A quiet compressor

[spennie]

desperately seeking a quiet compressor . We have neighbours upstairs in our new premises and need to find a fairly quiet compressor for the unsociable hours . Any heads up 

[Kerry Beal]

What are you running off it?

[AlaMoi]

this:

 

https://www.rockler.com/eagle-ea-2000-1-gallon-silent-series-air-compressor

 

have one - whisper quiet.

[spennie]

1 hour ago, Kerry Beal said:

What are you running off it?

i need a whole new set up . Im looking to produce a higher output of molds . So im looking at the HVLP Gun . However i see the fuji appears to be very loud 

 

[Kerry Beal]

Just now, spennie said:

i need a whole new set up . Im looking to produce a higher output of molds . So im looking at the HVLP Gun . However i see the fuji appears to be very loud 

 

Ok - so the one I'm thinking of will not run an HVLP gun

[spennie]

3 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Ok - so the one I'm thinking of will not run an HVLP gun

 

I want to be able to paint a large amount of molds and cover alot of the area of the mold in one foul swoop 

 

[Tri2Cook]

I don't have any real need for quiet but I'm thinking seriously about mounting my compressor in the basement and running the air line up through the floor behind one of my work tables just to significantly reduce the noise for myself. But that may not be an option for where you are.

[spennie]

14 minutes ago, Tri2Cook said:

I don't have any real need for quiet but I'm thinking seriously about mounting my compressor in the basement and running the air line up through the floor behind one of my work tables just to significantly reduce the noise for myself. But that may not be an option for where you are.

i have seen sound proof casing but do not know what they are like

[Jim D.]

I have a 2HP compressor. It runs a Grex airbrush fine, but struggles with a small HVLP gun. You are unlikely to find anything quiet with enough power. There is a whole discussion of this very issue. I think that is in this thread, but there are several others dealing with a "quiet compressor." If you have not read through all of those relevant threads, then you are missing out on information that others have already researched and posted about.

[teonzo]

If you want a silent compressor then you need to search for one that is based on an endless screw and not on a piston. I can't suggest you models, since I used only local producers. If you go to an hardware store and ask for infos on compressors based on endless screws then you should be able to find the correct choice for you.

For high production volume a side tank is suggested.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[Jim D.]

15 minutes ago, teonzo said:

If you want a silent compressor then you need to search for one that is based on an endless screw and not on a piston. I can't suggest you models, since I used only local producers. If you go to an hardware store and ask for infos on compressors based on endless screws then you should be able to find the correct choice for you.

For high production volume a side tank is suggested.

Teo

 

 

I had not heard of those previously. They sound great--except for their price, which, on the site I checked, begins around $4,000 (US), and their weight (about 900 lbs.).

[teonzo]

Those are the industrial ones, there should be also the portable ones for much less money (around 300-500 euro if my memory is right).

To solve the problem of loosing pressure after few molds the best solution is coupling the compressor with a side tank. It will take much longer for the compressor to reach maximum pressure, but the air reserve will be much bigger, so it's possible to spray a good amount of molds in a row. In an industrial setting there are all the pipes acting as added tank: you want a big volume of compressed air ready for use, so the pressure fluctuations are small.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[Louise nadine brill]

I’ve just been through this myself. After much internet research and trawling of egullet forums I went with a California Air Tools Ultra Quiet 5.5 gallon. I suffer from migraines and noise sensitivity so it was vital that i have something I could stand the noise level of. I’ve run it a few times and the noise level is surprisingly low - just 60 decibels. They have twin tank options which i would have preferred but for the price. On advice of egullet and @Jim D. in particular - I knew i needed at least 1HP and a reasonably sized tank. This will not handle HVLP - its a big price jump to get to that level but from what i have researched (again - thank you egullet!) a good LVLP gun can handle/ compressor combo is sufficient for a small business. I don't know why, but it’s harder to find LVLP mini guns than HVLP. This is the one i bought..

[spennie]

On 8/27/2019 at 7:50 AM, Louise nadine brill said:

I’ve just been through this myself. After much internet research and trawling of egullet forums I went with a California Air Tools Ultra Quiet 5.5 gallon. I suffer from migraines and noise sensitivity so it was vital that i have something I could stand the noise level of. I’ve run it a few times and the noise level is surprisingly low - just 60 decibels. They have twin tank options which i would have preferred but for the price. On advice of egullet and @Jim D. in particular - I knew i needed at least 1HP and a reasonably sized tank. This will not handle HVLP - its a big price jump to get to that level but from what i have researched (again - thank you egullet!) a good LVLP gun can handle/ compressor combo is sufficient for a small business. I don't know why, but it’s harder to find LVLP mini guns than HVLP. This is the one i bought..

How many molds could you get through in a session 

 

[spennie]

https://www.airsupplies.co.uk/bambi-pt50d-oil-free-air-compressor . Im currently looking at this one but still not sure if it will do the job 

[Jim D.]

