Outfitting My Garage: Air-Cooled Xanadu

Xanadu, huh?  You’ll have to get some roller skates!

On the air compressor, it all depends on what you plan to do with it.  I have an older 40 gallon DeVilbis compressor, single-stage, and it has been fine for building my car and everything since.  Using constant flow air tools like an air bar sander or rotary sander really are too much for it.  For something like that a 100+ gallon two-stage is needed but for just futzing around the shop with an impact wrench or air-powered ratchet or air hammer, a 30 - 40 gallon would be fine.  
While I have used my 40 gallon to power a framing nailer and finish nailer when I was finishing my garage/shop, I have a separate compressor for that - a small, 6-gallon portable unit that came as a package with a stapler, brad nailer and finish nailer.  It has come in handy a few times for small jobs away from electricity.

I would recommend an upright version, rather than a horizontal unit, simply because it takes up a lot less floor space.  If you go the upright route and can afford it, then spring for the 60 gallon but beware - Most compressors make a lot of noise when running so if you can locate it outside of the shop, like in a shed out back running hard air lines into the shop, that would be perfect.

If I had it to do over again, I would buy an Eastwood Scroll air compressor "Eastwood.Com" to handle all my air tool needs. They are not noisy and cost around $2,500. My friend has one and it will keep up with a blast cabinet and air tools easily at the same time. Plus you can barely hear it running. No need to put it outside the shop or build a sound proof enclosure. Also it doesn't take up a lot of room and its on wheels. Great piece of equipment.

Thanks, @Gordon Nichols and @Butcher Boy.

@Gordon Nichols You hit the nail on the head (pun intended). I was speaking to Danny the other day and mentioned that I was thinking a soundproof enclosure would be a must. Of course, that means either taking up valuable garage space or potentially dealing with HOA noise complaints; I'm assuming my neighbors will be snobbish and hateful, but I'm hoping they won't be. Still, if @Butcher Boy is correct - and I sincerely hope he is - the 'stealth' compressor would be a perfect solution.

Brand recommendations are very welcome. For hand and power tools, I can't bring myself to stray from Snap-On: the quality is just too good. Regarding Snap-On compressors, however, I've never seen one, heard one, used one, or known anyone who's owned one.

@Butcher Boy I'm assuming you're referencing the Eastwood Elite QST 30/60 Scroll Air Compressor (https://www.eastwood.com/eastw...r-compressor-nv.html).  On sale for $2250!

@JoelP posted:

Thanks, @Gordon Nichols and @Butcher Boy.

@Gordon Nichols You hit the nail on the head (pun intended). I was speaking to Danny the other day and mentioned that I was thinking a soundproof enclosure would be a must. Of course, that means either taking up valuable garage space or potentially dealing with HOA noise complaints; I'm assuming my neighbors will be snobbish and hateful, but I'm hoping they won't be. Still, if @Butcher Boy is correct - and I sincerely hope he is - the 'stealth' compressor would be a perfect solution.

Brand recommendations are very welcome. For hand and power tools, I can't bring myself to stray from Snap-On: the quality is just too good. Regarding Snap-On compressors, however, I've never seen one, heard one, used one, or known anyone who's owned one.

@Butcher Boy I'm assuming you're referencing the Eastwood Elite QST 30/60 Scroll Air Compressor (https://www.eastwood.com/eastw...r-compressor-nv.html).  On sale for $2250!

That would be it !!!

I have a hand-me-down 30 gal upright compressor that I got for almost nothing. It works for me for now, but it has a hard time keeping up with a die grinder or cut off wheel. My friend has one he bought about 4 years ago and it is perfect. It will easily keep up with anything in his shop. When mine dies, I'm getting this Eastwood compressor.

If it were me, I’d eschew a portable compressor and put it close to a 220 outlet. (I’m assuming, like a lot of houses, the laundry room will be close to the garage entrance to the house. Easy LX run from the dryer plug) Then I’d run 3/8” or 1/2” pipe around the periphery of the garage with a T and a coupler every 6’ or so.

