How to make a compressor from a car pump. Air compressor: do it yourself from the refrigerator. DIY high pressure compressor

What choice of home-useable compressors does the industry currently have to offer? Frankly speaking, the assortment is small, and besides, the proposed samples have a lot of drawbacks, ranging from dimensions and weight to the noise level.

Ready homemade compressor

It turns out that a homemade compressor will be the best solution to the problem with home workshop equipment.

Engine selection

In my opinion, the best choice for a home compressor engine, one can name a unit from a household refrigerator of the Soviet era. Personally, I made myself two home-made compressors with such units, one block was vertical (I don’t know the brand), and the second was from the Yuryuzan refrigerator (horizontally located).

One compressor was designed to power the airbrush, while the other worked with a staple gun. There were no problems with either unit. Many may object that they have little productivity, in my opinion, more is not needed for the house. But during operation, such a device is almost inaudible.

Compressor equipment

In addition to the engine and the pumping unit itself, the compressor also needs other components for normal operation. To make a compressor with our own hands, we need:

• Foundation for the whole structure;
• Air receiver;
• Filters and moisture separator;
• Connecting hoses or tubes;
• Reducer and pressure gauge;
• Starting equipment of the engine;

The design of a homemade compressor

The base, it is also a frame, can have any design and be made of any material at hand.

For example, you can use a sheet of thick plywood or chipboard of the required dimensions as a base, and mark all the components of the compressor so that free access to all its parts is provided.

In principle, the design of the base and its materials are limited only by the imagination of the developer, for example, I had one of the compressors without a frame at all (I will describe below how to do it).

As a receiver, most often resourceful people use old receivers from the KamAZ brake system, very handy thing, there are all the necessary threads for fittings and a valve for draining condensate. Alternatively, you can use an old foam or carbon dioxide fire extinguisher (preferably several in series).

With such a receiver, you will have to work a little - weld the pipes and bushings to connect the rest of the system.
It is best to use industrial-made air filters and a moisture separator, of course, the price is a little expensive (a good kit now costs from 3000), but the quality is worth the money.

It will not work to make an air compressor with your own hands without connecting hoses or tubes. By personal experience I can say that oxygen hoses (from welding) show very good results, the only drawback is a decent mass, and, therefore, it is inconvenient to work with an airbrush, it is better to use a standard spiral hose for it.

Everything is clear with the starting equipment, a standard engine starting relay is used, only a switch is added. It is more convenient to use the foot key, then the hands remain free during operation.

Work on the compressor

I'll tell you how to make a compressor using my example. It began with the fact that I tried to use a small compressor for inflating wheels from those that are commercially available for an airbrush. He was dissatisfied with his performance and set to work.

Took from mother-in-law old refrigerator, took out the unit with wiring from it, threw the rest away. The motor was sanded and repainted with spray paint, then went to the construction market. There I picked up a piece of oxygen hose, purchased suitable clamps and a switch.

After that, he went to his friends in the unit and became the owner of a new KAMAZ receiver. He brought all this good home and began to create a simple design.

In order not to make a frame, I decided to use the receiver as the basis of the entire compressor. To do this, I first cut it out of whatman paper and adjusted it to the place of attachment under the engine and supports for the receiver. After everything was ready, I cut out the parts from 1.5 mm thick steel, bent them and welded them to the receiver. Thus, an analogue of the factory compressor was obtained.

Then everything is simple - I installed a pumping unit on the pillows and connected all the electrics. Then he took up pneumatics, attached a fuel filter from a Zhiguli to the compressor inlet pipe through a piece of hose (subsequently replaced it with a frame soldered from wire, covered with thin foam rubber).

I screwed an adapter for the supply hose into the threaded bushing of the receiver and connected it to the pump outlet pipe, a dehumidifier unit with a gearbox and a pressure gauge, to which a gas valve with a connector for connecting the airbrush hose, was screwed into the opposite bushing. I tried it - everything works great, no complaints.

A little advice for those who are going to make a compressor from the refrigerator with their own hands - turn on a check valve between the compressor and the receiver, the load on the motor will be significantly reduced.

Air compressor is a device that sprays paint. It is commonly used in workshops and garages for car painting or wheel inflation. You can buy such equipment in a specialized store or make it yourself. Unlike factory models, DIY equipment can be more efficient and last much longer. In addition, in terms of financial costs, self-production will be cheaper.

