Recommendations for air assist compressor?

[Dave Sheldrake]

30 psi is a measurement of pressure Kit, The rep should be able to tell you the free air requirement

cheers

Dave

ps: on the bigger machines I use the 036a Junwei (sold as Titan here) one compressor to each machine.

[Kevin Gregerson]

Hello all!

I have an Epilog Mini 24 (60 watt) machine arriving tomorrow and I still haven't bought a compressor for the air assist. I know the rep mentioned a $300 "airbrush compressor" but I don't have any more details and I'd love to pick up something ASAP. Any specific brand and model recommendations? Thank you!

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Californi...FUxqfgodYngAJw

Your rep didn't give you a link to a product??? Not a very good rep.....

[Kit Dumph]

Gave me links for everything else, but suggested either find a 30 psi or just get the epilog one. I'v heard a lot of good things about that compressor, but I was hoping for something smaller.

[Dave Sheldrake]

You will need to know 30psi at what volume (flow rate) Kit, even a cheap $5 balloon pump can push 30psi.

cheers

Dave

[Bill George]

You will need to know 30psi at what volume (flow rate) Kit, even a cheap $5 balloon pump can push 30psi.
cheers
Dave

Usually rated at CFM (cubic feet per Minute) at so many PSI or free air. Those larger oil free with vanes are usually noisy.

Dave we never hear about your remodeling progress? Having done remodeling in the past I can only imagine. But mine were never in a 400 year old house. The oldest house I had to do work in was just 90 years.

[Kit Dumph]

hmm my searches for CFM for a 50 watt helix haven't turned up much yet. I'll email the rep tomorrow and see.

[Dave Sheldrake]

Bill, its about 18 months work

24005_1126_IMG_00_0000_max_656x437.jpg

Thats why I'm not about much these days

Kit, soon as you know the CFM requirement let us know and a suitable compressor will follow

cheers

Dave

[Ross Moshinsky]

You don't need to know CFM. The volume we're talking about is negligible. We're talking about a tiny hose that is only a few feet long. "Any" compressor is going to be able to provide a constant 30psi under those conditions. 30psi is the same whether you use a big compressor or little compressor as long as the volume is the same. The only way you'd need to even look at CFM is if you decided to run a long hose from the compressor to the laser and that's simply because you're increasing the volume significantly.

When picking a compressor for a laser, you're looking at duty cycle and noise. A low quality air compressor will have a low duty cycle (not want to run all the time) and will be noisy. A high quality air compressor will have no problem running constantly and do so at a comfortable volume.

As for using a regulator, there should be no concern. Running the compressor with a constant bleed is not exactly ideal. The compressor has to overcome a constant pressure loss which I'd almost guarantee is more taxing than restriction.

[Bill George]

Actually CFM and PSI do make a difference in the selection of any air compressor. Since not all lasers are the same and the size of the nozzle opening where the air exits vary from unit to unit. A longer pipe or hose, causes pressure drop which not only reduces the pressure but the cfm available. I would go with the recommendation of the laser manufacturer as the needed psi and cfm. Lacking that, members who own the same machine usually can give feed back on what works for them. After the psi and cfm are considered, the running noise would be a big factor for me anyway.

[Bill George]

Bill, its about 18 months work

24005_1126_IMG_00_0000_max_656x437.jpg

Thats why I'm not about much these days

Kit, soon as you know the CFM requirement let us know and a suitable compressor will follow

cheers

Dave

It looks beautiful as least from the outside! And its brick.

[Dave Sheldrake]

Granite blocks bill

Like you say the CFM value is essential, it will define things like duty cycle limits

cheers

Dave

[Pete Simmons]

Those are all pretty big, what about this little guy from harbor freight? http://www.harborfreight.com/16-hors...329-10428.html

I have used this type for 10 years. On the second compressor now. First one lasted maybe 6+ years. Pressure / cfm - who cares? It is enough to calm the flame down on some items and is enough flow to make a difference when engraving. Depending on material I sometimes do not run it when rastering. I always use it when vector cutting. Works for me!

[Kit Dumph]

Ok guys, just got off with phone with epilog this morning. I need 1.1 CFM with 30psi max. Suggestions now?

[Glen Monaghan]

This is very similar to the little Harbor Freight airbrush pumps, just mounted on a tank. You can plumb a compressor to a holding tank yourself with a T and one or 2 valves (I have hose from pump to T, valve between T and tank, and a second valve between T and laser so I can run pump to fill tank, send air from tank to laser, send air from pump to tank and laser, and cut off tank from both laser and pump to save built-up air for another session).

The nail salon type of compressor that Dee has mentioned is a similar arrangement but only has a tiny tank inside the case.

Main issue is that the small pumps run progressively longer to fill larger tanks and to try to restore pressure as soon as you start sending air from tank to laser so, really, the pump tends to run all the time unless you manually shut it off and just let the pressure bleed down from the tank. So, if the pump isn't rated for 100 % duty cycle, it's going to get very hot fairly fast, likely leading to premature failure. It helps a lot to position a small fan to blow across the pump's cooling fins, which can reduce pump temps from scorching to merely hot.

Those little pumps will work, but you may wind up replacing them now and again, unlike something such as the Gaast pumps.

I've been thinking that I ought to try out the old sleep apnea blower that I no longer need... It's designed to run constantly and is whisper quiet. Not sure what the air flow is rated, but it subjectively feels like plenty of air volume and pressure...

[Dave Sheldrake]

Gast 72R Twin Cylinder as Rich said I think would be right, it gives 4cfm at 40 psi but a 50% duty cycle so will provide 2 cfm at 40 psi @ 50% duty.
A receiver would be good to keep a stable pressure and level out the duty cycle.

Air brush compressors simply don't have the rating or volume to do the job reliably, most are under 0.75cfm at atmospheric and will over heat (leading to wet air) very quickly.

What works in an acceptable way isn't always the best item to use, get a better system up to the job and there are big benefits

cheers

Dave