Compressors

I picked these 2 up recently on ebay, seller was a nice guy with a collection of old horticultural machines and Villiers engines. I'm sure he said he was a member on here?



The one on the left has 'W&J' cast into it, so I'm guessing it's a Williams and James:
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Williams_and_James

I'm planning on making a small 2-wheel trolley and powering it with the Villiers MK12 I'm doing.

The other one is an 'H.E.C.':
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/H._E._C._Compressors_and_Engines

Looks like the one on the right is Anti Clockwise one but both very nice

tony RA wrote:Looks like the one on the right is Anti Clockwise one but both very nice

How can you tell?

The spokes in the pulley blow air though the fins on the cylinder to keep it cool and if it has oil dipper in the sump it wont get the right amount of oil if driven in the wrong rotation

I've started stripping the HEC one. The oil dipper is just a plain rod so I don't think direction of rotation will be a problem. The valves were stuck with rust and the piston rings are gummed up but hopefully everything will clean up ok.

Got it apart, had a struggle with the con rod as the only suitable puller I've got wouldn't shift it so I resorted to using a chisel as a wedge between the rod and crank. Rod came off leaving the bearing on the crank pin, rod was slightly bent but straightened out OK. Bearing is fine so it can stay where it is. Another struggle with the crank retaining nut, again bearing is fine so it can stay together, will just mean painting the housing is a bit more awkward.

Well with storm Ciara ( ) raging I decided it was safest to stay in the garage today...

I'd already got most of the paint off the pulley with paint stripper, finished it off with the whirly wheel in the grinder and sandpaper.





New gaskets made.


Couple of coats of primer on.

Got it all back together today.





Sounds like an asthmatic duck when turned over, I'm hoping fitting an air filter will cure that. I have the fitting from the scrap Bristol compressor I had...


...and this.


Watch this space...

Plan B, found a better tin.

Will you be putting anything in side the tin to act has a filter? I made one ages ago and put some wire wool in with a little oil run into the wire wool. I like your idea Arthur

dunitrong wrote:Will you be putting anything in side the tin to act has a filter? I made one ages ago and put some wire wool in with a little oil run into the wire wool. I like your idea Arthur

I'm going to put some sponge or maybe one of those 'scrunchy' shower things in it. If it was going on an engine I would oil it but I think it there is a chance it would just blow it out of the other side.

Pretty much done, just got to make a trolley now...

As I can't go anywhere I've cracked on with the trolley, luckily I got the wood a while ago and had various bits of metal in my stash...

















I think I'm going to refine it a bit with an aluminium plate for the engine to sit on so it moves more easily to tension the belt.

That is a nice unit. I have one to do myself but its way down list.

Done a bit more.







Wheels are off a 3-wheel walker, I would have liked to have used some older style ones but they were my favorite price...

Got the handles made up today.

Pretty much done apart from a shakedown run and maybe touching up some paint. I did the trolley with 3 coats of satin teak floor varnish as I had it lurking on the shelf.

Very tidy!

like that a lot! Nice green.

Had a play with it yesterday, problem is the engine is flooding and stalling. I checked the float height as per the manual and the needle valve seems to be shutting off if I blow through the fuel inlet. Being off a cultivator the carb would have had a throttle cable to raise the slide, this was replaced by the wire you can see in the photo. The governor operates a separate butterfly in the inlet pipe. I have now discovered that the fuel needle is adjustable in the slide to vary the mixture so I will have another play.

It's looking very smart, hope you get it running OK soon.

Thanks for the nice comments, I enjoyed doing this project while I can't get to my garage to work on my car (I could go and not see a soul but it's not worth the risk of being pulled IMHO).

I meant to say re: the carb that I'm planning on using a clamp (a pin from a 13a plug should do) to hold the wire up so I can set and hold the engine speed.

A nice job that. I have a compressor that I keep meaning to do something with. I will have to get my thinking cap on, but not at the moment as until I can get my locks shorn it aint going to fit!

Pete.

Foden wrote:A nice job that.  I have a compressor that I keep meaning to do something with. I will have to get my thinking cap on, but not at the moment as until I can get my locks shorn it aint going to fit!

Pete.

Tell me about it; I was 3 weeks overdue for a haircut when lockdown happened... a few more weeks of this and I'm going to look like Cousin Itt from the Addams Family!

A Lister wrote: Tell me about it; I was 3 weeks overdue for a haircut when lockdown happened... a few more weeks of this and I'm going to look like Cousin Itt from the Addams Family!

I'm thinking of weaving in some nuts and washers ala Keith Richards / Capt Jack Sparrow.
I reckon I could carry off the head band as well.
I suppose we ought to get back to Compressors - sorry.