After 35+ years of faithful service the tank on my Campbell Hausfe
Compressor rusted through
Now I'm at a crossroad
The 1 hp motor and compressor are still ready to work. When I did a quick price check for a new tank I found that they bust the price point compared to a whole new compressor
Grrrr...I don't like tossing out servicable goods
A though arced through my head...I'll research more...take a couple of ten gallon LP tanks, put the valves down so that water drainage is easy and plumb into them.
My friend's father was VERY frugal. Air tank rusted through. He welded it. Lasted many more years. It was outside in a shed, so I doubt there was much danger.
Like you I hate to throw things away, but the motor and compressor are 35+ years old and may have a lot of use i.e. wear. Not sure how much use a spare tank would have if the motor and/or compressor gave up the ghost in the next few years.
That's something I thought of right away. My needs for air aren't what they were when I had my tree company. While I've been tanknshopping I've looked at the prices for compressors too. Might be time to downsize and find a use for the 1hp compressor motor
No welding of course
I'm going to look at CL and Offer Up to see if there might a used tanknwith a bad compressor
But then...how do I know the tank is ok?
I just remembered! My brother gave me an endoscope for Christmas. Camera and LED on a long flexible shaft and a simple USB connection. It'll be time
To play proctologist on my air compressor tank! I'll stop now hehehhee
If you live near East TN stop by and I'll give you a spare compressor. 30gal, horizontal tank, 110v, diaphragm compressor, not a high-end compressor, worked fine the last time I tried it 5 years ago. I've been trying to give it away but everyone I know has one.
Same offer if you are passing through LR. Tom, A year or two ago I forgot to unplug my Rollair before going off for the weekend. One of the hoses burst, and it ran until it could run no more. I ended up ordering a new pump which wasn't exactly the same, then spent more time re-running the plumbing than just buying a whole new compressor would have cost when I figured the value of my time into the equation.
I've since bought a 1hp Rollair, which I can lift and take onto a job. Its pretty good, but later another sub came onto a job that I was on with a 1/2hp Senco. It was so quiet, light, and cheap that I bought one of those also.
The one I would give you, is about a 30 gallon oilless, that I would not want to work in the same block with because of the noise. Advice, don't buy one that you are going to hate forever after.
If you keep thin CA glue around the shop. Drill a little larger hole in your leak, then chuck a stick of softwood in a drill, and touch it to a running belt sander while spinning to make a long tapered plug. Insert it into the hole, and clip it off about 1/8 out. Soak with thin CA. After trying a bunch of other methods, I did a temporary repair like this that lasted about 15 years. The cost $0, so you get to keep what you have a while longer, then can spend you money buying another one that is handy in its very portability if you need to take one out to another location.
Don't do like my FIL did. When his tank developed a leak, he ran a self tapping screw into the hole. That, of course, increased the stress around the hole. Fortunately he wasn't close by when the tank blew itself inside out.