Antique AIR COMPRESSOR .... Thoughts & Assistance Requested

[scottg]

If you do find an easy quick check, I would love to hear it
 Just yesterday I saw an old Binks brand receiver at the town dump! Its maybe 50-60 gallons and heavy!! Big substantial feet on it, no cheapie once.  No visible rust at all.  90% still painted in fact.
  Looks like the old compressor pump was leaking for years.  Gobs of old spilled oil all over it. Pump is gone along with the motor which was probably salvaged.
 I gave it a shake and heard no water inside?
 
 But its big and its messy and no sense lugging home a bomb.

  I could use it though.  I have a spare 5hp and a couple of junk pumps I could press into service until something better came along.
 My basement compressor is a cheap little 1960's Sears thing, and due to blow up about 2 decades ago. I only use it for nailing and blowing off things and the occasional airbrush adventure.
 
  The pump was dead when I met it (yard sale 20 bucks). Stuck reed valves and shot rings. 
I cleaned up the valves easy enough, but couldn't get rings. You would think some chainsaw or lawn mower rings would fit?? But I couldn't find them.

 So I slipped the rings off and lined the piston slots with thin (00something) brass shim stock, put them back.  Its been going like this for 10 years now.  It uses a little oil, but not bad. I don't run it that much.
 
 But the tank was weak and measly looking when I met it, and I expect it hasn't improved much over the years.
 yours Scott 

[john k]

This thread was covered awhile back on another board.  With photos of the scuba shop that the cylinder exploded, old gas station compressor that went through a concrete block wall, and the best, an ordinary 55 gallon steel drum, buried in concrete under a corncrib floor and used for 40 years as an *air reciever*, until it blew and lifted the concrete up 4 inches.   I have a compressor and tank I bought from a gas station, when cleaning off the oil found a great little brass tag that told me it was built in 1948.  Right now am using a little 20 gallon upright tank tagged, (Service Station Equipment Co.), 1938.  Have a little AC compressor on top, fill a tire once in awhile, safety valve pops off at 80psi.  Only run it when I need it.  But thinking may be its time to retire these tanks.   

[Aunt Phil]

I suppose if you want to know how hydros are done this is as good a place as any on the WWW.
http://www.hydro-test.com/files/393-101.pdf

Of course it might be a bit dollar intensive to set up in your garage.
It can be done the same way it was in 1960 when the whole extinguisher business went hydro happy.