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Home made SAS ?

6K views 20 replies 10 participants last post by  oldred 
#1 ·
Being the cheap old geezer I am, I plan to put together a home brewed concoction of parts for a poor mans supplied air system.

I have had a Accuspray 240 (85 cfm @ 8psi)for a number of years and plan to use it as the air source.
Couple it up to a Turbine Products vinyl hood assembly and 50 ft. of their supply hose.
I plan on putting a 'Y' valve directly to the the supply outlet for the hose and divert any excess air volume to atmosphere.


The hood assy is $85 and the hose is $65.

So the way I got it figured for $160 + shipping I can have a SAS.


Am I missing anything or will this system work ?
 
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#3 ·
Theres a difference in a supplied air pump used for breathing air and getting breathing air off from a regular air compressor or the system your using.

There is some risk involved in using supplied air, and as far as rigging up your own system from the pump your talking about, you increase the risk.

To many things can go wrong, I wouldn't attempt it.

I worked close to 30 years with supplied air, scba, negative and positive type respirators.

We trained people on how to use them and we also did all the maintenance on the systems.

Supplied air is not something you want to experiment with, just don't go there.

Rob

http://www.1969supersport.com
 
#4 ·
i use a bullard hood. about 35 dollars. it has a t to run my gun on a short hose. my compressor is about 100 ft from my booth. has a good filter and works great. i do not use it daily so the air quality is fine. i only have 1 hose to worry about and it is attached at my waist.
the hoods are replaceable for about 14 dollars.
 
#5 ·
robs ss said:
Theres a difference in a supplied air pump used for breathing air and getting breathing air off from a regular air compressor or the system your using.

There is some risk involved in using supplied air, and as far as rigging up your own system from the pump your talking about, you increase the risk.

To many things can go wrong, I wouldn't attempt it.

I worked close to 30 years with supplied air, scba, negative and positive type respirators.

We trained people on how to use them and we also did all the maintenance on the systems.

Supplied air is not something you want to experiment with, just don't go there.

Rob



http://www.1969supersport.com
Please explain how a pass through turbine pump can make the air unacceptable for breathing. It is a turbine, not a piston compressor.

Thanks!
 
#6 ·
Obviously you are already aware of it but air from a piston compressor should NEVER EVER be used for breathing air without the proper filters, regulator equipment and Carbon Monoxide monitors! There are engineered systems out there that do use compressor air and these are OK but attempting to use compressor air without the right equipment designed for the purpose can be deadly! If it is properly filtered then air from a turbine compressor should be fine unless the air has to pass over/around the motor after being filtered. This just means the air quality should be OK and there are many other things to consider, such as is there ANY way any part could malfunction in any way and cause the pressure to rise to any significant level inside your hood? Rob is right too many things can go wrong so it is best not to attempt to do this although some people have made them work (unfortunately some just THINK they are working properly, one in particular that I know of). If you do build your own be very careful and look at what might go wrong at any point and remember you will be using an untested design and maybe betting your life that you have it working properly, the stakes are high!
 
#7 ·
what ever you use get a good filter set up. my last filter is an old toilet paper filter. compressed air is not really the way to go but i figure i only use it several times a year for short periods. i have a new set up going together for the blast booth using a squirrel cage and ice bucket. need some a/c in there :sweat: my use it in the paint booth.
 
#10 ·
BOBCRMAN@aol.com said:
Check the archives. This subject has been discussed before.
Back in the day I used a surplus mask and an old Electrolux vac. for supplied air power. Spraying the original Imron finishes.
Yup..I got a similar vac from McMaster Carr and a 50 foot hose and I have a surplus Mine Safety full face mask..works fine for me..Just an FYI when one has to get the certification to sell a unit as a SAS it costs a lot of money to get the certification..Soo that is why they cost so much..That and the liability insurance the maker needs to carry ... :pain:

Sam
 
#12 ·
I have heard a couple of different explanations about what causes this and one night at a mine safety training class I attended there were two MSHA "experts" on mine air quality that nearly exchanged blows after a heated argument about the reason the Carbon Monoxide is present but there was no disagreement about whether or not it is there, the fact that the monitors are on the compressor systems bears that out. In most (but not ALL!) cases the levels are low enough to not be dangerous but without the monitor you would have no way of knowing. It is my understanding it forms when air containing contaminants (contaminants in the intake air plus oil, carbon build-up, etc from the pump) is compressed and heated by the pump. In any case it is there but the real question would be in what amounts? I thought I would do a quick search at OSHA and see what I could find and turned up a lot of info, here are a few from OSHA and some I just came up with on the net.

www.gulflink.osd.mil/carc_paint_ii/carc_paint_ii_refs/n43en193/I19860303.html



www.ecompressedair.com/library/compressedairsystemcontrols.shtml (bottom of page)


www.nysdot.gov/portal/page/portal/d...ployee-health-safety/compressed-breathing-air
 
#14 · (Edited)
scrimshaw said:
Do you think that 'oil-less compressors' would still be susceptible to this problem?

Most likely not but the air would still need to be filtered and it should not be attached to a sealing type face mask unless it used with an approved type regulator designed for breathing air. A regulator failure on the line going to a sealed face respirator could easily cause serious injury or even be fatal and a regulator designed for normal air use would not be nearly accurate or dependable enough at pressures that low.
 