Using an accessory from a car, you can make a compressor of a simple design. This is a finished electrical appliance - wheel inflation machine. The compressor has two positive properties:

• Power. The device is able to create high pressure up to 5-6 atmospheres, without unnecessary load on the engine. This is the main advantage automotive devices. But it will take about 10 minutes to pump the wheels. Therefore, work is done intermittently, otherwise cheap devices may overheat during this time. The reason is the low performance of automotive compressors.
• Performance. For a unit of time, the device is able to give out air quickly and in large quantities. Thanks to the high performance, the container fills up faster, and the direct use of compressed air makes the flow from the nozzle stronger.

High-speed engine and a device with a volumetric piston system will help to combine power and performance. In order for the equipment not to stop during overheating, it is necessary to create additional cooling of the cylinders. Sometimes turbines are used for the working unit. In everyday life for frequent use simple apparatus do not resort because of their high cost. In order not to choose between power and performance, use a receiver.

The receiver is a storage tank. For industrial appliances a steel cylinder is used as a receiver. A fairly powerful, but not very productive compressor slowly fills the tank. In a short period of time, a volumetric air flow can be supplied from the receiver, but only when sufficient pressure appears. After supplying air, it must restore pressure. All devices work on this principle. For a compressor with low power, an electric motor from a toy is suitable. Such a device is often used to supply air to an aquarium.

Functional homemade compressor

Unlike devices that are made of car accessories, the compressor from the refrigerator runs continuously. This is due to good power and performance. In addition, the quality is not worse than the factory models. And if it is possible to get components for free, then it will take a minimum of funds to manufacture such a device. The device is designed for painting and blowing, tire fitting works, perfectly ensures the operation of pneumatic tools. For the manufacture of a compressor for voltage 220 V you will need the following details:

1. Motor-compressor from an old refrigerator.
2. Tees, oil filling tube, hoses, fittings, pneumo inlets.
3. Reducer that will monitor the pressure.
4. Two manometers.
5. Receiver. For this, a fire extinguisher or gas bottle, which must be completely empty. You can weld a homemade container made of sheet iron and a thick pipe.
6. Air filter.
7. Oil.
8. Emergency valve.
9. Start relay and pressure switch.
10. Paint for metal.
11. Fum tape, hacksaw and motor oil.
12. Key and syringe.

The assembly of the compressor consists of several stages:

High Power Compressor

If the previous version of the compressor is not powerful enough for you, then there are devices with more high pressure and high performance. An internal combustion engine is used here as a compressor, the crankshaft of which begins to work not from the combustion of fuel, but from the reverse process. At the same time, the piston group of the apparatus has a large margin of safety. An electric motor with a power of 3 kW or more is used as a drive, which can be purchased at a low cost. Or use a working motor by removing the ignition and intake system, exhaust, starter group and gearbox.

This device is capable of creating pressure with a force of 10 atmospheres. Very noisy.

Medium Power Air Compressor

From a gas bottle or fire extinguisher an air compressor of medium power is being created. To do this, they connect an old fire extinguisher (cylinder) and a powerful auto-compressor for pumping wheels. At self-manufacturing device, the following rules must be observed:

• A container with mechanical damage and corrosive deposits must not be used.
• The design must be well fixed.
• Be sure to make a steel crate. This is necessary if the receiver accidentally breaks.
• It is necessary to provide for a pressure reserve. If you plan to increase the pressure to 5 atmospheres, then its strength should be from 10 atmospheres.
• In order for the compressor to automatically turn off when the pressure reaches its maximum, an emergency shutdown sensor is installed. Or you should install a mechanical valve that, if necessary, will make an emergency pressure relief.
• Do not leave the high-pressure apparatus for a long time if it is used in rare cases. To maintain tightness, 0.5 atmospheres is enough.

Do not neglect safety: do not forget about the installation of emergency sensors. An inflated wheel will simply burst, and if a steel cylinder explodes, you can get severe injuries.

Making a compressor with your own hands is easy. Its design can be simple or complex, the main thing is what it is intended for and how much money you are willing to spend on its manufacture. But do not forget that the device must meet the requirements of technical safety.

