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Crank handle air compressor
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 5:22 am
by Mitchza89
I had the idea of taking a compressor block off a crappy slow 12v air compressor, mounting it to a stand and adding a large turn handle on it. either that or mount it to a 5 dollar mountain bike. Has anyone done something like this before? I reckon it would be pretty cool to see a manual air compressor around. I'm yet to find one

Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 5:42 am
by rna_duelers
Good for your fitness aswell having to do all that peddling

.Might have a problems when it gets upto high pressures and it being hard to pump.
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 6:25 am
by BigGrib
well depends on what the compressor is rated to, too high of pressure might blow out the seals
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 9:14 am
by POLAND_SPUD
those cheap 12V compressors sucks... the one I bought broke down after one week... so don't bother using them they won't work too long
Re: Crank handle air compressor
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 9:17 am
by Ragnarok
Mitchza89 wrote:I reckon it would be pretty cool to see a manual air compressor around.
I have to do it before JSR does:

Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:11 am
by iknowmy3tables
the 12v compressor motor still runs at a farly high speed faster that your bike so you'll have to gear up the speed or get a higher volume pump
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:33 am
by jackssmirkingrevenge
As Ragnarok said.
With a 12 volt compressor on a bike, your RPM would be so low that it would take forever to get anything near decent pressure. It would make more sense to make a crankshaft that will convert the rotational motion of the wheel into a reciprocating linear motion to work a stirrup pump...
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:33 am
by noob of noobs
I agree with Ragnarok. Just try using a pump. Also, I think they'd be pretty easy to mount on a bike too.
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 12:05 pm
by pizlo
A much simpler alternative to all of this would be to simply apprehend some cash from someone (make sure to ask first) and buy an air compressor. Course wheres the fun in that eh?
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 1:23 pm
by koolaidman
Unfortunately, mitch, you were not the first to think of this. I ran across this in my "popular mechanics" magazine. so it is do-able.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_jo ... ?series=27
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 1:43 pm
by hi
i saw an episode of junkyard wars where they had to launch a pumpkin about 30 yards. one team built a catapult, the other built an air cannon. the way they pumped it up was they had one of those 2 person bikes and turned the compressor from either and air conditioner or a refrigerator, i don't remember which. it pumped directly into the cannon. but the answer is yes, you can do it.
edit- while we are on the subject, you could build a giant wind mill and use that to turn the pump...
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 8:33 pm
by Mitchza89
Sorry for the lack of replies everyone, I havn't been at my computer. I know there are always better alternatives to my idea's but I just like making things that are different

.
Koolaidman, thats basically the look I was going for. It's just going to be hard finding a small compressor block.. hmm. Any idea's anyone?
Hi, I saw that episode aswell, hence how I got the idea haha.
I thought the flow on it might be better then having to pump up a large chamber with a high pressure pump. My next gun is a 300psi mammoth of a marble gun. I'm gonna use my 3L extinguisher tank as the chamber and I'm going to have a 2m long galvanised barrel. The lot is going to be all welded just to assure strength at the pressure I will be using.
Ahh this gun is going to be good

Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 9:18 pm
by Ragnarok
hi wrote:i saw an episode of junkyard wars where they had to launch a pumpkin about 30 yards. one team built a catapult, the other built an air cannon. the way they pumped it up was they had one of those 2 person bikes and turned the compressor from either and air conditioner or a refrigerator, i don't remember which. it pumped directly into the cannon.
I remember seeing something exactly like that on the UK version of that - "Scrapheap challenge".
The funniest thing was when they did a load of different types of train - steam, diesel and electric - and the steam based one had to have an injector to replenish the water taken from the boiler, so they had a guy on a bike attached to a water pump, which had the humorous side effect of making it look as though he were pedalling the whole thing along.
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 9:24 pm
by Novacastrian
edit- while we are on the subject, you could build a giant wind mill and use that to turn the pump...[/quote]
That would be quite a good idea for keeping a large tank full, all you would need is a blow off valve as not to make a bomb and you would be set.
Great idea HI.
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 9:35 pm
by Mitchza89
That is a good idea... Hmm I'm thinking again now because we have 40 knot winds here at the moment!

:D:D
While we are on the topic of bombs, I'm making a mini combustion using a milo tin, some aluminium pipe, a gate hinge and some pop rivits. Gonna be insteresting.