#15 ·
I believe the Accuspray system has a separate air intake through the filter and does not draw air across the motor which is good.
You also need to make sure that your hose to pump connection does not get overly hot as it could cause the hose to offgas potentially toxic vapors.
You are right in placing a y-valve to vent surplus air. 8psi is way too much. Many positive pressure SCBA systems have a static pressure of only .9-1.4psi in the facepiece. Of course the hood should allow extra air to exit without building up pressure.
I built a fresh air system using an Ametek motor and pump (the same as the one in the Hobbyair system), light ribbed medical ventilator hose and a MSA mask. It works absolutely great. With a full hooded bunny suit, gloves and the fresh air system I feel very safe from iso's (but hot!).
If you can restore a car, you can build a fresh air system. It's not rocket science but you have to use due diligence, understand what you are doing and know the risks you are taking. Actually, for most people it is better to buy a system as the cost of the parts can approach that of a ready made system. You have the motor assembly already so it makes financial sense to make your own. I lucked out on a great deal on the motor and I had the mask already.
 
#16 ·
Just to add a little more about the mask/hood, I don't think it would be a good idea at all to use any kind of sealing mask with high pressure air, on a home built system anyway. By high pressure I mean any pressure higher than what would be safe to breath. A loose fitting hood of course would eliminate any potential over-pressure problems and would make the system simpler to design and much safer. IMO for what something like a Hobbyair system costs it would just be good insurance and eliminate the "what ifs" and when you subtract what you will spend building one it should not cost all that much more.
 
#17 ·
I am also curious if anyone has tried using a CPAP machine for fresh air. This is a medical device for sleep apnea, it forces air into your mouth or nose to eliminate snoring. Since it is a medical device it is obviously safe. I plan on steeling it from the wife the next time I paint in my garage and using a different hood or mask. Has anyone else thought of this before? What would be a good hood or mask to use?

Thanks,
Rick
 
#18 ·
Oldred covered it pretty good, and I guess about the only thing that I could add, if you make up your own system, I would have somebody watching you all the time that you are using it.

Just don't take the supplied air lightly, even the boughten systems, and don't forget, anything that comes through that hose is going directly into your lungs, this is some serious stuff here guys.

There is a lot to learn about supplied air, and how to use a respirator, and I know everybody isn't retired like I am, and has the time to read about it.

I also know there are a lot of guys on here a whole lot smarter then I am and can probably build a working system, but even a good working system has its pitfalls wether its homemade or boughten.

Some of you have read this before, but in case you haven't, I'll put it out again, its just brushing the surface on respirators, but every little bit helps.

Here it is. http://www.1969supersport.com/respirators.html

Rob

http://www.1969supersport.com
 
#19 ·
Thanks for all of the input so far, it is much appreciated. Keep it coming :thumbup:

I too have been SCBA certified for 25+ years. PADI certified for 20+ years. Been certified numerous times for full face respirators, every time I go to job site that has asbestos the General Contractor doesnt care about any cards in your pocket, you WILL take their selected course and cert. ( The only reason my wallet is thick, cuz there are few greenbacks in it,lol)


AccuSpray 240 turbine, note the turbine intake is through its own filter with a bulkhead between it and the cooling air to the turbine motor;


Set the airflow:

http://www.turbineproducts.com/servlet/Detail?no=18

Final filter:

http://www.turbineproducts.com/servlet/Detail?no=23

They sell a hood identical to this except it is made of a vinyl material for added durability for an additional $5 fee. Either hood assy. comes with 5 face shield protectors.
 
#21 ·
Old Fool said:
Thanks for all of the input so far, it is much appreciated. Keep it coming :thumbup:

I too have been SCBA certified for 25+ years. PADI certified for 20+ years. Been certified numerous times for full face respirators, every time I go to job site that has asbestos the General Contractor doesnt care about any cards in your pocket, you WILL take their selected course and cert. ( The only reason my wallet is thick, cuz there are few greenbacks in it,lol)


AccuSpray 240 turbine, note the turbine intake is through its own filter with a bulkhead between it and the cooling air to the turbine motor;


Set the airflow:

http://www.turbineproducts.com/servlet/Detail?no=18

Final filter:

http://www.turbineproducts.com/servlet/Detail?no=23

They sell a hood identical to this except it is made of a vinyl material for added durability for an additional $5 fee. Either hood assy. comes with 5 face shield protectors.



These are the parts you plan to use? If so you should be able to put together a good workable system. This is a heck of a lot different than what usually is asked about, using something like a shop vac or compressor air for the air supply. Compressor air is inherently dangerous for several reasons that MUST be taken into consideration and dealt with before using which more often than not will cost more than just buying a system. A shop vac, or even worse a home vac, has some major drawbacks too the biggest is the fact it spews out contaminated air no matter how clean the intake air is. If it is a used vac it will be contaminating the air with untold different kinds of trash from dust mites to whatever :pain: plus all kinds of debris from the mechanical parts (mostly the motor) as they go through the normal wear process. Someone using a vac of any kind may think they are breathing safe air when in fact they could very well be coating their lungs with all kinds of trash, plastics, carbon particles, copper particles, all kinds of electrical insulation and varnish, etc. A breathing air supply is not something to take lightly and if a person makes a mistake it could be a serious one so anyone contemplating doing this needs to realize they may be betting their health and maybe their very life that they did not overlook something.
 
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