Found a 60 gallon compressor tank - Need advice on Pump and Motor

First post here on Practical Machinist.

I'm a all around handy man, worked as a ACE certified auto technician for 5 years a long time ago, I do some very small metal fabrication and wood working. Just kind of an all around handy man type.

That all being said, a fellow neighbor had put a 60 gallon Craftsman Professional air compressor tank out to the curb. It doesn't have a motor or compressor on it, but I grabbed it and took it home.

I have a 26 Gallon Craftsman air compressor but when I'm using my pneumatic tools it runs constantly and in many instances I have to stop my work to wait for it to catch up.

What kind of advice can you all provide on Pump motor and pump?

You can simply add the tank to your compressor to increase the total available volume.

But if your tools require a better pump, I'd look into buying a whole new compressor that produces required CFM and has a sufficiently large tank. But, again, you can always increase its holding capacity with this 60 gal one.

But in any case, you need to know if the tank you found is safe for pressurizing. You may start with asking your neighbor how old his compressor was, how often he used it and drained water from the tank, and why he had thrown it away. The fact that the tank was thrown without the compressor causes serious doubts of its suitability for reuse.

+another on what he said on safety

You could be sitting on a bomb.

Don't believe me? .watch this YouTube

And YouTube

And this YouTube

You could be sitting on a bomb.

Click to expand...

And a proper hydro test to see if ISN'T a bomb just waiting to kill you isn't cheap

I have an 80 gal. in the corner bought new in '85. I don't turn it on anymore. Makes me wonder why I ever had a compressor

I purchased a used tank/motor and used similar to your situation. IIRC, I was told to put a bit of dish soap (and water??) in the tank and look for any pinholes that may bubble out as a sign of tank rot. I am sure this not a definitive way of doing this, but remember it all the same. And yes, it is a gamble, as an air tank going can be be very dangerous.

Mine came with a 5HP (Nameplate) motor, so I just bought a compressing head and pulley. Been running it that way for probably 5 years now.

CFM sizing of your pump/motor is up to you and is addressed, in detail, around the web. If you want to do sandblasting and extended HVLP painting, you will want to be in the 15CFM + category.

If you are running air tools intermittently, 10-15CFM is usually just fine. I can run my DA sander or even intermittent HVLP spraying off of my 12 CFM compressor. (Did I mention this is also a single stage 130PSI compressor, not a dual stage 200 PSI unit). Sandblasting or big paint jobs, I have 25 CFM at my disposal.

Hope that helps.

The neighbor who I took this from is an older woman who is moving out because her husband passed away some time ago. The tank looks to be in like new condition, it's still shiny. And I don't think the Craftsman Professional label has existed for all that long.

I already have it plumbed to the 26 gallon pump and has 60 psi in it, but I wanted to use it as a stand alone compressor.

I appreciate that all of those videos exist, but 2 of the 3 of those were ancient looking tanks and compressor units. I have drained the this tank once it was pressurized and there was not much condensation in it at all.

I guess you all gave me your advice but nobody actually answered my question on what kind of pump/motor would be useful.
A new 60 gallon air compressor is anywhere from $500-$1200. If I can put together a pump and motor for $200--$250 that seems like a good economic solution.

Hoss81 said:

I guess you all gave me your advice but nobody actually answered my question on what kind of pump/motor would be useful.
A new 60 gallon air compressor is anywhere from $500-$1200. If I can put together a pump and motor for $200--$250 that seems like a good economic solution.

Click to expand...

HF is the place for you.....:
5 HP 145 PSI Twin Cylinder Air Compressor Pump

And...:
3 HP Compressor Duty Motor

Do you ever get the feeling you're not getting through ?

Limy Sami said:

so you ever get the feeling you're not getting through ?

Click to expand...

No worries Sami....I'm a good 20 miles form the O-HI-O border....Shrapnel won't go that far....

Unless the old lady has the rest of the compressor in the garage, and its free, its not really worth putting a motor and pump back on that tank, you could buy a complete one cheaper than the parts to build one. Best use would be to connect to existing compressor and just increase your storage capacity.

Does the tank have an ASME tag? If so what is the date? If no tag, its a cheapie import with a thin shell, good for 10 years or till compressor fails, which means you are most likely past safety date. You can diy hydrostat by filling COMPLETELY with water, presurizing to 150% of intended working pressure and see if it holds, any pin hole leaks and it fails. The redneck version of that test is roll it out well clear of homes, people, children, pets, and run a long hose to it, pressurize to 150% of intended pressure and see if she blows, make sure to hand your buddy the beer.