Conduct high-quality painting cars in garage conditions is possible. To do this, you need to arrange a convenient spray booth, as well as equip essential tool. Buying expensive equipment for many car owners can not afford, so you have to make a compressor for painting a car with your own hands. This operation is much cheaper.

For the competent manufacture of this device, you will need to familiarize yourself with the theoretical part. Thanks to this preparation, in the process of subsequent work, it will be possible to avoid the appearance of graininess, shagreen or dust particles mixed with paint on the painted surface.

The operation of almost any compressor, factory or home-made, is based on the same principle. An increased pressure is formed in the sealed cavity, which is higher than atmospheric pressure, and then it is directed and dosed.

For injection, a mechanical or manual way. In the second case, energy savings are obtained, as well as independence from the presence of nearby working area power supply points. In the case of automatic air supply to the working cylinder, it will be necessary to control the presence of oil for the air compressor.

Before you make a compressor for painting a car yourself, let's prepare the tools. There is a way in which the working element is a car camera. To do this, select the components according to the list:

• working chamber from a car or truck;
• a pump with a built-in pressure gauge for pressurizing;
• additional nipple for the camera;
• hard awl;
• camera repair kit.

We first check the tightness of the selected chamber. To do this, it is pumped up and lowered into the water. If leaks are found, be sure to get rid of them.

We mark in the free space the point where the installation of the second nipple is supposed. In this place we make a hole with an awl. The fitting must be glued using a repair kit. Through it, a uniform air supply will be ensured.

The initial nipple built into the chamber is necessary to maintain the working pressure at the required level. The performance of the installation is determined by the final result. When the paint is evenly distributed, this indicates correct assembly and sufficient pressure in the container. The pressure gauge built into the pump will help you choose the right parameter.

When such a home-made compressor for painting a car is working, you should try to prevent moisture and small debris from getting inside the cavity. This will ensure maximum cleanliness of the painted surface. It is also desirable to prevent condensation inside the chamber.

advanced compressor

With proper assembly and regular maintenance of the device, a home-made compressor can last much longer than the factory one. With all this, it is unlimited in repair parts, and can also be improved and refined from time to time.

The basis for a more progressive model are the elements of the old refrigerator:

• receiver for compressor;
• pressure gauge 10 atm;
• a relay that provides pressure control inside the compressor;
• adapters with pipe thread;
• gasoline cleaning filter;
• a reducer with the filter protected from moisture and oil;
• water cross with ¾ inch thread;
• electric motor for compressor operation;
• hydraulic hose clamps;
• semi-synthetic oil;
• oil resistant hose;
• copper pipes;
• medical syringe;
• wooden plate;
• rust remover;
• power system filter;
• hardware elements;
• furniture wheels;
• sealant, sealing tape;
• a small file or saw for metal;
• electric switch (220 V).

The advantage of earlier models of refrigerators is the presence of a starting relay. Also positive is the rather powerful pressure that the compressor develops. Using a rust converter, we clean the problem areas on the body and working elements of the unit being prepared.

It is advisable to carry out a small maintenance of the compressor, replacing the oil in it with a semi-synthetic one. Modern oils contain a sufficient amount of additives to ensure long compressor operation. Its design has three nozzles, one of which is hermetically sealed. In the other two, air circulation will be carried out. To determine the direction of flow, you will need to connect the device to the mains.

The sealed pipe hides half the oil. Having bitten off with wire cutters or sawed off its end with a needle file so that the chips do not get inside the cavity, carefully drain the liquid into the prepared container. This is how we define required amount replacement oils. It must be infused with a syringe of the same volume that was removed through the tube.

After topping up, we plug the hole with a screw or self-tapping screw wrapped around the thread sealing tape. Now begins the installation of the entire structure on wooden base or a welded frame from a building profile. Compressors from refrigerators are quite sensitive to position in space. To determine it, there is a special arrow on the case. The correct operation of the entire node depends on this.

A regular foam or powder fire extinguisher is suitable as a container for air. It is advisable to select it so that the cavity is at least 10 ... 12 liters. Usually they are tested to withstand pressure up to 15 ... 20 MPa. To release the cavity, we unscrew the adapter with the locking and starting device.