I’d also sink a few Hilti fasteners in the floor in a couple of spots to anchor a two-post lift.

I’ve had a Quincy 60 gallon single stage compressor for 20 years.  It is flawless for general air tools and painting cars.  I also have a blasting cabinet, and with this I would like more volume.  My current compressor is rated 13.5 cfm.  For a blasting cabinet, something around 20-25 cfm would be ideal. If I were buying a replacement now, I would look at something like this.

https://www.tptools.com/FS-Cur...0231.html?b=d*103912

While I like the idea of the Eastwood scroll compressor, they are made in China.  I am suspect of the long term reliability and they seem to be hit and miss, reading the reviews.

@Butcher Boy HOLY CRAP! That Eastwood compressor is crazy quiet.
Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCPqNbZ4dlw

Thanks for the reco’. This is going to be hard to beat.

I bought a slightly-used 2 stage compressor like that Curtis for $800. Check industrial auctions in your area. A pro-level compressor will last in home DIY service for 100 years.

@dlearl476 posted:

I bought a slightly-used 2 stage compressor like that Curtis for $800. Check industrial auctions in your area. A pro-level compressor will last in home DIY service for 100 years.

That is an excellent idea.  Just make sure that it is single phase power and not 3 phase. While converting single to 3 phase is possible, it gets expensive for the bigger motors on compressors.

All great advice. We’ve discussed the two-post lift, epoxy floors, and power (220 & 120). Gotta get all other considerations presented at the next design meeting - 21 July. I’m glad I only have to care about the garage. 🥴

@dlearl476 posted:

If it were me, I’d eschew a portable compressor and put it close to a 220 outlet. (I’m assuming, like a lot of houses, the laundry room will be close to the garage entrance to the house. Easy LX run from the dryer plug) Then I’d run 3/8” or 1/2” pipe around the periphery of the garage with a T and a coupler every 6’ or so.

I’d also sink a few Hilti fasteners in the floor in a couple of spots to anchor a two-post lift.

The top paragraph contains good recommendations.

You can't just sink fasteners into existing floor(unless it's 4-post lift). The concrete must be of the proper strength for a two-post lift. Often people must cut sections out and pour some new hi-strength concrete.

You are squarely in my wheelhouse here, my friend. There is very little I like more than designing and building work spaces.

At our current place, I designed the entire house around the dimensions of a Bendpak XPR-10 lift. I was limited by what would fit on a very small, very old small town lot. As we were severely restricted on floor-space, but had a bunch of height, I hung a 2-stage 60-gal Quincy compressor from the ceiling in the corner. If you can't go out, you have to go up.

It was precarious getting it up there by myself (because all the weight is on top), but it's there, and it drives everything I need.

BTW: resist the urge to go "good enough" on an air compressor, which is what you asked about. Get something you can drive a blast cabinet with, or paint a car. You never know.

Also, no matter what you get, get an auto-drain. Nobody remembers to drain their compressor, and for a few bucks some electrons will do it for you.

Nobody ever wished they had a smaller compressor.

@JoelP posted:

All great advice. We’ve discussed the two-post lift, epoxy floors, and power (220 & 120). Gotta get all other considerations presented at the next design meeting - 21 July. I’m glad I only have to care about the garage. 🥴

Regarding the 2-post lift - absolutely do it. Sink piers under where you want to go, and if you are doing in-floor heat, just route the pipes around where the posts will be located.

As far as power- have the electricians bring 100 a of 240 into the garage, and set a 100 a panel. I routed all of the 110 in the wall with romex, and put a double-gang outlet box every 5 or 6 ft or so (keep them 4 ft off the floor), and surface mounted all of the 240 v. On the outlets, no more than 4 boxes per 20a breaker.

Absolutely "yes" on a poly-aspheric floor. Put it down before you install the lift or put down baseboard.

