I took a 185 cfm compressor to the site, and it was worthless.

[ForTheArborist]

I know I read on these sites that guys almost made cutting torches with 200 cfm compressors. One guy said there was a vague blue flame emitted from his homemade air knife. I don't know why my was so worthless. The only cut it had was a nice breeze enough to dust off my boots.

I'm taking the 400 cfm out there next time. It's a tank!

 

[ddhlakebound]

LMAO....

isn't that right along the same lines as the small dull saw not cutting worth crap, so go to the big dull saw?

is this the nozzle that you smashed flat w/ a bfh?

i also hope you're keeping track of expenses as you go, so you can tell us how much you "saved" when it's all said and done.

 

[beowulf343]

I must have missed the original post-what are you planning to do with an air knife on a tree job?

 

[ATH]

$$$$$$OOOYEAH!$$$$$$

I'm going to call mine the Ninja Knife

Heck, I made my big shot out of two 4' of conduit pipe connected by a coupler and rubber feet on the ends. The rack was a bike rack to hang up bikes ins garages that I welded to spec with my first welder - a cutting torch. Then the rubber sling is a work-out rubber tube from Big 5 Sports. The cup is a whiffle soft ball I cut in half, the throw bag a baseball I drilled a hole through, and just kite string. I tried to hide it from all of my customers lol

 

[ForTheArborist]

LMAO....

isn't that right along the same lines as the small dull saw not cutting worth crap, so go to the big dull saw?

is this the nozzle that you smashed flat w/ a bfh?

i also hope you're keeping track of expenses as you go, so you can tell us how much you "saved" when it's all said and done.

I know I'm past the line, but did you have a block of wood hit you in the head while you were raking leaves for your boss? After looking at my situation from your perception I gathered there is a history of a large piece of wood falling on your head at an earlier time. Do you have a scar?

 

[TreeClimber57]

Well.. still not convinced a home made one can even be made that comes anywhere near close to the commercial units. Not saying it can not, but still waiting to see results.. so far a lot of folks claiming to make one, but yet to see any pictures, plans, etc which may convince me otherwise.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Ah, but such good fun to read! FTA doesn't realize that his construction (on almost everything) to save a buck cost more time. Time is money. The constuction of the nozzle is related to the construction of the design of the tube. There is a reason for the cost, some of us get it, some don't.
Jeff

 

[ForTheArborist]

Ah, but such good fun to read! FTA doesn't realize that his construction (on almost everything) to save a buck cost more time. Time is money. The constuction of the nozzle is related to the construction of the design of the tube. There is a reason for the cost, some of us get it, some don't.
Jeff

Jeff, what you're missing here is the cost of those units are so much simply because the patent holders etc need a lot of things that I'm not at privilege to pay for. If the guys were smart, he'd sell 100,000 of them for a few hundred dollars, and do us all some good. Instead he is taking the other route and selling a couple of thousand of them at a few thousand dollars a piece. Unless there is a secret message on the bottom of your Absolute bottle that has told you otherwise, those units are marked up 1000+% in fact. Instead of making a hundred or two off of me by selling me one for a few hundred, I'm going to make due in the mean time, and put something almost as effective together in my garage for a few bucks. I will be more than happy to box one up, and mail one to you for $150 postage paid. :spam: I need a real name and address though. :greenchainsaw:

 

[alanarbor]

If your soil is bone dry (like it is here) and compacted, you're gonna have a hard time making headway with anything. Irrigate the area and try again.

For what it's worth, the commercial nozzles are calibrated to operate with certain air flows.

But what the hell try the 400, go big or go home!

 

[ATH]

Have you thought about having a machine shop make the end for you?

My brother is a rocket scientist (helps launch the space shuttle...) and I contimplated having him draft the plans for the tip and taking those to a machine shop. I am pretty sure I could have had a tip as good as the commercial units. Why didn't I? It probably would have taken a couple of trial and errors. I would expect to pay the shop at least $100+ per try. Then I need the valve. Also, I really like the trigger valve and those aren't cheap. It would have taken a chunk of time as well. Finally, The guy I bought it from let me come spend a day with him to learn about use and marketing.

I'd buy a commercial one again...even though I don't use it as much as I'd like to (not enough to pay for the compressor on a 5 year schedule) it is a market to grow into and I just need to market it better.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

As said above, bone dry hard-pan will be problematic with anything.

I have seen homemade airtools that work around 75% of a production model. all of them were assembled with off-the-shelf material by dedicated tinkerers, they all say it is how you put the reducers together.

 

[LawnMoore]

I must have missed the original post-what are you planning to do with an air knife on a tree job?

Im thinking its a root blaster aka air spade..

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Im thinking its a root blaster aka air spade..

Technically a soil blaster, it does not effect the roots much, unless there is damage to the bark.

One thing i do not recall being mentioned is pipe insulation, the friction of air heats the pipe up like the ####ens!

 

[jefflovstrom]

Also the reductions in the design of the tube.
Jeff

 

[ATH]

...One thing i do not recall being mentioned is pipe insulation, the friction of air heats the pipe up like the ####ens!

It does get hot, not hot enough for an instant burn - just uncomfortable to hold onto. Leather gloves help, but thin gloves will still be too hot. The AirKnife comes with rubber grip that makes it quite comfortable.

 

[ForTheArborist]

I just bought a tip that goes to a pressure washer and some different reducers than what I was going to try. That tip needs the ball bearing sliding pieces that are fit for air compressors. It has a tiny hole. I have a feeling that the piece I needed.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I just bought a tip that goes to a pressure washer and some different reducers than what I was going to try. That tip needs the ball bearing sliding pieces that are fit for air compressors. It has a tiny hole. I have a feeling that the piece I needed.

not.

you need cfm as well as velocity, the tiny hole takes that all away, and may give you something that will cut a toe off.

By using pipe reducers you channel the flow into tighter column, with minimal turbulence. This column of air is used to pry apart the soil at natural fracture planes and the contact area of root and rock.

 

[jefflovstrom]

not.

you need cfm as well as velocity, the tiny hole takes that all away, and may give you something that will cut a toe off.

By using pipe reducers you channel the flow into tighter column, with minimal turbulence. This column of air is used to pry apart the soil at natural fracture planes and the contact area of root and rock.

Your the man, JPS. I think you explained the reduction by using the words ' channel the flow into a tighter column, WITH MINIMAL TURBULANCE'.
Jeff

 

[ForTheArborist]

K, I'll keep that in mind.

 

[ddhlakebound]

I just bought a tip that goes to a pressure washer and some different reducers than what I was going to try. That tip needs the ball bearing sliding pieces that are fit for air compressors. It has a tiny hole. I have a feeling that the piece I needed.

Still LMAO!

It only gets better......