Compressor cart ideas

Wes Billups

Member
Messages
72
Location
Central Ohio
I’m looking to get my shop more organized and have been thinking about a rolling cart which would hold my compressor, nail guns, hoses, and extra nails. I’d love to hear any suggestions from those that have built such a cart or thought about it.

My thoughts are that it must hold the compressor (small twin tank style), all of my nail guns (five), a 25’ and 50’ hose, and extra nails/staples. I want to make everything convenient yet protect the guns and compressor from dust. Am I missing anything important that needs to be on board?

I’m thinking of enclosing the compressor to help muffle the sound as well as keep dust out of it’s filters. Do I need to worry about heat build up if I were to leave the cart bottom open along with a slot near the top of the compressor compartment?

As always, if anyone has pictures of such a thing, I’d love to see them.

Thanks,
Wes Billups
 
Hey Wes, good topic.

Mine is not in a cart, but it is enclosed and I lined the cabinet with standard drop in acoustic tiles. You can pick up ones with busted corners, etc. at the borgs for under a buck. I makes a huge difference in the noise level in the shop. I've never noticed a problem with excessive heat build up. The cabinet can get warm after a prolonged run, but never hot.
Hope this helps! DSCN0871T.jpg
 
Check out ShopNotes. They had a cover article on one a few years back. I went out and bought the wheels and the angled steel and then, like most of my projects, nothing happened. :rolleyes:Then I bought a big IR compressor. Needless to say, the design didn't accommodate my new compressor. :eek:
 
WES, A couple of years ago I did similar to rennie's cabinet for my son. I built a set of shop cabinets for his garage and mounted the compressor (similar to Hennie's) on full extension HD slides... reason one was to be able to pick it up easily when toting to off site jobs, reason two was to be able to pull it out when using so it could breathe well, as it makes a bunch of hot and I was afraid of the enclosure getting too hot for it.

You could build a "roll-a-round" cabinet on casters, similar to this and add a set of Drawers to house the guns and another for the nails/brads/staples, etc. Sounds like a great idea to conserve space. The drawers would keep out dust etc. The top would provide a prep area for the guns and supplies.

I use plastic caps (comes on tubing to protect the ends) and push them over my air fittings to keep dust out as well. I also saw at a novelty store, some soft plastic colored caps to push over Christmas tree lights that I think will do the same trick. A friend of mine uses a fold of Duct Tape over the fitting on his guns. (basicly anything that will keep dust and dirt out will help)
 
Funny, I was just thinking about that myself.

In the latest Canadian Home Workshop magazine I saw one where the guy put his compressor on a cart under his planer. But the nail gun storage was just hooks, nothing special.

I might have some space under my planer cart as well, hmm...
 
What a great idea!!! I think I'll stop by at the borg on my lunch break.:thumb:

Rennie, the Full Extensions will work on a mounted Cabinet,


But WES, With a roll-a-round there might be a tipping problem unless the cabinet is heavy enough to counter balance the slide out when extended with the compressor on it. Only way I could imagine would be a 5th Caster mounted on the shelf and a slot cut in the bottom of the cabinet , to allow for the caster to move in and out with the shelf.
 
Rennie, thanks for the photo and comments. What you have is similar to what I've been thinking of. I've been considering making an air distribution block on the outside of the cabinet similar to what you've done. I thought I'd also put a switch on the outside so I can flip it on and off similar to my router table.

I've not decided yet whether this will be mobile. If it isn't I'll put the compressor on slides to make it easier to remove when I need to use it outside the shop.

Thanks for all of the responses. I'm taking suggestions on mobile or not. I like the idea of using it as a planer stand which would mean it has to be mobile.

Wes
 
Rennie, thanks for the photo and comments.
Wes
Wes,

You are most welcome. :D Adding an external switch has been on my 'to-do' list for some time - ever since I smoked the little CH compressor that preceded the Hitachi. I fear that a line will blow someday and the compressor will run run run and the thermal breaker will not work and I'll come home to a pile of cinders where my garage once stood. Maybe this weekend...:huh:

I'm also looking at plumbing from the back of the cabinet and across the ceiling so I can get a drop closer to the workbench. I'd like to not have to roll out that 50' reel just to drop a couple of brads 8' from the compressor. The little coil hose is OK, but it can pull back a bit when stretched and make it difficult to aim the nailer.

Don't forget to post some pictures when you're all done - or even during the build! :)
 
You might consider active ventilation in an enclosed compressor cabinet.

I've never done it but I might try:

* A external switch controlling an outlet in the cabinet.
*The compressor in 1 plug and a plug in transformer (12V?) powering a PC exhaust fan that exhausts air from the top of the cabinet. Filtered make up air would be a good idea.

There might be cheaper, more robust fan approaches. That's what popped into mind.

My wheelbarrow style compressor sits on a raised table with the 5,000W Y2K rolling generator parked underneath (wife's idea - long story).

Jim
 
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