I run my bomb everyday, don't even think twice about it anymore.

This subject has been done to death by me and others on several forums. I watched all three of the above videos, numbers 1 and 2 are fatigue failures caused by the material the tank is made from being too thin, and flexing when the tank fills up, this constant expanding and contracting of the tank causes fatigue cracking in the metal immediately adjacent to the welds, and the metal eventually fails. It was drummed into us at Tech College, that "a good weld never fails, it is always the metal next to the weld that fails", and this can clearly be seen in exaple video1. Example video2 looks like the lengthwise weld at the bottom of the compressor tank has failed where the tank would experience the most flexing force with constant filling and emptying. Example video 3 IS clearly an explosion caused by inflammable gasses, usually vapourised oil building up in the tank and igniting, nothing to do with rust etc. My compressor tank was made in 1949, and the material is 1/2 thick rolled plate, and is tested to 300psi for a working pressure of 150psi. Modern tanks are made from 3/16 steel made, rolled and welded mostly in China and are only tested to 200psi for a wp of 150psi, is it really surprising that they fail? If you want to test a tank, it is very simple, fill it completely with water, and pump water into it with a plumbers test pump up to twice the marked working pressure and leave it at that pressure for at least a couple of hours. If it holds that pressure for a couple of hours, it is safe to use NOW, but how long it will be before it fails depends entirely on the quality of the materials it is made from, and the number of pressure cycles it has completed. My 1949 tank was inspected annually for insurance for at least 10 years, which meant removing the access panels and cleaning the interior so that the inspector could see inside with a torch and a long metal probe. It was in the same condition at the end of the ten year period (some 40 years ago!) as when it was first inspected. I blow it down weekly, and still inspect it myself once a year.

dalmatiangirl61 said:

Unless the old lady has the rest of the compressor in the garage, and its free, its not really worth putting a motor and pump back on that tank, you could buy a complete one cheaper than the parts to build one. Best use would be to connect to existing compressor and just increase your storage capacity.

Click to expand...

Thanks, that's good advice. I'm more worried that I will burn up the crappy compressor pump on the 26 gallon craftsman if I try to fill both tanks routinely.

As Craftsman air compressors are not of the best quality and likely were made in China I highly doubt it has a ASME tag but I will check.

Sounds like I am not as lucky as I thought I was finding the tank. Oh well. Thanks for the input.
Maybe I'll just set the thing out by the curb and let someone else take it.

Just attach a note with a link to this thread for the next lucky guy.

Hoss81 said:

Sounds like I am not as lucky as I thought I was finding the tank. Oh well. Thanks for the input.
Maybe I'll just set the thing out by the curb and let someone else take it.

Click to expand...

PHEW - you had me worried there.

60 gallon tanks make great BBQ pits, I kid you not, in Texas I can sell an old rusty tank faster, and for more money, as a bbq pit project, than as a compressor tank.

Ok I’ll answer your question. Find you a series 30 Ingersol Rand with a good 10 hp motor and it should do all you are expecting from it. And when you plumb it up, don’t worry about a pressure relief cause those are for people that aren’t adventurous. You are welcome.

Limy Sami said:

+another on what he said on safety

You could be sitting on a bomb.

Don't believe me? .watch this YouTube

And YouTube

And this YouTube

Click to expand...

I certainly agree. Used compressor tanks that have outlived their compressors are generally rather old. They often contain rust that may have penetrated the skin of the tank. These can be like a ticking time bomb.

Look at the bottom of the tank for rusty bubbles in the paint where the rust may have penetrated.

If it appears OK, it should still be hydro-tested. My very first job in California was hydro-testing brand new rocket engine lube oil, nitrogen and liquid oxygen tanks. They were filled with water and pressurized to 3 X operating pressure, sometimes as high as 4,000 psi. I never had one blow up but they were new,

Be careful.

Just go buy this quincy for $350 , might even trade him your small one?

Quincy Air Compressor - tools - by owner - sale


Quincy Air Compressor

Comes with Baldor 3 phase, 2hp motor and 110 volt motor. 60 gallon tank, climate control model. Works great. I am selling because I am going to go with something smaller.