@ARDynamics the thread @Phillipw posted above is the thread I thought Jim had linked to. Read through it and you will see even the OP changed his mind on the benefits of a pre tank cooler. If after reading that you still want to do it, I say go ahead. There are lots of folks who have them mounted that way.
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It is only i quart.
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@Phillipw that thread is quite a read. I changed my mind no less than 4 times while reading it. I’m at the “eff it” phase and I ordered the Harbor Freight refrigerated air dryer this morning.
@Kwikfab is right about $600 being fairly cheap in this “hobby”. This doesn’t feel like a hobby anymore. For peace of mind, I’m going to start building the system I want instead of the system that is more comfortable to afford. I don’t feel like getting pissed off every time I am cutting a piece and I’m not getting penetration. So, I’m going to try to do it right.
- Leave tank alone except add an auto drain
- add Harbor Freight air dryer direct out of tank
- HF air dryer to Motorguard (new addition) filter
- filter to desiccant air dryer (new addition) mostly for visual confirmation of moisture intrusion
- desiccant dryer to regulator==> plasma
That’s all I can do at this point
Thank you all for talking through this
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Make sure you have the correct order you want. Refrigerator then desiccant then motor guard. I would also recommend a water separator in-between each.
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after typing that out, I was thinking about a second desiccant before the Motorguard, just to see if there is still water in the line. But yeah, a water separator or two in the line would be good, and not much expense to add
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Phillip’s point is that the Motorguard is needed AFTER the desiccant beads because it will filter dust that could come from the desiccant.
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Ah, I didn’t catch on to that. So I shouldn’t add another desiccant after the filter because I’d just be putting dust back in the line?
my system should end with the Motorguard going to the tool?
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Right, plus, the motorguard needs dry air too. No point AFTER the filter.
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I started out with 2 small desiccant dryers before buying a quart size I had them back to back. The second only started changing if I didn’t recharge the first quick enough.
We had another decision about whether my desiccant was to close to the refrigerated. Meaning air to cold for them to work. I have a dry air tank for a buffer because all the drying equipment can restrict air volume. Anyway I added a small desiccant that I had just to see if it would catch any more. I ran it a long time with no signs of moisture.
Just make sure you have some sort of filter as a last stage.
Your efforts will pay off.
The desiccant is a very important piece of the puzzle more so than just visually confirming moisture.
The desiccant allows you to adsorb moisture that will not condense out of air even refrigerated air temperatures (4-2c) . -40c/f pressure dew point is our Target (unless it’s a hypertherm sync which can handle substantially wetter air than most units) and it’s basically impossible to reach without desiccant.
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Tin is spot on as usual about the necessity of the desiccants. I would say buy as big of a dryer as you can afford.
A determining factor of the amount of drying equipment all depends on where you are located. I am in the southwestern part of Virginia. In the summer months my garage will see humidity levels upwards of 80% in the winter 20 to 30. My refrigerated dryer will sweat like crazy in the summer. I do use a lot of air though.
The refrigerated dryer is a handy addition to a system but not required for some that live in dry climates and don’t use a lot of air. That is as long as you have a good desiccant dryer.
I have also been looking to find a affordable way to measure the humidity level of my air just for giggles. I have yet to find one.
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Geographic location is probably the most important factor here.
But I wouldn’t suggest something I haven’t tried or use myself.
I live in the Central Valley California where it’s really dry. Coalescing filter, desiccant filter, and motorguard weren’t enough by themselves. And yes, the air compressor is emptied after every use, and again at the beginning of any session.
I still got moisture in my air and it wasn’t until after I added refrigerated air that my pierce count doubled.
I think the copper lines with drops, or running the inline cooler is awesome and all, but that can get expensive if “cost” is an issue. Yes, the copper lines help a ton as I have a friend that runs that on his table. But the time spent putting it together, paired with the cost of supplies, exceeded that of my air dryer.
Your own time has to have some value.
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I really wanted the copper lines with drops, but I found myself watching video after video on how to solder the lines together and came to the same conclusion. I would be (again) trying to learn a new skill with no guarantee that I would be successful. And I need to get my system running to get some production for the coming weekends.
I’m setting up a booth at a local farmers market and I feel like I’m showing up with barely a table’s worth of goods to sell.
That’s why I went with the Harbor Freight air dryer and the other stuff that I know how to put together.
And I’m in southern Louisiana (Baton Rouge) so it is humid as hell here, and that isn’t going to change…ever.
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@ARDynamics what size compressor do you have? Small compressors will run more making the air hotter and harder to remove the moisture. Even the refrigerated dryers have a min. I let temp.
I seen the brand compressor but not the size.
Its a 60gal. 13.2csfm (i think). 3.5hp
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At what psi? most compressors list 2 different psi values and SCFM ratings.
13.2 is the csfm @ 90psi. Going by memory. It may be a touch more, not much
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To build on @Phillipw
“I have a dry air tank for a buffer because all the drying equipment can restrict air volume.”
Put a pressure gauge just before the plasma cutter to be sure it is getting good pressure.
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@ARDynamics – I ended up with a nearly identical setup to yours. That said, I’m still noticing swirls on my electrode, and I’m trying to determine whether that’s due to residual moisture in my air lines or if I need to further fine-tune my settings—pierce height, cut height, IPM, amps, and PSI.
This weekend, I plan to go over my system with a spray bottle and soapy water to track down any air leaks. I know I have some, and I’m hoping that fixing them will improve my consumable life. If you have any insights or suggestions based on your experience, I’d love to hear them!
At 13+cfm @90psi, you are the last person to worry about loss of air going through any filtering.