Air Compressor ID and possible uses?

Chelonian · Oct 11, 2018

Hi, A while ago I saw this air compressor for free, and couldn't resist taking it home and restoring it. It was in what looked to be a really bad condition when I got it (hence the reason it was free) but it did clean up rather nicely in the end and now runs very well. Is this something someone made themselves, or do you think it was sold as a product? There are no markings on the piece, and it's all aluminum exept for the compression cylander, which is steel.

Also, what could it have been used for? It doesn't produce a whole lot of air, and it has a strange three-way splitter on the air output. If there are any other photo angles that would be helpful, I'd be happy to get them for you.

Thanks!

JohnEvans · Oct 11, 2018

Shop built one off for sure. Probably the only person that knows the whats and whys is the original builder.

Bobw · Oct 11, 2018

JohnEvans said:
Shop built one off for sure. Probably the only person that knows the whats and whys is the original builder.

High school shop project would be my guess... Or a home shop guy getting his rocks off...

I love stuff like that.. I'd pick that up at a flea market for $20 in a second, and put it
on my pile of interesting machine related things. I probably wouldn't even ever try to use it.

Newman109 · Oct 11, 2018

It could be shop built as mentioned. It would probably work for an air brush.

BobRenz · Oct 11, 2018

I'd go along with it being a High school shop project.

DDoug · Oct 11, 2018

"Table Lamp"

Try the losasso.com — Servers machinist "happy site"

dkmc · Oct 11, 2018

Chelonian said:
Also, what could it have been used for? It doesn't produce a whole lot of air,

It's kinda small, prolly couldn't even give someone a half decent blow job with it.

john.k · Oct 11, 2018

Looks like fish tank aerator.For a large fish tank...

magneticanomaly · Oct 11, 2018

Is there another bearing between the crank throw and the pulley? How is the cylinder lubricated?

Bill D · Oct 11, 2018

Is the bearing block a casting? It looks similar to a steam engine kit my dad machined and assembled in the 1940's? On his the vertical cylinder pivoted to open and close the valves.

Chelonian · Oct 12, 2018

magneticanomaly said:
Is there another bearing between the crank throw and the pulley? How is the cylinder lubricated?

Yes, there is another bearing on the other side of the pulley. The cylinder had nothing in it when I got it, so I just put a thin coating of oil on the running surface.

Chelonian · Oct 12, 2018

Bill D said:
Is the bearing block a casting? It looks similar to a steam engine kit my dad machined and assembled in the 1940's? On his the vertical cylinder pivoted to open and close the valves.

If I'm looking at the right thing, I'm pretty sure its machined like all the other parts.

metalmagpie · Oct 13, 2018

Supply for running model engines?

Bill D · Oct 13, 2018

Could it be a design by Gingery who had plans to make your own lathe etc?

true temper · Oct 13, 2018

It’s properly not, but the main bearing looks like an extrusion to me.

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Air Compressor ID and possible uses?

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