2 hours ago, spennie said:

https://www.airsupplies.co.uk/bambi-pt50d-oil-free-air-compressor . Im currently looking at this one but still not sure if it will do the job 

 

 I would say that depends on what you plan to use it for. At 1.5 HP it should handle an airbrush, but not an HVLP gun. If you are considering purchasing with an eye toward future needs (a constant theme with confectioners--considering the numerous eGullet mentions of equipment we all have that we have "outgrown"), I would try to get a more powerful one. As I wrote recently, my 2 HP compressor does not run a mini-HVLP gun satisfactorily. If I were doing it over, I would get at least a 3 HP, perhaps even more.  You may be using an airbrush now, but are you completely certain your production will never rise to the point at which you will need to switch to a gun?

[spennie]

7 hours ago, Jim D. said:

 

 I would say that depends on what you plan to use it for. At 1.5 HP it should handle an airbrush, but not an HVLP gun. If you are considering purchasing with an eye toward future needs (a constant theme with confectioners--considering the numerous eGullet mentions of equipment we all have that we have "outgrown"), I would try to get a more powerful one. As I wrote recently, my 2 HP compressor does not run a mini-HVLP gun satisfactorily. If I were doing it over, I would get at least a 3 HP, perhaps even more.  You may be using an airbrush now, but are you completely certain your production will never rise to the point at which you will need to switch to a gun?

 

 

A very fair comment Jim .Would love to know what most commercial companies run .Say like the Chocolate lab .Thank you your feed back is always appreciated 

 

Edited August 28, 2019 by spennie (log)

[Kerry Beal]

28 minutes ago, spennie said:

 

 

A very fair comment Jim .Would love to know what most commercial companies run .Say like the Chocolate lab .Thank you your feed back is always appreciated 

 

 

The Chocolate Lab has a Fuji. Perhaps others as well

 

 

[keychris]

I have this HVLP spray gun: http://www.savourschool.com.au/equipment/spray-gun/spray-gun/product-detail.aspx

 

I use a 1/8hp iwata smartjet pro that has a stated flow rate of 16LPM. It works. It's not optimal, it's not ideal, I would definitely buy something different if I could afford it, but it gets the job done.

I'm sure that the 1.5hp, 220LPM model you linked to would get the job done as well. If you can, future proof with bigger and better, but if you can't, it'll work.

Edited August 28, 2019 by keychris (log)

[dcarch]

The motor of a typical compressor does not make much noise. Most of the noise is generated by the air intake. If you can hook up a muffler to the air intake, you can cut out a lot of the noise.

 

You can make a muffler, or buy an automotive muffler.

 

dcarch

[Louise nadine brill]

15 hours ago, spennie said:

How many molds could you get through in a session 

 

I have only been able to run it through to test - not for production yet as i am just getting my chocolate workspace together - and currently it is way too hot in my kitchen to attempt large quantities. I used it with a LVLP mini hun, not HVLP - and it seems to work fine. I will update in a few weeks once my chocolate work space is complete. There are mNy egullet contributors who have less than 1HP compressors that are making do - so i agree that 1.5 HP should be workable. That said - I absolutely would have bought higher HP and twin tank if i felt I could justify the expense at this stage of my chocolate making - but I can’t. If i am fortunate enough to outgrow this set up (fingers crossed) then I plan to purchase the Fuji spray system. This is the LVLP gun that i bought to go with my 1HP compressor.

[Jim D.]

@Louise nadine brill:  Once you get your chocolate space set up, I hope you will report on your experience with the LVLP gun. I have not read anything from those who work with chocolate and who use this type of gun, and I, for one, would be very interested in learning more. I have seen that it is the gun to use with lower-HP compressors. The videos comparing LVLP with HVLP are, of course, dealing with paint, and it's not always clear how this translates to cocoa butter. Have you ever used an HVLP gun? It would be great to have a comparison from a chocolatier.

[Louise nadine brill]

1 hour ago, Jim D. said:

@Louise nadine brill:  Once you get your chocolate space set up, I hope you will report on your experience with the LVLP gun. I have not read anything from those who work with chocolate and who use this type of gun, and I, for one, would be very interested in learning more. I have seen that it is the gun to use with lower-HP compressors. The videos comparing LVLP with HVLP are, of course, dealing with paint, and it's not always clear how this translates to cocoa butter. Have you ever used an HVLP gun? It would be great to have a comparison from a chocolatier.

I have a Wagner flexio for hvlp application of chcolate (50/50 with cocoa butter). Just too big for cocoa butter. I plan on using the compressor for airbrush and also LVLP gun running off the compressor. Will update once I've dome some more work.

[spennie]

15 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

The Chocolate Lab has a Fuji. Perhaps others as well

 

 

 

Yes the Fuji seems a proven and tested system .However the noice level that you guys have mentioned, definately sounds to loud 

 

[Kerry Beal]

7 minutes ago, spennie said:

 

Yes the Fuji seems a proven and tested system .However the noice level that you guys have mentioned, definately sounds to loud 

 

Indeed it is loud - long hose though so you can put it in another room