Make Your Own Air Compressor Reed Valve

[Anfil]

In many occasions I have realized that modern tools have a life span as long as their warrantee lasts. This was also the case in my new 25 liters air compressor.

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The compressor had a 3 year warrantee! And it worked flawlessly for exactly 3 years and an extra month.
Last month, when I tried to add air to a bicycle tube it started working continuously without raising enough pressure to do the job.

There the fun begins!

I opened the compressor head to discover that a horseshoe shape reed valve was broken in 3 pieces. I put some masking tape on it to establish its shape and work out a solution.

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I started looking for a readymade one but nothing was available for the specific model.
I also looked for material to buy and make it but nothing was available locally.

I needed some raw material to fix it that has specific attributes:

A. It has to be a spring steel
B. It must be the same (or very similar) thickness
C. It must be available and cheap

After some head scratching and googling I found out that I had the material for years in my tool box!
Steel PAINT SCRAPPERS!

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I sacrificed one of them scrapers...

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...with a little help from my dremel and my Sheet Metal Cutting Shears I made two reed valves just to have an extra spare!

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I was happy and proud that I managed to fix the tool but…

I noticed that the broken reed valve had many stains on it… particularly at the area where it broke...

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Playing it safe I thought “Why not make a stainless steel reed?”

It was just a matter of finding the right material.

Stainless steel scrapers are readily available for a few dollars. I bought a set!

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Again I sacrificed one and made another reed valve.

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Here you can see from left to right the original, the stainless and the two steel ones I made.

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I must admit the stainless material was by far harder and more difficult to cut and drill.

I had to use a modified concrete drill that I have sharpened as a regular HSS drill

Needless to say that the compressor works as new again!

Thanks for reading
Petros

Hi, I have same idea, and need more simple reeds, 47mm*10mm, make that very good, but after all, I lose compressed air from input hole.

 

[ChazzC]

Hi Brino!
The truth is that the original material was a funny metal that looked like brass but was prone to rust!
If I cannot find a spare whenever I need it I can always make a new one copying the one that failed! I have the know-how now he he he!
Petros

I know this is an old thread, perhaps you haven’t lost them yet (and my suggestion may help others as well):

When I make (or buy for that matter) repair parts & spares I find a way to store the spares with the equipment. In the case of the air compressor the holes in the end of the reeds are screaming to be wired to a handy hole in the frame or looped around a pipe.