A 1920s New Addition To The Shop

RedRooster46 · Dec 17, 2015

Picked this 1920s Champion Model K air compressor up today, complete and original sans the original pressure switch. I got this compressor from the grandson of one of the ex-owners of what was originally a gas station in the 1920s and then later was an auto dealership, this was the original compressor that had always been there up until the 1990s. Im giddy as a schoolgirl

bob w · Dec 17, 2015

Nice piece.

RedRooster46 · Dec 17, 2015

Thanks

Old Iron · Dec 17, 2015

That is a neat compressor and a history to go along with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Country Misfit · Dec 18, 2015

Very nice!

21willys · Dec 18, 2015

A believe a friend has the same compressor in her shop. She's the second owner. It came out of one of the original buildings in our home town. The oldest history known by us is that it was a implement dealer for horse drawn equipment.

RedRooster46 · Dec 19, 2015

Excuse the lack of an electrical plug, Im going to rewire the pigtail to include a ground, but I just had to get a video of it running.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QtNzBrCcbk

Bamamav · Dec 19, 2015

I would check the tank real good. As old as it is, it may be rusty inside from lack of maintenance and could blow out real easily. And then again, it is probably made of thicker steel than the newer ones, so it might be fine. Still, I wouldn't want to build up a lot of pressure and it blow, could cause some serious damage.

Doesn't look like it's building any pressure? Or the gauge isn't working?

RedRooster46 · Dec 23, 2015

Actually had an industrial compressor technician check it out this evening, all is good. And in his words, the newer tanks are not nearly as "built" as the old tanks were. Tanks like this one were 3/16"-1/4" thick. The pressure gauge does work, the momentary view of the pressure gauge in the video is deceptive, the compressor actually pumps up quite well for a "90" year old compressor.

Bamamav · Dec 23, 2015

Cool! I figured it was probably thicker than the tanks made today. Glad to hear it's in good shape.

ref772 · Dec 29, 2015

That 1-1/2 HP motor back then is about as big as a 10 HP now. And probably has more metal in it that the 10HP does. What a great find!

A 1920s New Addition To The Shop

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