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Workshop air lines ?

cuslog

cuslog

Super User
Premium Member
So, what are you guys liking for shop air lines these days ?
Setting up a small garage work shop. I'm not a big air user - no sand blasting cabinet, don't do a lot of painting.
Lathe, mill, Tig welder, small 2 hp compressor. My biggest use for air would be a misting system on my mill (I've dis-connected the liquid line from that because I didn't like the mess it made - but I do like a gentle "blow" up close to an endmill so I'm not running over my own chips again.) I've always just used a single rubber flex line for that and blowing up tires sometimes.
Now, I'm building a "power drawbar" using one of those "butterfly" impacts so I'd need 2 air outlets at my mill so now thinking about some kind of hard lines from compressor to mill with one or 2 other quick connects along the way.
My first thought was copper lines but I also see they sell kits now, using a kind of glorified PEX line. (More expensive but if you add in the cost of 2 or 3 trips running for fittings you hadn't thought of, maybe not so much ?:confused:)
 
Flexible 25 or 59 foot runs of rubber line, no rigid copper. Big reel from PA that can extend outside for 50 feet.

It doesn’t look “clean” but it works


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I used one of those plastic line kits from PA but after a year I got fed up with trying to fix the constant leaks so I went with copper pipe. It was no more expensive than the plastic but has been leak free for a couple of years. I just have 2 main drops in my garage and a water trap and drain at the bottom of each. At the mill i have 3 outlets for a universal air hose, mist coolant and power drawbar. On the other side of the shop is just a universal air hose connection. I sloped the horizontal runs toward the drains to prevent condensation puddles in the lines. Once it's built you'll never have to mess with it again.
 
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In my dad's shop I have copper. In my new shop I bought copper over a year ago and still have not installed it. Main issue with copper is that it takes a long time to do and is expensive. Main plus about copper is that it looks great! Also all valves etc. are WAY better quality.

The cheap PA air lines (blue 3/8 or 1/2) are meant for tiny compressors - they do not have air flow capability even close to 1/2" copper. On the plus side they have "gentle bends" and these do not affect the flow as much as rather sharp copper bends. The one that I would need is https://www.princessauto.com/en/50-pc-1-in-x-300-ft-air-line-delivery-kit/product/PA0008881039 that is a good kit and price is not bad now but since I already have copper I may as well use it. Total price of copper on sale was around $300 including connectors and valves. Here on sale it is 150 plus at least another 50 or more for extra connectors - so on sale a bit cheaper. This was no available at this price when I got my copper pipes.

What most pp agree on is not to use steel pipes anymore and not to use PEX. The first one rusts and the later shatters when breached. Given prices of the 1" blue stuff for quick installation it would be a good choice.

Note that I have 5hp compressor that is 2 stage and I can upgrade motor to 7.5hp with same pump continous use plus I can connect another compressor at power between 3.7hp and 5hp. So I can move a LOT of air. For tiny shop price will not matter that much or even time it takes - i.e. choice is between quick blue line that looks ... blue and a bit less quick redish copper that looks cool to me.
 
I used 3/4” copper about 30’, then mounted my air dryer, then used rubber line to transition to 3/4” steel pipe. I ran about 80’ feet of 3/4” steel pipe up by the ceiling with four 1/2” drops down to quick connects. 3 are the larger P fittings and one A fitting. I run Flexzilla hoses from there, I also just made my own A to P adapters, I saw some similar that had a short chunk of hose between the fittings that I thought looked trick.

What I was told by my air compressor guy was the short run of copper let’s the air cool down somewhat and helps condense any water molecules before it hits the air dryer
 
I used a lot of black pipe, easy, cheap, thread it anywhere. Extended a bit with th PA 1/2” blue but you’re right it tends to leak if not cut perfectly square and deburred. Also if you clamp it on wall too close to connections it tends to put a slight bend on the hose in its quick connect and leaks. Otherwise it’s quick to put up and extend air to places you don’t need big air.
 
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This appears to be a nice system, a bit of over-kill but nice. Got this update ad with my compressor.
 
Certainly for commercial applications these systems are very popular as the actual labor costs far exceed most material considerations. Imagine you have 1000s of feet of line to do or like good old factories in Europe where air lines are counted in kilometers.
 
it’s probably way past most of our applications but I thought it was interesting and wanted to share.
 
