This is an adaptation I have made to a broker air compressor to create a mini compressor for airbrush use.
The air compressor was a 24lt one powered with a 2.5ps electric motor that suddenly died. I check for several solutions over the web until I found that people are making silent air compressors for scale modelling using refrigerator compressors.
I initially striped the burned motor from the air-compressor.
Next step to the junk-yard to get a refrigerator compressor. The larger the refrigerator the higher the power of its motor. I found a large freezer and I bought its motor for ten euros.
The next step was to find a very thin motor oil to fill in the motor. Please note that refrigerator motors include the oil within the motor container and thick oil will definitely burn your motor.
Next step was to connect the motor to the compressor tank. Please note that refrigerator motors have an input and an output. From the input the air is sucked and pressed to the output.
You need to connect the filter to the input and the tank to the output. I did it with air-compressor flexible piper and pipe fitters but a better solution is to buy copper pipes and convertors and glue everything with a torch and some cope pipe solder.
Next you should check that the compressor is working without air leakage and that all the dials and safety features of the old compressor still work. You don’t want to make the compressor explode…so be carefully and check everything that actually works.
Another thing that you should be careful with especially if you are using the compressor for painting is that due to the oil that is in the system of the compressor tiny amounts of oil may pass to the air system or be concentrated on the tank. Regarding the tank you should open the tank hole at the bottom of the tank container to remove oil and water.
For the air way you should buy and install a oil and water remover that is applied on the output and ensures that dry air is always run through your painting equipment.
Below you can see some pictures of the final conversion.
