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I need an air hose.

3K views 13 replies 11 participants last post by  roofner 
"I want to replace it with a good hose that has no memory and will not fight me"

Don, I think we are all looking for air lines like this. I would suggest going with rubber lines for general use. They will remain the most flexible at the widest temperature range and will last longer than the plastic versions. I only use the plastic spring coiled type air lines where hung above my work areas. The rest of the air lines are soft copper or rubber "extension cord" type air lines for general use. I found and bought several 25' rubber 3/8" ID American Brand Name air hoses at Harbor Freight (of course made in China) that are holding up well so far. They are now about 4 years old and looking like they will last years more.I added quick connect male and female fittings to them so they are now kind of "extension cords" for air.

My 80 gallon 5 hp air compressor is located in a shed roof addition on the side of my shop. I put it out there for noise and space requirements. Just inside the shop I located the main air filter and regulator that supplies the air to my shop. They are mounted on the wall just inside the shop. From this regulator I piped my shop with soft copper lines to the most commonly needed locations around my shop and have quick connect fittings at each location. This allows me to plug in and use a short air line when and where ever needed. I also have ceiling mounted connections above my work benches and tools that are not near a wall. These overhead lines each have a short rubber air line hanging from the ceiling to a quick connect fitting within arms reach of me when standing under one of them. A short spring coiled nylon air line is plugged into each one of them with a quick connect fitting on the bottom end of it, and an air gun is plugged into it. I attached a loop wire hanger at the bottom end of each of the rubber air lines at it's quick connect fitting, so I can hang the hook of the air gun from it. This keeps each air line and air gun
out of the way when not being used, but easy to reach when needed. I can pop off the air gun and plug in an air tool, or pop the quick connect at the end of the short rubber air line and connect a long rubber hose if I need to use air some distance from that location, or I can plug the long air line into any of the wall outlets. If I need lower air pressure than the 100 psi setting that I run all of my shop lines at, I have a couple of portable pressure regulators with male and female quick connect fittings, so I can plug one of them into any location and have lower regulated air for that purpose. Air brushes and paint spray equipment usually require 30-40 psi. Air clamps are another low air pressure requirement, and easily used at lower air pressure wherever needed.

For "away from the shop" air needs I have a Junn Air mushroom type portable air compressor. It's only 4 cfm, but amazingly quiet and adequate for air brushing and smaller nail gun use. It goes to trade shows and demonstrations when I will need compressed air. It's about as loud as a refrigerator, so not even noticed by anyone when it's under the table and running.

Charley
 
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