directly so it just acts as a flood light, and put it on a switch to light up the yard when I go to start casting and it starts to get dark out. Lots of things to do up this year, so Im going to be hopefully blasting through projects as fast and as hard as I possibly can, in between doing everything else around here too, lol.
I also did some work on the lathe while I was running air lines, which I have to replace the tape over the wall outlet there because it was there to protect the outlet from the oil and chips flying at it, but had to remove that to run the air lines up along the top of the wall plate, so I decided to do some work on replacing the light that was there since the flexable arm got weak and kept wanting to go limp and kept moving down as youre trying to cut, so you had to adjust it, so I just replaced the lamp from the manifold block and all of that. I also tore apart the oilers on the lathe and figured out what was causing problems there, and took a diamond needle file to the sight glasses in them and filed a groove in the top of the glasses to let air out of them, now the oilers work like a charm, as they should have. The glass on brass seal was so good that as oil got in between them, they created an air lock and kept making the oilers just blow up air through the bearings and not want to work at all.
But yea, lots of things to do, and with it warming up, I plan on really getting out and doing a ton of casting, as much as possible, lol. I have so many patterns that I want to pour this year, that Ive worked on and some going back 4-5 years now, so it's time to really just get things done up and get it all cast out so I can start to work on the projects, lol. I did go out early today and tore the flood light/security light off of the shop, which never got used, but I plan on wiring it directly so it just acts as a flood light, and put it on a switch to light up the yard when I go to start casting and it starts to get dark out. Lots of things to do up this year, so Im going to be hopefully blasting through projects as fast and as hard as I possibly can, in between doing everything else around here too, lol.
Re: Compressed Air for the Casting/Forging Shed
well, got the new manifold block machined up and replaced that one that was leaking in the shed, now all of the air lines are completely done in there too. I do have a super tiny leak in the ball valve, which Ill just have to wait for the tanks to go empty, then Ill run a tap down it to clean up the threads, and hopefully that'll fix the issue. It almost looks like the threads arent formed right or something, so hopefully that fixes it, but even beyond that, it was pumped up to 120 psi around noon and just playing around, it went down to 100 psi and left it, I went out an hour ago and it was at 98 psi still, and that was almost 10 hours later, so I think it'll be fine for holding the air well enough for a full day of ramming sand and using air tools.
I also installed the outside flood light on the shed and hooked up the switch, everything was going really well, then opened the door up and the bulbs I put in it was stupidly large, but they were flood light bulbs, and one caught on the door and busted the light housing. Ill just have to take some superglue and glue it all back together I guess... From all of the years being out in the weather, the plastic on it had gotten brittle, so I was hoping it would work fine still as long as it didnt get hit really hard with anything, lol. It did work really well tho and lit up the whole area from in front of the shed and in front of the shop, so I'd say it was a success either way. Ill just stick a steel tube in it and CA glue it back together. Ill just have to get new bulbs for it that are the right size, and if nothing else, I might have to move it so it doesnt interfere anymore, which I think I have plenty of room to move it around now.
But the air lines are completely done for the shop and shed now, everything is air tight except that ball valve, which is so slow of a leak that it isnt that big of a deal really, just need to fix that light, and finish the wiring, then clean everything out to install the spark guard for the shed walls, then it'll be done, lol. I have a roll of sheet metal that I plan on putting around the bottom of the walls to protect them from sparks from grinding, forge welding sparks/brushing scale off, etc, but everything needs torn out of the shed to do that. Only other thing to do beyond that is just build the outside enclosure for the air compressor to go in really, so casting shed project is quickly coming to a close hopefully.
I also installed the outside flood light on the shed and hooked up the switch, everything was going really well, then opened the door up and the bulbs I put in it was stupidly large, but they were flood light bulbs, and one caught on the door and busted the light housing. Ill just have to take some superglue and glue it all back together I guess... From all of the years being out in the weather, the plastic on it had gotten brittle, so I was hoping it would work fine still as long as it didnt get hit really hard with anything, lol. It did work really well tho and lit up the whole area from in front of the shed and in front of the shop, so I'd say it was a success either way. Ill just stick a steel tube in it and CA glue it back together. Ill just have to get new bulbs for it that are the right size, and if nothing else, I might have to move it so it doesnt interfere anymore, which I think I have plenty of room to move it around now.
But the air lines are completely done for the shop and shed now, everything is air tight except that ball valve, which is so slow of a leak that it isnt that big of a deal really, just need to fix that light, and finish the wiring, then clean everything out to install the spark guard for the shed walls, then it'll be done, lol. I have a roll of sheet metal that I plan on putting around the bottom of the walls to protect them from sparks from grinding, forge welding sparks/brushing scale off, etc, but everything needs torn out of the shed to do that. Only other thing to do beyond that is just build the outside enclosure for the air compressor to go in really, so casting shed project is quickly coming to a close hopefully.
Re: Compressed Air for the Casting/Forging Shed
My automatic valve on my compressor has a leak. Just sometimes... the thing kicks on in the middle of the night and scares us to death. I haven't tried to run any lines and manifolds; I just have a long hose I drag around.
Re: Compressed Air for the Casting/Forging Shed
I posted this a bit over a week ago, but figured I'd do an update on all of this mess, lol.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGhBCtmO31o
I did get all of the airlines done up, everything is wired up and ready to hook up the power lines and get the shop and shed unhooked from the extension cords and get those put away. After that, I was working on the homemade pneumatic sand rammer and it was just problem after problem, so I finally just put it back together and got it working again, and said screw it for now, lol.
After that, it got cold again and I was forced to be up at nights again to take care of the woodburner, so all progress stopped pretty quickly, and I just worked on a few patterns. I still need to do up the corebox for the one pattern, which is an interesting pattern and corebox to say the least, but Ill post that stuff elsewhere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGhBCtmO31o
I did get all of the airlines done up, everything is wired up and ready to hook up the power lines and get the shop and shed unhooked from the extension cords and get those put away. After that, I was working on the homemade pneumatic sand rammer and it was just problem after problem, so I finally just put it back together and got it working again, and said screw it for now, lol.
After that, it got cold again and I was forced to be up at nights again to take care of the woodburner, so all progress stopped pretty quickly, and I just worked on a few patterns. I still need to do up the corebox for the one pattern, which is an interesting pattern and corebox to say the least, but Ill post that stuff elsewhere.
Re: Compressed Air for the Casting/Forging Shed
Watched that video last week. Looks like you're set up.