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This all started about 2 years ago when I had a ton of ECO parts that needed sandblasting. SO I purchased a new cabinet sandblaster, and a small portable pressure sandblaster. I couldn't get them to work, so I came on this site and was told first I was probably using the wrong media, and most important, my compressor wasn't big enough.
What do you mean, not big enough? It is almost 6' tall, really nice looking Craftsman compressor. Then I was told, it is not the tank, it is what is on top of it.

So I have been in the market for another compressor. Lately I have been going to auctions at auto dealerships that have been going out of business. Great place to pick up all kinds of stuff cheap, like a back up computer and monitor with very little use for $35.00.

Well I decided to buy this air compressor. I was told it was running when they disconnected it, but who knows, that is one of the things I will find out soon. It is 3 phase, what ever that means, and I have been told I need to change it to 2-phase.

It is still on the trailer, we still haven't figured out how to get it into the garage yet, that is another small problem.

It looked like hell, so I started in on it last week, one handed because I broke my wrist about a month ago.

First picture shows how it looked when it first arrived.

URL=http://img97.imageshack.us/i/ac1x.jpg/][/URL]

The first thing I did was pressure wash it. It seems that during its time at the dealership they put a coat of gray paint on it. In this picture you can see the CURTIS decal coming up.





The decal showed some color after the pressure wash, but it was too far gone to survive.

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You can see from the ID plate it is dated 1947.



The compressor part is a Dressor (the company that ownes the Wayne Pump Co. today) and the motor is a Dayton. I don't think either one of the is original. I believe Curtis made their own compressors.

URL=http://img145.imageshack.us/i/ac7.jpg/][/URL]

Finally a copy of a 1949 ad. This may have been what it looked like originally.



The paint is almost all sanded off now, will post more pictures when it is finished.

Jack Sim

Jack:
You will need to change the electric motor that pulls the compressor unless you have three phase electricity. You will have single phase electricity if you don't have the three phase. Check with your power company to see what you have....Dale

Typing is Fun 1 handed ain't it Jack !
Barrow or rent an engine hoist to get compressor on ground & into garage [I haven't seen your garage so don't know if that is do-able].

I'd get a blast cabinet if you have the room, less mess & no lost small parts.

[
Well I decided to buy this air compressor. I was told it was running when they disconnected it, but who knows, that is one of the things I will find out soon. It is 3 phase, what ever that means, and I have been told I need to change it to 2-phase.

Your houses power supply is surely single-phase 220. You will either have to find a big-honkin' single phase motor or get a three phase converter. Don't know which is the cheaper route.

Jack, Three phase is usually only available in a commercial facility such as a factory. Most all residential power is single phase. You will need to aquire a single phase motor of equivalent horsepower to the three phase. It also must be the same rpm so that you can use the same pulley combination. Most likely 1750 rpm.

I would have made sure it works before making it Pretty.

I wouldnt run a converter on a compressor if you can avoid it. I have a few machines running on a phase converter and the compressor is the hardest to start in the winter. I did build my own 15 hp rotary converter(maybe thats the problem) and it's been a life saver but I wish my compressor was a single phase. I think the motor on my comp. is a 5 hp. I have a 20 hp converter running a 20 hp lathe with no real problems but that air compressor has always been a problem.

like the others have said 3-phase motors won't work on single phase so you will need to change the motor or build or buy a phase converter. Some good info here, I have built rotary phase converters after purchasing a static one, it fried little more than a year after purchase. There are solid state VFD but they are rather pricey for one that will run a compressor. http://www.metalwebnews.com/electric.html good info here!

Dick has a good idea about a blast cabinet, I found a used one cheap locally, they never change the old media out after it had been used beyond it's useful life, basically it turn powder clogging vacuum system, for the 1/3 of the price of the cabinet on sale, not counting shipping??? 100$ or more I got this cabinet, bought consumables, and still had less than 1/2 the money in it and it works like new. Good luck with your new toy! tt

Jack check out your Harbor Freight catalog for farm motors. I think they go up to five horsepower with 1750 RPM. Don't buy the compressor motors they advertise they won't work on that big of machine. I've put the farm duty motors on my milling machine and lathe both 3hp and they work fine and reasonably cheap. Mitch

Just to add, even with the craftsman compressor you 1st had, the sandblaster would still work, I have a similar compressor that runs a commercial sandblasting cabinet, it is a pain because it runs great for 5-10 minutes then I have to let the compressor catch up. I have been doing it for years.
If your sandblaster just "wasn't working" at all there is some other problem, you certainly would have gotten some blasting done.

Jack, that thing is awesome! You're going to love it. Old compressors are the best. I bought a 50-60gal Kellogg American from the 1950s a year or so ago and I can't tell you how much better it is than my newer model Campbell Hausfeld belt driven. That thing looks like a BEAST. Makes me want to go get a bigger one

These guys are right though, I doubt the motor can be rewired for single phase, you may have to poke around eBay for a big enough single phase 220 that will run the pump. Maybe also check with some local electric motor outfits or compressor guys, often times those guys have old motors lying around from blown up compressors.

Or switch over to a gas engine [electric start].

Watch out for the 3600 rpm harbor freight motors