If areas with corrosion are found on the surface, then it is necessary to eliminate them., preventing the spread of rust, which can lead to through damage. Such phenomena are unacceptable, as they contribute to the depressurization of the container.

A rust converter can be poured inside the cavity and shaken well, then poured and dried. Outside, we fix the water cross.

General installation of the structure

The most convenient option would be the location of all parts on a wooden base. For installation, drilling holes and fixing the elements with bolts and nuts are used. You can also use a sheet of plywood, to which everything is easily attached with self-tapping screws. 360 movable wheels are installed on the bottom plate or frame for greater mobility.

Gasoline filters will help provide sufficient protection against the ingress of fine dirt or moisture. coarse cleaning. They are usually mounted on the side of the air intake. An inlet tube is placed on this side, which can be held even without clamps, since there is no high pressure.

On the outlet side, you will also need to install a protective filter that will protect the air flow from moisture and oil particles from the compressor. Fuel filters are used as such a blocker. Without clamps, such a knot will not stand.

We will mount an adjusting relay, as well as a pressure gauge to control the pressure, into the output cross. We connect the free plug to the gearbox. Using the relay, it will be possible to adjust the pressure height range in the receiver.

PM5 (RDM5) is used as an actuator. It was originally used in plumbing systems, but since it is a two-pin switch, it will work in our case. One contact goes to the connection with the supercharger, and the second to the “zero” of the 220 V network.

Using the toggle switch, we connect the phase of the network. It will help you quickly, if necessary, turn off the power supply, so as not to run to the outlet for this.

Pressure monitoring

Having collected all the elements together, we need to check the performance of the mechanism. To do this, we connect the device to the mains, and set the relay to the minimum pressure supply. We monitor the pressure gauge readings during system operation.

After checking the relay, you will need to identify possible places of loss of tightness. For this operation, a prepared soap solution is used. It is made thick in the form of gruel. We coat problem areas with a solution on a running compressor. If air bubbles appear, then seal the leak.

During a possible drop in pressure to critical values, you can install additional air pumping with the compressor turned on. After receiving positive results during the test, you can.

Satisfactory pressure for the operation of the system is selected empirically. In this situation, it is necessary to choose the settings so that everything happens at the minimum values ​​​​of the blower drawdown. With this design, you can paint any surface.

Budget compressor option

Building a paint compressor can be quite economical. It can also be based on elements from an old refrigerator, and any airtight cavity is usually used for a container with air:

• Produced oxygen cylinder. It is able to withstand high pressure parameters, but has the disadvantage of a large mass.
• propane tank. It has the same positive qualities as oxygen.
• Fire extinguisher. Models with a volume of 10 liters or more are suitable, as they have a better ability to tolerate high pressure. However, at the exit they have a metric thread.
• Hydraulic accumulator. The cavity has a good volume with sufficient working pressure. Requires some modifications to get rid of the membrane and metric threads.

At the next stage, we combine the receiver with the compressor. It is necessary to provide for maximum compatibility of connectors for connecting a relay capable of turning off the compressor at the right time. You can also use RDM-5.

The pressure gauge is selected with maximum values ​​​​at the level of 10 atm. We select fittings, tees or corners with an inch thread. This will facilitate assembly and ensure maximum air passage through the channels. To accommodate the structure, the use of chipboard is allowed.

As a result, the list of necessary elements will be in the following configuration:

• Prepared compressor;
• Receiver for distribution of air flows;
• Pressure switch connected to the network;
• Pressure gauge up to 10 atm;
• Filter reducer;
• Emergency release valve;
• Transitional threaded elements;
• Sealing elements (tape, paste, etc.);
• Wiring, plugs and on/off elements;
• Hose protecting against moisture and oil;
• Particle board;
• Hardware elements, wheels, gaskets.

If you are afraid of the number of spare parts and the complexity of manufacturing, you can always purchase an inexpensive factory-made compressor.

Mounting the receiver in the form of a hydraulic accumulator will be the easiest, as it is already equipped with the necessary brackets. They can also be used to mount the compressor from above. Get a two-tier design.

As fasteners, it is desirable to use bolts with hooks, passed through pre-drilled holes. This will provide greater structural stability.

It will be possible to reduce the influence of vibrations with the presence of rubber / silicone gaskets used as damping.

