Air Tools, Compressor Selection Question Options

[jim_hoyland]

What is the smallest compressor ( tank storage and PSI) that can be used with air tools in my gaurage. Usually I see pretty good size tanks on wheels; I would like to keep the size down to the tight space I have to work with.

[charliew]

If you ever decide to do any sandblasting you will need a 20 or 25 cfm compressor and that means 220 single phase or three phase if you have it the electric cost are the 3 ph. cost half as much.
If you use a 50 foot hose the requirements at the end of the hose means the pressure must usually be doubled at the beginning of the hose to have enough at the end.
I use a 50 gallon storage tank, It's actually a old hot water tank, to pull from and catch water right before the hose. It also helps on the compressor recovery.
When I use the straight line sander, the compressor runs continously and it's a 19 cfm two stage 5 hp. 60 gallon tank upright. I hook up an additional 2 1/2 hp 220 single phase portable compressor when I sandblast. I can barley get by on the larger compressor when I use the bead blast cabinet. The electric meter is a blur.
I bought one of the kits to make a compressor out of a 1600 type 1 vw but haven't put it together yet. It is susposed to make a lot of cfm ( seems like 56) for blasting.