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Vibration isolators important on a big compressor?

6K views 17 replies 15 participants last post by  ChiScouter 
#1 ·
I just made the compressor score of a lifetime... 80 gal, 17cfm quincy in good running condition off craigslist for $300

It needs a couple new belts and has a crack in the nipple on the oil pressure gauge for the airpump... otherwise it's good to go.

I'm going to put it outside my shop in a 3 side enclosed lean to.

First step I'm planning is a pad to set it on, i'm going to leave a small gap between the pad and the slab for the shop, but I still was thinking of putting the compressor on some sort of isolators to make it hold up a little better.

What do most of the compressors come with for isolators? I was thinking of cutting up some polyurethane bushings and sandwiching the mounts of the air tank, or maybe some chunks out of a rubber bedmat.

Will this work? Do I even need to worry about it?
 
#5 ·
I'm cheap and my compressor is outside on a concrete pad. The top half of the compressor is under a shed, but the bottom is in the elements. So I just used some treated 4x4s and lag bolts with washers. The wood works just fine to keep my compressor from walking. Without the wood my compressor was trying out for dancing with the stars.


Will
 
#6 ·
Is the primary purpose to keep the compressor from walking around, or to keep it from shaking / breaking iteself apart?

I've got no problem bolting it straight down to the concrete if it won't hurt the compressor, my concern is the rigid mount + vibration causing the tank to crack or something?

Vanguard, your pics are not working.

Charles, those pads look cool, where in dallas are you located? Anywhere between DFW airport and McKinney by chance?

Foley
 
#7 ·
It will prolong the life of the compressor some. IIRC harbor freight has some machine isolator pads you can pick up for cheap. On a compressor the primary function of isolators is to reduce the noise. However the start up on compressors is some what violent , so you can see where allowing it flex some during start up would allow the compressor to live happier.
 
#10 ·
fj40charles, yep those are the ones we used to use when I worked at a compressor shop. Great items for small compressors.

We used to bolt the bigger screw type machines to the floor. With 100HP+ motors you kind a had to. Smaller ones it varried, some would be bolted down some strapped to a wall. The main idea was to keep them from walking AND make sure they didn't fall on someone as they tend to be very top heavy in the upright models. The horizontal tanks just wanted to migrate.
 
#11 ·
I use some rubber waffle types. Wasn't worried about the compressor falling apart, more of a noise issue (and walking) and it has helped reduce the noise but mine was just sitting on the concrete prior to that. I wouldn't just red head it to the concrete by itself. It takes a lot less effort to install them now than to install them later when you realize you want them.
 
#15 ·
my local commercial compressor service shop told me that 95% of all tank
failures are from incorrectly installed tanks...... IE: customer never removed
the unit from the skid and the vibrations cause the tank feet welds to crack,
and usually end up with a tank leak........

--Sherpa

I bought some equipment rubber pads from GRainger that only cost like 4 bucks each.....
 
#16 ·
I think that these are the ones that I used. Under $5 each is a good deal. When my compressor was brand new I ran it just sitting on the concrete floor of the shop for a few days and then added these isolators. My shop is in the garage attached to our house, and the isolators made a big difference in how much compressor noise was transmitted back into the house through the concrete slab. That, and the compressor stays put and doesn't try to walk around any more. Definitely worth a few bucks.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/3CC19

 
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