Compressor Woes

Ive got a 55L petrol workshop compressor, has anyone or know if its possible to add extra air tanks? the compressor has enough grunt at full pressure, but loses its air a little quickly. If poss i was thinking of adding a pair of lorry air tanks due to these being easiest to get hold of.

I understand that if cobbled together it will get dangerous , I do have all the pressure specs that the compessor is rated too and runs at. im just wondering can it be done and is it worth it ?

ALSO - there is what looks like two big stopend nuts either end of the air tank.


Cheers Guys.

lorry air tanks normally have blow off valves built in, so they should be ok to increase your capacity. The large nuts on the end of the tank are for inspection purposes (to check for internal rust)

i wouldn't use lorry air tanks i would try to get hold of some old pukka compressor tanks, the garage i worked at last used an old compressor as an extra air tank connect a large bore (3/4") air hose from you compressor to the 'new' tanks inlet (where the old compressor pumped air in) and bam larger cappacity

what G-man said

if he can get lorry tanks fer nowt (which is probably wot e meant by easiest to get) why waste good beer money buying old compressor tanks?

cause they are stronger slob

aye yer right, am forever seeing lorries at the side of the road with blowed up air tanks, it surprises me that no one has bin injured through it. perhaps you could start one of them goverment pertitshuns to get them banned

reet as yer obviously sproutin dung again here's some numbers fer you

typical workshop compressor has a cut-off pressure of 9-10 bar-ish

typical lorry air compressor has a cut-off pressure of 9-10 bar -ish


oh! look its the same.. so yer saying that tanks designed to be used on a moving vehicle on public road with the possibilty of an accident damageing the tank is weaker than a tank designed for static use in a workshop.

interesting theory but sadly lacking any sense or relevence to the real world

i was just thinking pukka compressor tanks have floof stands and where as you would have to make a stand for lorry tanks

won't have thought stand made outta floof would be strong enough.

bellybutton floof is reet ard can stand up to allsorts

Well the outcome seems positive guys. Normally its "You cant do that it'll blow up". Ive had a squint throught the machine mart catalog today and hey presto found 10 bar safety relief valves + other componets selling seperatly in the compressor section, trying to get hold of two tanks this weekend then try to put something together next week, at works expense of corse.

cheers all.

if you all ready have a tank and all you are doing is adding more tanks to it yer dunt need more saftey valves cos the pressure will be the same all over.

you will in effect have one tank, albeit an irregular shaped one but one tank non the less