Looky What I hauled home today

[Tunnelratt]

I am doing a bit of freelance consulting work for a company that is going to do a small 10/11 million cu/yd grading job, there was an old mining operation on the site as well as structures dating back to the late 40's and there was power up until today in a shop on the site.

I have been wanting a compressor and tank large enough to run all of my air tools without having to wait to catch up, here it is! It's going to the sandblaster this week, fresh coat of paint, check out the compressor, wire up the motor and away we go.

I couldnt get info of the data plate and without doing the math yet, it appears to be 100+ gallons, built in 1958, speedaire compressor and a late model 220# electric motor, and the best part, you ought to see the frigging whistle that was rigged off the tank, I guess it was used as a signal device, the neighbors are gonna LOVE me!

OH, and it was free, just had to disconnect and load from a covered pit about 6' below grade.

Cant wait to use it!

 

[Capt. Jim]

You sure you want to pressurize that 50 year old tank? All the prep/paint on the exterior will do nothing for the years of interior moisture, rust/corrosion that may be in it.

If ya think that whistle is loud, wait to you hear a 100 gallon tank loaded to 200 psi let loose.

My advice, don't use it.

 

[fj40charles]

You sure you want to pressurize that 50 year old tank? All the prep/paint on the exterior will do nothing for the years of interior moisture, rust/corrosion that may be in it.

If ya think that whistle is loud, wait to you hear a 100 gallon tank loaded to 200 psi let loose.

My advice, don't use it.

X2.. Might be good for making a BBQ grill....

 

[wfd175]

X2 on a hydrostatic test prior to use. X3 on the bbq.

 

[Hugh Heifer]

Yep, get it hydroed and visualed like you would a scuba tank before pumping it up.

 

[-Spike-]

Speedaire is good stuff, but that compressor looks undersized for the tank. It probably isn't intended to do more than 125 PSI. That's not to say it won't crank the tank to 500 PSI given a big enough motor. I too would be nervous about the age of the tank, but maybe not as nervous as other folks. Not a bad idea to have it checked if that's possible. Make sure the safety valve(s) work too.

-Spike

 

[KLF]

There is NO WAY I would use that tank. That much volume at 100+ psi stores a LOT of energy, and if it lets go, it's gonna take your whole garage with it.

And that compressor is waaaaay too small.

 

[Tunnelratt]

Chickens! Yeah, It had occured to me that tank is almost as old as me, and even though it was pressurized when I pulled it, I dont think my old hull would hold 200 psi either, for very long, took it to the sandblaster today, he quoted me $200 +-, I said Thanks, it's not worth spending $200 for a clean paint job, I am going to price a Hydro test, it may prove futile to try to use it...Oh well, at least I got a Frigging cool ass brass whistle

 

[Cuerno Largo]

Make a smoker out of it if you don't use it as your compressor. Nice find. Nothing like free. If it passes pressure test then Jasco it and put rustoleum on.

 

[Tunnelratt]

UPDATE! As I dont have a way to look inside the thing I figured I would do some exploratory hammering, so I flipped the tank on it's back and proceeded to hit what should be the approximate flow line in the bottom of the tank, to see if there was indeed any serious rust from the inside, all seemed pretty OK until I hit the bung where the fluid drain is, or should I say, WAS, I knocked a hole in the bottom the size of a silver dollar.
Oh well, at least I didnt spend any cash on the thing or blow a hole in my garage.
So I loaded it back up and hauled it where I got it, I guess I will just spend the dough and get what I want

 

[Mace]

Smoker dude...

Say it with me..
The motor and compressor might be worth somethigng as well..

 

[D'Animal]

Why didn't you make a Bar B Que out of it?

 

[Tunnelratt]

The closest I ever got to a smoker was one of those little electric aluminum box set ups, Dad had one and he would smoke the pheasant and chucker, I would have no idea how to even go about it.....I should have asked if anybody wanted the thing.
Hell, does anybody want it? I could go back and get it I suppose, then figure out how to get it moved around.

Oh, and I did keep the motor and compressor

 

[BooKilla]

Are you close to palm desert? If so, I'll take it for a smokin' BBQ pit.

 

[Tunnelratt]

Nah, 3-4 hour ride, right now no plans to head south from SCV

 

[sk8salomon]

is there an info plate on the tank? most tanks are required to have some sort of max psi rating on them. i spoke to an engineer once about the safety factor built into them and he said 30%.