Okay, so now that I received the bulk of the tools I need to start the practice project, I need to decide on what kind of air compressor to buy! The air compressor is really only going to be used for setting rivets, since the rivet gun is pneumatic. I could go buy a bunch of other air tools as well, but then I need to make sure the compressor I buy would support them all.
There are 2 standard types of air compressors: oiled and oil-free. This refers to the way that the engine’s piston is lubricated. In oil-free pumps, there is a Teflon (or similar) coating on the cylinder walls that serves as lubrication for the piston. In oil rigs, you add oil, which is the primary lubrication.
From what I’ve discerned, the oil-free compressors are cheaper, but maybe a bit louder. They also don’t last as long. I mean, we all have that one non-stick Teflon pan in the kitchen that has slowly been losing it’s nice slippery surface. After a while everything sticks to it. Since you can’t renew that lining, at some point the pump is going to fail.
The oil-based compressors are the opposite. They’re more expensive, a little less noisy, and last longer. The downside is that you have to change the oil every once in a while. This isn’t really a downside to me…maybe it is to people who can’t be troubled with a little extra work.
I found a couple compressors, 2 at Harbor Freight and 2 at Home Depot, that look interesting. They’re both 20-gallon compressors, and a mix of oil and oil-free. Prices range from $149 to $300 for the one’s I’m checking out.
As a sanity check I posited on the Facebook RV-7 Builder’s page whether people thought my leading choice (a 20-gallon, 1.6HP, 135PSI oil model) would be sufficient. The response was that for riveting and squeezing it’d work, but don’t even think about drilling or grinding! That’d require at least a SIXTY gallon tank and 3HP! After a quick check, the price for that could be up to $1,200!
I think I’ll stick with my trusty electric tools for drilling and grinding.
