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RE: Maintenance

To: "'Shop-Talk'" <shop-talk@autox.team.net>
Subject: RE: Maintenance
From: Vin Marshall <vlm@te-motorworks.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2006 09:13:55 -0500
I have a 1960's IR Type 30 which came into my possession a few years
ago.  The compressor had been out of service for some time and I wanted
to either test or replace the tank prior to putting it back into
service.  I weighed the time involved in doing it myself and the cost of
paying a company to test it against the relatively low cost of a new
tank and decided that the quickest and easiest solution was to simply
purchase a new tank.    

Paying someone else to test the existing tank looked like it would be
equal to or greater than the cost of a new tank - if I could even find
someone to do it.  Testing it myself would have made a (small) mess and
eaten up half a day when all was said and done.  

My new tank cost ~ $400 if I recall correctly.   If you keep your eyes
out, you can probably find a tank from a burned up oil-less compressor
for free.  I've given away two of those myself in the past year (my
friend's dead things seem often to make their way into my shop whereupon
I quickly call the scrap man when their backs are turned).

McMaster has a variety of replacement compressed air tanks.  The only
real hassle is that some re-plumbing will probably be required.  I
believe Grainger also sells compressed air tanks.

That's my 2 cents.  Pressure vessel failure is a bad situation.

-Vin

> 
> You might try checking with a friendly dive shop.  There are rules that's 
> require visual testing fairly often (yearly?) and hydro testing every xx
> years (10?).  Probably don't want to test at full scuba tank pressures
> though.  I know my compressor tank won't handle 3000 PSI.



-- 
T.E. Motorworks, Inc.
Post Industrial Laboratory
215.426.1447




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