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What would you experienced woodworkers advise regarding the installation of an air compressor in a 30x50 shop? I am considering an American Industrial compressor with an upright 80-gallon tank, 180 psi, 5hp 3cyl. Baldor motor, 50 % duty cycle, 24 cfm.

I'd say that would likely provide sufficient air for anything you'd need in a one man shop.

hiramelu wrote:What would you experienced woodworkers advise regarding the installation of an air compressor in a 30x50 shop? I am considering an American Industrial compressor with an upright 80-gallon tank, 180 psi, 5hp 3cyl. Baldor motor, 50 % duty cycle, 24 cfm.

I guess it really depends on what you need the air for. However, in my opinion you can never have too much. My shop is 30' X 40'. I have a Quincy 4 Cyl 125 PSI on a 30 Gal. tank. It has a 5HP 220V single phase Baldor motor and is 50% duty cycle. It is 21CFM at 40PSI and 18CFM at 90PSI. I run it mostly at 40PSI. I have a media blast cabinet that takes a lot of air. The Quincy keeps up but it is pushing the 50% duty cycle. I also have a Porter Cable pneumatic random orbit sander that takes a lot of air but the Quincy keeps up fine. Everything else is much less air.

So with your 80 Gal tank, 180PSI and 24CFM I think you are fine.

One thing you may want to consider adding to the compressor is an after-cooler that can, by cooling it down before it goes into the tank, separate and trap the water condensate that would otherwise be in the tank, and go down line to your tools which has to be trapped.

I am looking at adding a B&M transmission cooler (they are rated to 200PSI) so they will handle the pressure).

There are a series of YouTube videos that discuss it but the one I cite below includes things to help you grasp all the concepts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sn1PhK-RVI is one that covers all the general topics. He covers a good bit of other info, all of which is going to be relevant in ways for varying applications; painting, media blasting etc.

Your compressor is going into the range where those sorts of things may be a factory option you can order OEM.

Edited: Added a photo from web to illustrate an OEM offering.

Everett