Wood Shop Air Tubing

[Logan William]

Last month I lucked out and found epoxy coated 3/4" black iron pipe at Lowes for $1.90 per 10 foot section. I just need to buy some fittings and will be able to finally run some air lines in my garage.

$1.90 per 10 foot??? Either thats a typo or they had a typo as the last time I looked it was right around $11.90 per 10 foot piece, if you really got it for 1.90 you got an absolute steal! As far as the tools needed to thread it if you figure out what lengths you need they'll cut and thread it for you with their fancy Ridgid Pony threaders, otherwise you can get the same result with a vise, pipe cutter, a reamer/deburrer and a threading die/handle, assuming you have the vise $100 on the auction sites should get you what you need. And considering the last time I priced copper it wouldn't take much to make that back up.

[Doug Colombo]

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If copper is out, use black pipe. I did with no issues - local hardware stores and the BORG will thread it for you if needed. I was able to use standard sizes and make it work (1 foot to 5 foot in 1 foot increments at the Borg). Placed the compressor in the garage, wired a 3 way switch (one in the garage, one in my basement shop), and ran black pipe from the compressor to the shop. Installed a regulator in the shop and bought a hose reel with 50' of rubber hose at Tractor Supply for $59 (on sale - reg $69). After buying one for the shop and using it, I now have one in my garage !!! Works great and the noise is in the garage not my shop !

[ray hampton]

I've heard too many suggestions not to use PVC, though if I did go that route I would wrap the PVC in some colored duct tape or other type of wrap. The wrap could prevent shrapnel injuries and help the pipe stand out as an air line.

Last month I lucked out and found epoxy coated 3/4" black iron pipe at Lowes for $1.90 per 10 foot section. I just need to buy some fittings and will be able to finally run some air lines in my garage.

1.90 per foot sound reason

[Dan Henry]

I have PVC now and it is in the attic and the walls in the shop now but want to replace it before I have the eventually explosion. Look at the Rapid Air system and I think this is the way I am going as it is easy to install and can be changed very easily, little $$ up front but that is a one time expense.

thanks all for the replies

Dan

[Aaron Rowland]

I have a line of it. No contest and the wave of the future. It is not PVC . Based on Polyethylene which is a entirely different material then PVC. Cost for a 3/4" line is about $.75 a foot. Copper is about $10.00 a ft. No body uses that stuff anymore.Labor intensive with soldering. Also may give off a metallic taste.

Black iron may rust and fake off inside messing up your system. Don't use it. Spend a bit more if you want for 1" pipe. 3/4" is the minimum.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Also may give off a metallic taste.

Are you breathing the compressed air, Aaron?

[Chris Damm]

I would not use PEX unless it was rated for compressed air! I use black pipe and it is easy to install and not too expebsive.
Any airline should be rated for much higher pressures than you are using!

[Aaron Rowland]

Hmm, Did I say anything about air, compressed or other wise? I said " I have a line of it. " Please read my posts as I write them before you jump on them.



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[Chris Tsutsui]

The retail price on 3/4" SCH40 black iron pipe 3M coated was $30 per 10 foot section. Or $3 per foot.

This is the only pipe that is BROWN since it's coated and not black like the rest of the iron piping.

Lowes was clearing out their stock of this last month because they are going to stop carrying it, thus they had the price at $1.90 for a 10 foot section. They had stock for at least a week because nobody bothers going to that section to view pricing. I was in that section for some vinyl tubing and the yellow price tags always catch my eye. I bought 100 feet worth and payed like $20.

I ended up buying the Harbor freight ratcheting hand threader. If it doesn't work out then I can bring the pieces to my work and use the big Ridgid machine.

[Jeff Monson]

The retail price on 3/4" SCH40 black iron pipe 3M coated was $30 per 10 foot section. Or $3 per foot.

This is the only pipe that is BROWN since it's coated and not black like the rest of the iron piping.

Lowes was clearing out their stock of this last month because they are going to stop carrying it, thus they had the price at $1.90 for a 10 foot section. They had stock for at least a week because nobody bothers going to that section to view pricing. I was in that section for some vinyl tubing and the yellow price tags always catch my eye. I bought 100 feet worth and payed like $20.

I ended up buying the Harbor freight ratcheting hand threader. If it doesn't work out then I can bring the pieces to my work and use the big Ridgid machine.

Chris, thats a major score in my book, I'd be using black pipe for my system at that price too. If it does not work out you have some nice stock for pipe clamps!

[Logan William]

Yeah amazing score.....and like Jeff said you'll have plenty of stock for pipe clamps!

[Ole Anderson]

I just used an old piece of 3/8" rubber air hose for my shop and garage run after I replaced it with the more current PVC air hose. Has worked fine for 15 years now. By the way, you can now get the 3/8" in polyurethane which is great in the cold garage and stays flexy, the PVC gets real stiff at anything under 50 degrees if you have had it a while curled up on a reel. I had thought about replacing the permanent runs with steel or copper, but if it ain't broken, don't fix it. Maybe some day if I get all fired up about it.

Careful trying the epoxy coated for pipe clamps, the OD might be a tad too much for the sliding portion, if not it would be great.

[Greg Bender]

You might want to check out the Ingersoll Rand Product Line also,google SimplAir Piping. I work at IR's test facility and we do alot of product testing of the various systems that are available.Some /Most are pretty pricey no matter the manufacturer. FYI We use synflex tubing on our big Rotary compressors up to the 220 psi units and the stuff works extremely well. The push to connect fittings hold under the craziest of scenarios.Whatever you do, I do not recommend PVC, either will your homeowners insurance company if somebody gets hurt.
Greg

[Kent A Bathurst]

Kent.... My local Orange Borg will cut and thread pipe for free. Ask the guy in the black pipe aisle next time you're at yours.

Joe - yeah, that I knew - 25+ pony pipe clamp sets and 40+ pieces of pipe, and they've happily cut + threaded them all. On the air supply piping, though...you're giving me way too much credit for detailed advance planning. With the copper, in my water supply plumbing, the approach is "just solder the darn pipe in place, and cut it to length when you get to where you're going" is how I do it. Plus - I make good use - too much use - of the ability of the soldered fittings [45*, 90*, Tee] to make directional changes to correct alignment deviations from the previous joint. I'd never make a living as a plumber, but I've never had a soldered joint leak or fail, plus - I just get a certain satisfaction from attacking stuff with flames.

[Bob Riefer]

plus - I just get a certain satisfaction from attacking stuff with flames

ha ha, that honestly made me laugh out loud.