With the help of prepared flexible tubes we carry out the connection of the compressor output and the input to the receiver. Be sure to put protective mechanisms in the form of filters. Power is supplied to the switch and relay. The structure must be grounded.

I have been dreaming of buying a compressor for two years now. A very useful device for a wide variety of jobs in the garage: pumping wheels, painting with a gun, blowing engine parts, and so on. On average, a simple compressor costs 10 thousand rubles, a home-made one cost 300 rubles, plus a bunch of rubbish that was lying around at home. An old compressor from a refrigerator, a gas cylinder, a pressure gauge 10 BAR, angles and tees from brass, plugs for them, metal nipples with threads from moped chambers, clamps, washers.

For manufacturing, I used a compressor from a cylindrical refrigerator installed horizontally. It has a capacity of 10 l / min, which is very small compared to industrial ones, but I don’t need to, say, bleed air at a low pressure of 3 Bar for 5-10 seconds, when the pressure in the receiver (I’ll talk about it later) is 8-9 Bar.

For the receiver, I take a 50l gas cylinder. He drained all the gasoline from him ahead of time. I tried to spin the crane, but no matter what methods I used, the crane did not succumb.

Since the cylinder valve has a left-hand thread, I decided to make a 3/4-inch adapter with a right-hand thread. I took a high pressure hose and two adapters from 3/4 to 10mm with left and right threads. It turned out such an adapter

I assembled a simple splitter from tees and corners and made a trial inclusion.

In 45 minutes, the cylinder gained pressure of almost 9 bar, with a receiver volume of 50L, this is approximately 430L of air

He scored a couple of times, and then lowered the cylinder upside down to remove the remnants of gas and gasoline, after which he set about a thorough assembly. The position of the cylinder is horizontal, I welded the compressor mount on top and installed all the wiring with a pressure gauge. I fixed the scheme on clips mounted on nails welded to the cylinder by welding. The compressor with the circuit was connected with a hose, fastened to the clamps

I drilled a hole in the plug, inserted a nipple into it and put a rubber gasket on top. I clamped the plug onto the tap, two tees in a row to the tap: one outlet to the receiver, the other to the pressure gauge. Then I wound a corner, a coarse filter to the corner, a coupling to the filter and the same plug as on the other side.

The filter had to be installed so that the oil that the compressor squeezes out settles and does not fall into the receiver and tubes.

It remains the case for small, weld the legs and paint everything in one color. One leg in front, two in back. All legs are the remains of a corner

I didn’t set the machine to turn off until there is money to buy it. For the same reason, I did not install a pressure regulator. How will the money finish, but for now enough and so.

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With uv. Admin check

A homemade compressor from the refrigerator is most often used in tandem with an airbrush or spray gun, as it works almost silently, takes up little space and creates sufficient air pressure. It is also suitable for inflating the wheels of the car. Next, we will tell you how to make a compressor with your own hands.

Materials and tools for a homemade refrigerator compressor

Compressor. The motor from the old refrigerator is called the compressor, it is the central element of our product. You can see how it looks in the photo: details different models may differ, but are generally similar to each other. The compressor is supplied with a start relay (a black box attached to the side), from which a power cord with a plug comes out.

Receiver. The container into which air will be pumped by the compressor. Options are possible here: any tightly closed container with a volume of 3 to 10 liters made of iron or plastic is suitable. It can be an empty fire extinguisher, small tanks, various receivers from trucks, canisters from construction fluids.

Hoses. You will need three pieces of hose. Two are 10 cm long and one is 30-70 cm, depending on the shape of the receiver and the intended fastening. It is convenient to use fuel hoses in a car, as they will connect to car filters.

You will also need one hose or tube to connect the finished home-made compressor from the refrigerator to the air consumer itself. Here the length, the material depends on the specific needs. If you will be using the compressor with the airbrush, any thin polyvinyl hose (or the one that came with the airbrush) will do. When using the compressor outdoors, it is better to look for a thicker hose.

