Shopsmith Forums

What do woodworkers use an air compressor for?
In the Workshop Solutions magazine by Fine Woodworking, almost all of the featured shops have an air compressor. (I realize that several of the shops belong to professional woodworkers.)
Anyway, I'm thinking it would nice to have a brad nailer to tack things together that are difficult to hold and hammer/screw, and it would be nice to clean the inside of the Shopsmith head. I don't do much finishing or painting, so don't need one for that.
For those of you who have or want an air compressor, why? Maybe I should consider one...

Vehicle Tires, bicycle tires, basket ball, volley ball, soccer ball, foot ball,air driven impact wrenches, air driven compression tool (rivets).

Specialty tools - air driven metal shears, paint gun, air ride tanks on RV (when onboard compressor fails).

Cleaning the shop, air nailer, paint/finish spray.....blowing out a hollow form...

I don't use it daily, but when I need it, it's there.

Doc

...filling riding lawn mower tires, blowing sawdust off your clothes and hair...

For things not in the shop: tires on cars, motorhome, bikes. For shop use: 18ga brads/staples, blowing dust from un-reachable shelve and bench spots (saves from vacuuming up little parts). Talking about unreachable parts - cleaning out the headstock of the Mk V.

I have a small Air compressor with a small CFM, is tankless and only reaches near 100psi. I bought it right before a nation wide tour in the motorhome 13 yrs ago. It had to produce 90 psi, be light enough to carry and small enough to store. It still is functional and there is no need to change. But if I had to get another, it would be something like this; http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00915312000P Perfect for my shop! At $99 and only 26 lbs it would still fit in a shop cabinet and a motorhome cabinet. I like the idea of an air tank!

It entertains my dogs. Katie and Buddy live to bite the airstream.

With all good wishes,

Blowing off dust before finishing, air tools, anything with inflatable tires.

I probably appreciate my compressor the most when I use my brad nailer. I can't begin to number the projects that didn't turn out the way I expected because I ended up almost hammering them apart trying to drive in the nails to hold them together. The brad nailer solved that problem and I believe lowered my wood working frustration 90%. I would not be without my compressor. However I think we tend to overbuy on this. I had a 25 gallon compressor that I thought was the just perfect. It got stolen and I replaced it with a smaller compressor, that I now love.
I think it is a mistake for a hobbiest woodworker to buy a compressor big enough to spray paint. There are too many excellent alternatives such as low price HVLP units that do a superior job and save tons of room.
Ed

Like Tim said, tractor tires most of all for me, along with 4 wheeler tires, truck/car tires. As per woodworking, definately great having a brad nailer around. So much easier and less frustrating than a hammer.

Others have mentioned that they blow dust off theirselves. I like sucking the dust out of my hair with the DC3300. It actually cools my head off and gives me a cool hair do, all-in-one.

Thanks for the replies.
My Chevy Venture minivan has an inflator; I bought one to keep in the motor home (need 100 psi) but it didn't work. I took it back and haven't replaced it.
I guess I'll consider one for the shop next year, for the brad nailer and head stock cleaning.

wgander wrote:Thanks for the replies.
My Chevy Venture minivan has an inflator]I bought one to keep in the motor home (need 100 psi) but it didn't work.[/color] I took it back and haven't replaced it.
I guess I'll consider one for the shop next year, for the brad nailer and head stock cleaning.

I wood bet that it was made in China.