Get a nice pressure washer (I've got a Generac) and parts-washing station (call Safety-Kleen, they'll deliver and set up one for you).

Plan for as many horizontal surfaces as you can fit. If you've only got 4 ft in a certain spot for a bench, put a 4 ft bench in that spot. Buy a good 8" bench grinder and a nice Wilton vice (at least 6"). Undercounter LED ribbons will change your life.

Install at least 2x as many overhead lights as you'll ever think you might need. I have a freaky amount of lights, and I've never regretted it.

Figure out where your rollaway tool stack will go. Build around that.

If you can find the space, get a good wire-feed welder with shielding gas, and get a cart.

You're welcome. Good luck.

Some great tips here- it's amazing what you discover after you move in and set up.  Yeah, electrical plugs and air points everywhere are a given, and take Stan's recommendation of more light than you think you'll ever need seriously.  If your eyes start to degrade as you get older you'll be very thankful! This may seem trivial, but no one has mentioned this- the hp/air cfm rating of the compressor is as (or more, I think) important as the tank volume.  A small compressor with a big tank can work, but will be a pain in the @ss, waiting for it to pump up with tools that use a lot of air if the compressor itself isn't big enough.  Make sure it can drive the tools you have.

For example- having to stop midway through spraying a coat on something for the compressor to pump back up is NOT conducive to getting a nice finish (and took some out of the box thinking to deliver an acceptable finish).  Same thing with a blast cabinet that needs more air than the compressor can provide; stopping every 45 seconds or so to wait for enough air to continue gets frustrating.  If you can, go bigger than you think you'll ever need.

Hope this helps.  Al

Amen. It's all about the CFM/pressure rating. More is more.

@LI-Rick posted:

I’ve had a Quincy 60 gallon single stage compressor for 20 years.  It is flawless for general air tools and painting cars.  I also have a blasting cabinet, and with this I would like more volume.  My current compressor is rated 13.5 cfm.  For a blasting cabinet, something around 20-25 cfm would be ideal. If I were buying a replacement now, I would look at something like this.

https://www.tptools.com/FS-Cur...0231.html?b=d*103912

While I like the idea of the Eastwood scroll compressor, they are made in China.  I am suspect of the long term reliability and they seem to be hit and miss, reading the reviews.

@ALB, maybe you missed this.

@LI-Rick posted:

@ALB, maybe you missed this.

Oooh, yes I did...

That thing puts out a lot of air!

Sometimes you wonder if your kids are paying any attention to you, or just hear "Blah, Blah, Blah, Blaaaaah".....

Apparently, my son was paying attention when I was building my car and saw the limitations of my puny little 40 gallon jobbie, so when he needed his own compressor he watched on Craigslist and one popped pup from a commercial contractor who bought it in a hurry for a big job (lots of pneumatic tools and such) and then sold it for peanuts when the job was done, just to get it gone.  IIRC, Chris' is a 220 volt, 80+ gallon upright with enough capacity to run his wife's sand-blast cabinet and anything else he's got.  He installed it in a storage shed behind his garage where it can't be heard and hard-piped it to the shop.

So if you're not going to spring for that "Mega-Hush 5000" super-quiet one from Eastwood and if you're a few months away from needing it, you could watch Craigslist for a while and see what pops up.

@DannyP posted:

You can't just sink fasteners into existing floor(unless it's 4-post lift). The concrete must be of the proper strength for a two-post lift. Often people must cut sections out and pour some new hi-strength concrete.

AFAIK, Joel is building from scratch. It’s a safe bet his contractor is aware of the requirements for floor anchors.  

LED overhead lights are the way to go super bright and low cost to operate....

High mounted horizontal shelving along the ceiling is a plus too, stuff is out of the way and you still have the work area below it.

