Shoebox etc

For anyone on the list and waiting – I put my name on the list last November, got an email Feb 26th saying it was ready, paid that day and received it Mar 3rd. Serial number is early 300’s.

I have a large shop compressor, but it’s oil lubricated so I had been looking for a small oil less compressor for a few week’s. I was going to buy a craftsman or Husky that was rated at 2 or so CFM but saw a Campbell Hausfeld for $39.99 on sale at Target.

The spec’s are pretty low – 110PSI, 3 Gallon tank and only rated at .39 SCFM @ 90 PSI so I was a little concerned that when it kicked in it couldn’t refill its own tank from 85 to 100psi and provide air to the shoebox at the same time. It seems to do ok, runs every 10 minutes. Wouldnt recommend it because it’s loud and run’s more than a larger compressor would, but it works and was $40… I was going to keep it for filling tires or something even if it couldnt keep up with the shoebox.

Back to the Shoebox –

Very happy with the construction, I paid the extra $10 for insurance and for it to be double boxed and that was worth it.

I had seen someone comment that the front cover is steel – it is definitly aluminum.

Everything inside is nice, Did the mechanical check before I started it – just had to adjust the chain tension as it was a little tight. Likely from the motor shifting during shipping.

I ran it for the first time without the cover, just so I could spot any problems – I will be running it with the cover on from now on as thats the only way the motor can suck in air and cool the cylinder’s. Using a desiccant water trap from Harbor Freight (Lowes sell the same thing, but not replacement desiccant).

Starting pressure in the gun was 500PSI. Hooked up my fill probe/guage (from Joe Brancato) and started it up. Can see the needle move ever so slowly, got up to 1500PSI and I noticed after a short while that the needle wasnt moving. I assumed it was a shoebox issue, but when I turned it off I could hear air leaking from the 410’s Guage. I fixed that and reconnected. Compressor as mentioned before kicked in every 10 minutes and ran for 2 minutes.

Total time to fill the gun was 37 minute’s – I did not stop the clock at all, that includes wasted time before I realized the gun was leaking and the time it took me to fix the leak (remove stock, tighten Allen screw that attaches gauge, re-attach stock).

Ambient temperature in my basement was 50F, after filling to 3000psi and without the cover on the fitting at the end of the 3rd stage cylinder was 105F and everything else (both cylinder’s and second stage fitting) were around 70F.

Right now it’s at the bottom of my basement stair’s, cannot hear it in my living room which is just upstairs and around corner. Compressor on the other hand is noisy as hell.