alternative to expensive "canned air"

[Sanjay Punjab]

I go through alot of that "canned air" stuff.
Its great for cleaning electronics, computer keyboards etc. etc.
I have been wondering if alternate products like this are more
economical.
http://www.circuits2u.net/pages/CO-2-DBL.htm
http://www.allbrandelectronics.com/prod.itml/icOid/7899
These co2 cartrdiges are as cheap as 50 cents each, but its difficult
to know how long they last compared to a 10 ounce can of canned air.
Just looking for some ideas.

 

[Pippa]

I go through alot of that "canned air" stuff.
Its great for cleaning electronics, computer keyboards etc. etc.
I have been wondering if alternate products like this are more
economical.
http://www.circuits2u.net/pages/CO-2-DBL.htm
http://www.allbrandelectronics.com/prod.itml/icOid/7899
These co2 cartrdiges are as cheap as 50 cents each, but its difficult
to know how long they last compared to a 10 ounce can of canned air.
Just looking for some ideas.

Buy yourself an air compressor!

If you need to have a portable source of compressed air, fit a schroeder
valve to an old canned air can, so you can re-pressureise it using the air
compressor. The schroeder valve fittings are usually made of brass, so are
very easy to solder into a hole punched in the can.

You would have to be careful not to put too much pressure into the can
because of the risk of explosion, but it wouldn't matter that you cannot
store very much air in each can, just re-fill them when you get back to
the workshop.

A schroeder valve is a car tyre valve.

Pip

 

[Rich Webb]

Buy yourself an air compressor!

If you need to have a portable source of compressed air, fit a schroeder
valve to an old canned air can, so you can re-pressureise it using the air
compressor. The schroeder valve fittings are usually made of brass, so are
very easy to solder into a hole punched in the can.

You would have to be careful not to put too much pressure into the can
because of the risk of explosion, but it wouldn't matter that you cannot
store very much air in each can, just re-fill them when you get back to
the workshop.

A schroeder valve is a car tyre valve.

There are also off-the-shelf canned air bottles that come with a
re-pressurizing schrader (schraeder?) valve in the base. Google
for "RR6000" for an example. That's the "ReAir Refillable Duster"
from Read/Right.

 

[Jim Thompson]

On Sun, 08 Aug 2004 15:31:15 GMT, Rich Webb

[snip]

There are also off-the-shelf canned air bottles that come with a
re-pressurizing schrader (schraeder?) valve in the base. Google
for "RR6000" for an example. That's the "ReAir Refillable Duster"
from Read/Right.

"Schroeder valve"

What do you do about the gradual accumulation of water in the
canister?

...Jim Thompson

 

[Rich Webb]

On Sun, 08 Aug 2004 15:31:15 GMT, Rich Webb

[snip]

There are also off-the-shelf canned air bottles that come with a
re-pressurizing schrader (schraeder?) valve in the base. Google
for "RR6000" for an example. That's the "ReAir Refillable Duster"
from Read/Right.

"Schroeder valve"

I'll take your word for it but I only get 65 hits on google for
"schroeder valve" (w/quotes), 1690 for "schraeder valve", and 6300 for
"schrader valve." Also just 5 for "schröder valve" and 90 for "schräder
valve." If I was a betting man I'd go with schräder as the original.

Maybe that's another reason to prefer presta valves on the bike. I'm a
rotten speller in the best of circumstances... ;-)

What do you do about the gradual accumulation of water in the
canister?

They recommend tossing it after about 100 refills for just that reason.
Of course that could be modified if you're filling it from a source with
a moisture separator but you'd probably not get their liability
insurance carrier to agree to that.

It *looks* like the valve body can be unscrewed from the base of the can
so it might be possible to dry the inside that way. And, of course, if
it's a standard schr[oe|ae|a|ö|ä]der valve the stem is removable.

 

[Wim Lewis]

I'll take your word for it but I only get 65 hits on google for
"schroeder valve" (w/quotes), 1690 for "schraeder valve", and 6300 for
"schrader valve." Also just 5 for "schröder valve" and 90 for "schräder
valve." If I was a betting man I'd go with schräder as the original.

When buying parts for my bike I see it spelled with an "A". Some
googling reveals that the valve is named after George Schrader, who
invented it in the late 1800s. The company founded by his father
August Schrader is still around as Schrader-Bridgeport:

http://www.schrader-bridgeport.net/brochure.cfm?brochure=2285

I'd bet that the Schrader family name was originally Schräder though.

 

[Charles Schuler]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&kw=GIBA&is=REG&Q=&O=productlist&sku=259157

 

[Kim]

The problem is that no matter what you do, a compressor will eventually
gather water in the compressor chamber. You can put water separators in
line, but you will still get a fairly "wet air". What most places do, is
rent large "welding size" tanks of DRY compressed air. a couple of cylinders
cost about the same as a few cases of canned air, except they last for a few
months of continuous use.
Call up any welding gas supplier for a quote. They will usually set you up
with a regulator, tubing, and a nozzle, along with the rental of the
canister.
At work, we go through 1 or 2 canisters a year, instead of several hundred
canned air.
Kim

 

[Richard]

I converted an old vacuum cleaner motor and impeller to "blow" rather
than "suck" by increasing the outlet ports on the blow side and
mounting it inside an old joint compound bucket. Originally I built
this as a leaf blower but I now use it to blow out electronic stuff
I'm working on. It is better to do it outside because it does make a
big cloud of dust. I also plan to scale it down for smaller work.
Just about every week I run across a vacuum cleaner someone is
tossing. I've repaired many that just had their impellers clogged with
cat hair!

Richard

 

[Richard]

I converted an old vacuum cleaner motor and impeller to "blow" rather
than "suck" by increasing the outlet ports on the blow side and
mounting it inside an old joint compound bucket. Originally I built
this as a leaf blower but I now use it to blow out electronic stuff
I'm working on. It is better to do it outside because it does make a
big cloud of dust. I also plan to scale it down for smaller work.
Just about every week I run across a vacuum cleaner someone is
tossing. I've repaired many that just had their impellers clogged with
cat hair!

Richard

 

[Watson A.Name - \Watt Sun, the Dark Remover\]

Buy yourself an air compressor!

If you need to have a portable source of compressed air, fit a schroeder
valve to an old canned air can, so you can re-pressureise it using the air
compressor. The schroeder valve fittings are usually made of brass, so are
very easy to solder into a hole punched in the can.

You would have to be careful not to put too much pressure into the can
because of the risk of explosion, but it wouldn't matter that you cannot
store very much air in each can, just re-fill them when you get back to
the workshop.

I used to do that with spray cans. I had two spray cans soldered
together so that I had double the volume. But one time I pumped it up
past 120 PSI, and the bottom turned inside-out! Whoa!

 

[Zak]

I go through alot of that "canned air" stuff.
Its great for cleaning electronics, computer keyboards etc. etc.
I have been wondering if alternate products like this are more
economical.

If you can filter/dry the air or don't care that it is dirty, use a
compressor from a fridge.

Make it blow through a piece of the capillary tube you also get from the
fridge and you'll have a very nice blast of air.

However, these things spew oil and the air will not be dry. Some
filtering may be needed - and don't breathe those fumes.


Thomas