Moving a compressor. Disassemble?

This is the main board for discussing general techniques, tools, and processes for fusing, slumping, and related kiln-forming activities.

Moderators: Brad Walker, Tony Smith

Post Reply
Don Burt
Posts: 574
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2003 8:45 pm
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Contact:

Moving a compressor. Disassemble?

Post by Don Burt »

I may want to move my 60gal compressor. It would be a lot easier to manage, i.e. to get it into my pickup truck, and to get it out, if I was to remove the motor and pump during the move. It looks like just bolts after all. Buy a new gasket or two, look inside the tank for fun to see if the rust is bad. I have the breaker bars and torque wrench to disassemble and reassemble. What i don't have is any experience to tell me if this is a really bad idea. Is this a bad idea?
Buttercup
Posts: 627
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 5:22 pm
Location: S.E. Queensland Australia

Re: Moving a compressor. Disassemble?

Post by Buttercup »

Hi Don, have you sought advice from a local distributor or compressor service technician. The latter can probably give you good advice and save you from possibly having a sale of various used compressor components on eBay. Bon chance!
Tom Fuhrman
Posts: 187
Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 11:44 am
Location: eastern Tennessee
Contact:

Re: Moving a compressor. Disassemble?

Post by Tom Fuhrman »

Don, can you attach it to a pallet and then move the pallet via a pallet jack or 2 wheel hand cart. That is the way I always moved mine. just be sure and strap everything very snug and get another person to help you.
Buttercup
Posts: 627
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 5:22 pm
Location: S.E. Queensland Australia

Re: Moving a compressor. Disassemble?

Post by Buttercup »

What Tom just said! Much better idea.
Don Burt
Posts: 574
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2003 8:45 pm
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Contact:

Re: Moving a compressor. Disassemble?

Post by Don Burt »

Thank you for the suggestions. I was there when the thing was taken off of the truck new. Palleted and shrinkwrapped. It wobbled around on the liftgate. My son and his unfortunate friend from college were on hand to muscle the unit down the driveway incline and into my studio, using a refrigerator handcart. It's that operation that I'd like to avoid, especially going back uphill, and lifting it into the truck. The pump and motor make it really top-heavy, and well, it's just plain heavy. Now regarding calling Ingersoll Rand for advice, that's something I should do. I would never expect a service rep to recommend that their product be disassembled, but in this case the service office is only a mile away, and I have actually had conversations with their people and bought stuff from them and they might actually speak speculatively. It's worth a try. Thanks again.

I could fill it with helium and attach supplemental balloons. I could build a levee around the property and fill it with mercury and float it up. I could hire strong people with wheeled apparatus. Giant ants can lift amazing weight too.
Buttercup
Posts: 627
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 5:22 pm
Location: S.E. Queensland Australia

Re: Moving a compressor. Disassemble?

Post by Buttercup »

Do you not still have that giant catapult? Fire it directly at your new studio? :D
Don Burt
Posts: 574
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2003 8:45 pm
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Contact:

Re: Moving a compressor. Disassemble?

Post by Don Burt »

Buttercup wrote:Do you not still have that giant catapult? Fire it directly at your new studio? :D
My neighbors would report me to the zoning commission. No medieval warfare machines may be deployed unless grandfathered-in from the twelfth century.
AndyT
Posts: 169
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:34 am
Location: Medford, Orygun
Contact:

Re: Moving a compressor. Disassemble?

Post by AndyT »

Drain the oil and take it apart. Here's a good link. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/thr ... sor.28198/
Buttercup
Posts: 627
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 5:22 pm
Location: S.E. Queensland Australia

Re: Moving a compressor. Disassemble?

Post by Buttercup »

My neighbors would report me to the zoning commission. No medieval warfare machines may be deployed unless grandfathered-in from the twelfth century.[/quote]

A decomposing cow fired over the bulwarks would put and end to that.
Don Burt
Posts: 574
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2003 8:45 pm
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Contact:

Re: Moving a compressor. Disassemble?

Post by Don Burt »

AndyT wrote:Drain the oil and take it apart. Here's a good link. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/thr ... sor.28198/
That's what I wanted to hear. It may still be a bad idea, but it was a bad idea endorsed by multiple posts on an internet bulletin board. I will claim innocence. Thank you.
Don Burt
Posts: 574
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2003 8:45 pm
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Contact:

Re: Moving a compressor. Disassemble?

Post by Don Burt »

The compressor got disassembled and moved in my small pickup truck. It is now up and running. Lifting the pump back atop the tank for reinstallation was the most challenging part. It's heavy. I'm weak. With a neighbor's help it got hoisted.
Post Reply