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  1. #21
    m_c's Avatar
    Lives in East Lothian, United Kingdom. Last Activity: 3 Days Ago Forum Superstar, has done so much to help others, they deserve a medal. Has been a member for 9-10 years. Has a total post count of 2,908. Received thanks 360 times, giving thanks to others 8 times.
    I've got the small clarke blast cabinet, which supposedly requires 10cfm at 80-100psi, however my 3hp cheapo keeps up with it reasonably well.
    Constant blasting does mean the compressor never stops, so I do stop occasionally to give it a rest, but it's not caused any issues so far.

    I suspect a Hydrovane 5 might be a bit on the small size, however you could always couple it into your existing compressor, and run them side by side.

  2. #22
    I was actually hoping to get away from the cheapo compressors because of the noise they make, even with a pair of ear defenders on it's a bit loud lol. Had thought about running 2 machines together & haven't entirely written the idea off but I'm not in a huge rush to get it going at the moment. Will kind of manage to do my wheels with it even if it does take a lot longer than it should & glass etching will probably need a lot less pressure although I haven't really researched that at the moment.
    Pity I don't have a 3 phase supply in the unit as you seem to be able to pick up used screw compressors at a reasonable price although I haven't looked at the running costs of them.

  3. #23
    Martin you can hook a compressor up to a vfd so they are not out of the question.
    If the nagging gets really bad......Get a bigger shed:naughty:

  4. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Swarfing View Post
    Martin you can hook a compressor up to a vfd so they are not out of the question.
    Did think about a vfd same as the spindle on the router but are you not limited to 3 or 4KW doing it that way? Most of the industrial screw compressors I've seen that sell reasonably cheaply are bigger than that, the smaller ones & single phase compressors seem to sell for a lot more money, I'm guessing because there is far more demand for them from people like ourselves lol.

  5. #25
    m_c's Avatar
    Lives in East Lothian, United Kingdom. Last Activity: 3 Days Ago Forum Superstar, has done so much to help others, they deserve a medal. Has been a member for 9-10 years. Has a total post count of 2,908. Received thanks 360 times, giving thanks to others 8 times.
    Big VFDs are available, but once you go past 2.2/3kw, the price increases quite a bit.

    You could run it from a phase converter, however once you get past a few kw you're into quite substantial wiring and current requirements on 240V. Most common screw compressors start around 7kw, which would need 30A from 240V and that's before you consider the startup surge from the motor.
    They are alot quieter, but you need to make sure they've been reguarly maintained, as any issues lead to efficiency dropping of quickly, and they're definetly not cheap to fix!

  6. #26
    thanks for the pointers people, definitely need to do a lot more research before making any sort of decision on what's the best way forward.

  7. #27
    Also think about the larger the screw compressor (not always the same as a hydrovane) get noisier. Think about the medium to use as well. Checkout soda blasting
    If the nagging gets really bad......Get a bigger shed:naughty:

  8. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by Swarfing View Post
    Also think about the larger the screw compressor (not always the same as a hydrovane) get noisier. Think about the medium to use as well. Checkout soda blasting
    Still be a lot quieter than the cheap compressor I have at the moment lol.
    Soda blasting requires very similar pressures & flow rates although it does work slightly differently. Already got a bag of soda to experiment with along with the glass beads & aluminium oxide. Might be able to borrow a compressor from someone I know to run along side mine for the time being which will at least let me start experimenting. Should help give me a better idea of what I really need to do the job properly.

  9. #29
    LOL! I have an old compressor which i very rarely use these days because of the noise. Hope you sort it soon Martin.
    If the nagging gets really bad......Get a bigger shed:naughty:

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