On Sat, 26 Sep 2009 19:27:28 -0400, Nate Nagel
wrote:

Pete C. wrote:
Nate Nagel wrote:
subject says all, I was given an old air compressor minus the compressor
and motor - would like to use it as a portable compressed air tank.
McMaster-Carr sells schraeder valve to NPT fittings for cheap, but don't
I need some kind of pop off valve to make this legit? Also will a
standard radiator petcock suffice as a drain valve or do I need
something more substantial? I guess my lack of finding the pop off
valve on a quick web search (maybe I'm not using the right keywords?) is
keeping me from hacking this together.

For little more than the cost of the fittings, fill valve, safety relief
valve, etc. to put it together, you can buy a complete new portable air
tank from Harbor Freight in your choice of 5-10 gal sizes and in either
steel or aluminum.

But his is quality and HF may be lo-quality. (Note that I spelled it
lo and not low, so I can't be accused of libeling them.)

shipping is a b*tch though. The fill valve is something like $5, and I
probably have most of the fittings laying around, I just need to find a
source for the relief valve. Plus, it offends me to throw out a bit of
useful kit and then turn around and buy the exact same thing.

Me too. Good for you.

As to the drain, look at some of the compressors with tanks in the
store. Mine by the famous hyphenated brand I forget the name of is so
small they call it an air pump or something, but it has a tank bigger
than a football and I think it indeed uses a radiator petcock. But I
haven't looked at it for a couple years.

I was going to buy one last year when I ended up with a bunch of Sears
gift cards after Xmas (it's like people think I'm a tool junkie or
something I guess) but my local Sears didn't have any. Nearest HF store
is something like 50 miles away, not worth it for an air tank.

nate