DIY Refrigerated Air Drier

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RTD Fab
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DIY Refrigerated Air Drier

Post by RTD Fab »

Hello fellow Metalheads,

I have looked around and could find really what I was looking for so figured I would ask.

Has anyone built a DIY Refrigerated Air Drier for their ships that was successful and worth doing compared to spending the money for s commercial unit?


Thanks In advance,
RTD Fab - Lucas
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acourtjester
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Re: DIY Refrigerated Air Drier

Post by acourtjester »

Google it I found a few there, you can try different combo of words for the search.
DIY 4X4 Plasma/Router Table
Hypertherm PM65 Machine Torch
Drag Knife and Scribe
Miller Mig welder
13" metal lathe
Small Mill
Everlast PowerTig 255 EXT
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little blue choo
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Re: DIY Refrigerated Air Drier

Post by little blue choo »

Would be hard to build one cheaper than the Harbor Freight unit. Being using it for 2 1/2 years and no problems.

Rick
Rick
Arclight 9600 4x8 table
Hypertherm PM65
Acc. Plate Marker, 4 inch Pipe Cutter, Wood Router package
Quincy Q54 compressor 2 stage, 5hp, 60 gal
Refrigerated air dryer & 4 stage filtration system
Software Mach 3, Sheetcam, Solid Edge 2D, Inkscape
DMoneyAllstar
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Re: DIY Refrigerated Air Drier

Post by DMoneyAllstar »

Search for it, you must. My 3-second google search even found a couple of threads on PlasmaSpider.

I've got a 75' run of 3/4 copper from compressor to plasma and have never even discolored my desiccant pot that's right before the plasma.
- 80gal, 31cfm@100psi, inter-cooled & after-cooled compressor has 20-minute auto-drain, and located in its own 5x5 room separate from plasma room.
- 1" SS flex hose travels upwards from tank to regulator / filter / coalescer. This coalescer will accumulate about a teaspoon of water after 3-4hr of cutting in summer.
- Out of the reg/filter/coal is a 10' run to a 5 column 5' tall water trap. Never seen a drop come out of the 3 trap valves.
- 3/4" line is on ceiling and has 4 more 5' drops/traps in 1/2" copper between big trap and torch, all with a negative slope
- Torch drop is 4' from torch and has it's own filter/coalescer
- Flex hose drops down to 2' from torch where there's a 2-qt desiccant pot, followed by a filter/coalescer/regulator.
- Then a 3' hose from regulator to my HYP45xp, which also has its own small filter/trap on the back.

Not-undersized compressor + not feeding on humid plasma-room air (5x10 water table) + auto-tank drain + long rigid copper runs + 50' of vertical water trap + air is quadruple filtered/coalesced before it gets to the plasma = no power-consuming always-wearing air dryer required.

If I could beachwood age it, I'd bottle the air and sell it for $7.99 a 12pk! lol
RTD Fab
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Re: DIY Refrigerated Air Drier

Post by RTD Fab »

Thanks for the replies and before I ask I had pulled up many online. Each had pros and cons so that beings me to ask here since I felt many could weigh in on what works for them. I actually hope no one was offended by my asking but rest assured I searched many before. Thanks for everyone's input and time!
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