So, I bought the 100' Princess Auto kit and started installing it. Wouldn't do that again - wishing I'd gone with copper like my first thought was. That blue line is SO STIFF - in about a 14" dia. coil. I had to use a propane torch to heat it and (somewhat) straighten it enough to try to use it. The "cutting tool" that comes with it broke on the 3rd cut. The 3 distribution blocks are a nice idea - some of the NPT tapped holes need to be plugged - some of the plugs in some holes screw right through (and don't seal), not quite sure if the tap went too deep or the plug too small. Total bunch of crap.
 
cuslog said:
So, I bought the 100' Princess Auto kit and started installing it. Wouldn't do that again - wishing I'd gone with copper like my first thought was. That blue line is SO STIFF - in about a 14" dia. coil. I had to use a propane torch to heat it and (somewhat) straighten it enough to try to use it. The "cutting tool" that comes with it broke on the 3rd cut. The 3 distribution blocks are a nice idea - some of the NPT tapped holes need to be plugged - some of the plugs in some holes screw right through (and don't seal), not quite sure if the tap went too deep or the plug too small. Total bunch of crap.
Click to expand...

Take it back for a refund. Sounds like junk.
 
Sorry to hear that but PA is good about taking it back. As a couple of us noted it can be picky and leak so now might be a good time to go with your first choice. Picked up my 15hp compressor today so I will be doing some piping as well. It is larger and 3 phase so doesn't fit in the same spot (old one over 40 years old, 3hp.). but I'm excited because no more problems problems sand blasting or painting or anything.
 
I am going with my current compressor with added pony compressor head if needed - saves on space. This will give me 30cfm total and I can push both pumps harder to go over 40cfm.
 
I'm planning on buying some 1/2" semi rigid pipe that RapidAir sells under their MaxLine series. The only thing I am worried about it straightening out the pipe to install it, and I sure don't plan on buying their $150 USD straightening tool I'll use only once. Does anyone in the Calgary area have a pipe straightening jig I could borrow or buy? I think the OD of the 1/2" MaxLine is 0.68". I wish their rigid aluminum system wasn't so expensive.

Here's a link to the Maxline stuff: https://www.rapidairproducts.com/product-category/maxline
 
Right now I just have the air hose connected straight to the compressor outlet but would like to run a more permanent setup with a couple drops and manifolds at some point. Thing is that I work at a heavy truck shop and we have a number of shorter sections of Eaton SynFlex air brake line that I've been squirreling away. Those and some brass compression fittings will be ideal for my setup. It's spendy to buy new but if you can get access to a junked highway tractor, or have heavy equipment techs as friends, the affordability factor is greatly improved. It's great stuff to work with.
 
Everett said:
Right now I just have the air hose connected straight to the compressor outlet but would like to run a more permanent setup with a couple drops and manifolds at some point. Thing is that I work at a heavy truck shop and we have a number of shorter sections of Eaton SynFlex air brake line that I've been squirreling away. Those and some brass compression fittings will be ideal for my setup. It's spendy to buy new but if you can get access to a junked highway tractor, or have heavy equipment techs as friends, the affordability factor is greatly improved. It's great stuff to work with.
Click to expand...
Only downfall to Synflex is it melts easily, but that’s a great idea!
 
Yup, melts easy. Buddy of mine was pulling under a hot asphalt silo one time when the silo operator bumped the "open" switch when the tractor was still under the hopper doors. about 2 tons of 385 deg. hot mix fell on the sleeper and between sleeper & 5th wheel. Melted every air line on that truck behind the sleeper & the air bags on the front bogies.... caused a bit of hard feelings between driver & the silo operator.
 
I just redid some of my shop in PEX, mainly because I have a extra roll of it sitting around at the farm. It might not be the best, but PEX doesn't "shatter when breached" - you're probably thinking of PVC. PEX is crosslinked polyethylene and fails by kind of bubbling out at a weak point and tearing. Not that I've ever seen it fail besides when exposed to excess pressures for a video! If you're heating Princess plastic line with a torch, I would feel safer with brand new PEX myself.

Air brake line is a great choice, you can buy it at Green Line pretty affordably. Their store brand nylon line is incredibly tough, their push-on fittings are cheap, and we've been using it to plumb valves at work running around 200PSI for years.
 
Your Greenline suggestion is awesome. Never thought of truck brake lines but where else would you want tough, reliable, grease resistant air lines. I checked them out and the quick connect fittings look very good as well. Per is good too although I have only used it for floor heating in shop and some out buildings under low pressure (under 20lbs.)
 
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