[Shop-talk] air line dryers

[Randall]

> I am looking for recommendations for affordable line dryers. 

The problem with pretty much any affordable dryer is that it can only remove
the water that is liquid at the dryer.  Once it gets warm from the
compressor, water is still going to condense in the hose between the dryer
and your tool (or in the tool).

One solution to that is to add your own "refrigerator" before the dryer;
which can be as simple as a coil of copper tubing immersed in a 5 gallon
"pickle bucket" filled with ice.

Or what I'm using is just 50' or so of 3/4" cast iron pipe between the
compressor & dryer, with a little bit of slope so the water runs back
towards a "dirt leg" near the compressor.  I'm planning to add an automated
drain, but as yet there's not been enough water to worry about.

Randall