@LI-Rick posted:

My current compressor is rated 13.5 cfm.  For a blasting cabinet, something around 20-25 cfm would be ideal.

https://www.tptools.com/FS-Cur...0231.html?b=d*103912

While I like the idea of the Eastwood scroll compressor, they are made in China.  I am suspect of the long term reliability and they seem to be hit and miss, reading the reviews.

My Quincy is a 5 hp 2-stage, rated for about 15 cfm at max pressure (175 psi). The beauty of a 2-stage compressor is that there's no giant drop-off in the amount of air it will produce between 40 psi and max pressure (which is almost always 175 psi). I paid about $1400 for mine, but they are nearer $2000 in these troubled times.

But Rick is right - something that will do about 20 cfm would be much better for blasting - 15 cfm is really borderline with a real cabinet. My cabinet says it uses 12 cfm of air at 90 psi, but it's a lie - it sucks up every bit of air that the pump will make. The Curtis pump Rick linked is a 7-1/2 hp, single phase unit with splash lubrication. It's the biggest splash-lube pump I've ever seen. A pressure lubricated compressor is the cat's meow, but is generally in the $5K neighborhood.

@Gordon Nichols posted:

Sometimes you wonder if your kids are paying any attention to you, or just hear "Blah, Blah, Blah, Blaaaaah".....

Apparently, my son was paying attention...

I know how you feel, Gordon!  When my oldest bought his first car I showed him how to use the compressor to fill tires, making sure he knows to disconnect the hose (it's a small portable with a 2? gallon tank that fits in the corner and you have to bring out to use) and open the drain on the bottom AFTER EVERY TIME HE USES IT. He didn't seem to pay that much attention at the time, but (other than the hose being sometimes just gathered up and thrown on top) I've never found more water in it that I'd suspect he's not bothering so I'd never said anything.  Then, out on a 4wheeling day, talking with someone he worked with at the aquarium shop, the subject of compressors coming up and mentioning the need to drain the tank after use, I'd heard how my son (in no uncertain terms) had taught them at work about compressor use and care.  It was nice to know that he does listen!

FWIW, I had to sell my big compressor when the shop I was renting was sold and I had to move into a 20x40 storage unit.
A few years ago my son rescued an old blast cabinet that the shop he worked at replaced. I converted it to use with my ACE soda blaster and for the little parts that fit into it, my little DeWalt portable works fine for the soda. It wouldn’t have the pressure to blast sand, but for soda it works ok.

@dlearl476 posted:

AFAIK, Joel is building from scratch. It’s a safe bet his contractor is aware of the requirements for floor anchors.  

I'm sure. The thing is, some poor schlepp could read this, install it, then get killed. I try to think of things like that.

@DannyP posted:

I'm sure. The thing is, some poor schlepp could read this, install it, then get killed. I try to think of things like that.

My thoughts more often than not.... We've all seen so many things that have been cobbled or worse.  A Speedster steering shaft with two hose clamps and a green piece of garden hose.... yes it was as purchased and real  !

Boy....   I'm so glad I used a sturdy piece of pool filter hose to replace my crush cage.  No garden hose for ME!  

Wouldn't want people to think I'm "George from Texas" or sumthin'......   🤣

@Gordon Nichols posted:

Wouldn't want people to think I'm "George from Texas" or sumthin'......   🤣

George was just slumming here as a public service to us little people - you know... to show us what was what and how a real man builds a kit-car.

"Y'all have too much money".

George certainly put the "kit" in "kit-car".

George certainly put the "kit" in "kit-car".  ..That is for certain ~

You’se guys are just jealous because you don’t have George’s extraordinary talents for enlightened fabrication.  In George’s eyes, all y’all are just posers (with a small “p”, at that).  

To our forever detriment, George has taken his enormous talents over to the Shop Talk Forums where he can lead others to car building Nirvana.  🧘🏻‍♂️

Thanks to everyone for all the great ideas. There’s no way I would’ve come up with all this great stuff on my own.

Look at it this way, Joel - We're not spending our money, we're spending your money!

Which is a WHOLE lot more fun!