• Clamps. 5 pieces, size 16 or 20 mm.
• Tubes. Two pieces - copper or iron, with a diameter of 6 mm or others - the main thing is that the hoses fit.
• One is 10 cm long, the second is 20-50, depending on the size of the receiver, more details below.
• Automotive fuel filters. One petrol and one diesel.
• Manometer (optional).
• Epoxy resin if a plastic receiver is used.
• Piece wooden board(the basis). The size depends on the size of the receiver and the motor. They should be placed side by side on the board.
• Steel tape or wire. Needed to secure the receiver.
• Wood screws.

Tools:

• sharp knife
• Screwdriver
• Drill
• Pliers.
• Metal file (optional).

How to make a compressor with your own hands

Now directly about how to make a compressor with your own hands.

Three tubes come out of the compressor from the refrigerator: two open and one short, sealed. Plug the compressor into a power outlet and run your finger near the outlets of the tubes. The one from which air blows will be the exit, and the one that draws in will be the entrance. Remember which one is which, and unplug the compressor from the outlet. Cut two tubes with a metal file, leaving 10 cm or more to make it convenient to connect the hoses. You can bite off with pliers, but you need to make sure that the sawdust does not get inside the tubes. Next, we mount the compressor on the base board, screwing the legs with self-tapping screws (you can use bolts, it’s more reliable). Important: we fix the compressor in the same position in which it was fixed in the refrigerator. The fact is that the starting relay on the motor works due to the forces of gravity, on the relay case there is an arrow pointing up. Having fixed the compressor, we pass to the receiver.

We make a receiver. Option if you have a plastic container. We drill two holes in the lid for our tubes. We insert them there, as shown in the figure, and fasten epoxy resin. From above we leave the ends 2-4 cm long. Now about the length of the tubes. Short (10 cm) will be the day off. The second will be the input, we make it as large as possible so that it does not reach a few centimeters to the bottom of the receiver. This is done in order to space the inlet and outlet holes inside the receiver as much as possible for greater air mixing.

If you have an iron receiver, we do the same, but do not glue the tubes, but solder or weld them. You can also weld the nuts, and then screw the fittings under the hoses into them.

The pressure gauge can only be installed in a metal receiver. To do this, we drill in any convenient location there is a hole on the receiver and solder a pressure gauge in it. A more preferable option: we weld a nut onto the hole and screw the pressure gauge into the nut already. So in case of failure of the pressure gauge, you can easily replace it.

Now we take a piece of hose (10 cm) and put it on the gasoline filter. If you use hoses for gasoline, then there should be no problems, if you use polyvinyl pipes, you may have to heat it with a match or hold it in boiling water so that it fits on the filter fitting. We put the other end of the hose on the compressor inlet tube. This inlet filter is needed to filter out dust. Here, the use of clamps on the joints is not necessary, since there is no pressure here.

We take the second piece of hose and connect it to the outlet tube on the compressor with the inlet on the receiver. We put clamps at the junctions.

Now we put the third piece of the hose (10 cm) with one end on the outlet tube of the receiver, and put the other end on the diesel filter. We put on clamps. An arrow is drawn on the filters (diesel and gasoline), indicating the correct direction of movement through the air filter. Connect both filters correctly. The diesel filter at the outlet is needed to filter water from the air.

We put our working hose on the outlet fitting of the diesel filter, which goes directly to the airbrush, spray gun, etc.

On the underside of the base board, we fasten rubber legs or glue felt pads for furniture. If this is not done, the compressor may scratch the floor during operation - it vibrates. The level of vibration and noise depends on the model of the refrigerator compressor you have obtained. Motors from imported refrigerators are almost inaudible, Soviet ones are also quiet, but there are exceptions.

The pressure generated also depends on the model. Ancient motors are more powerful. Most Soviet compressors are capable of pumping pressure up to 2-2.5 bar. The compressor in the photo creates a pressure of 3.5 bar.

Maintenance of a homemade compressor from the refrigerator

Compressor maintenance consists of changing both filters regularly and draining the collected oil in the receiver. But the main factor affecting the life of the compressor is the frequency of oil changes. The first time it is better to change it before assembling the compressor. There is a third sealed tube on the motor. We cut off the soldered end from it and drain the oil from it by turning the motor over. It will pour out about a glass of oil. Now, with a syringe, fill in fresh engine oil through the same tube, a little more than the amount that was drained.

After, in order not to solder the drain tube, we twist the bolt into it right size. At the next oil change, just unscrew the bolt.