I love it when it's something simple and stupid

"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
10/13/2015 at 22:44 • Filed to: I've mended something!

I’ve got this old Campbell Hausfeld air compressor that my dad bought new back in the mid 80’s. I love this thing because it’s small enough that it doesn’t take enough much space, but has enough capacity to run an impact gun when it comes time to swap wheels.

Much to my horror, it refused to switch on a couple weeks ago. Tonight I finally got some time to look at it. I was hoping it was something simple and stupid. I pulled the switch cover, and what to my wondering eyes should appear? A freyed wire from decades of vibrating against that bolt.

I pulled the wire away from the bolt and tested it. Huzzah! Wrapped some electrical tape around it, slapped the cover back on, job done!

I love it when a plan comes together!

DISCUSSION (9)

Urambo Tauro > shop-teacher
10/13/2015 at 23:17

I used to work for a construction company, which would have portable Husky compressors from Home Depot fail left and right. When they did, I would take it upon myself to fix them, but they just weren’t built as tough as your old CH there.

These were the cheap ($150 or less) ones, and it was usually the motor/pump assembly that would break. Sometimes it was just a bearing or piston, but none of the parts were hardware store items. They had to be ordered from the manufacturer, and sometimes cost just as much as a whole new unit.

Birddog > shop-teacher
10/13/2015 at 23:21

Holy Cow! That is identical to the first Compressor I ever owned!

(ETA; Almost identical)

Good on you for keeping it going. If you treat them properly they’ll last forever.

shop-teacher > Urambo Tauro
10/13/2015 at 23:22

Air compressors are a classic case of spend a little more, and get a whole lot more life out of it.

Chariotoflove > shop-teacher
10/13/2015 at 23:44

Congrats, MacGyver! I love it when it’s the simple thing.

shop-teacher > Birddog
10/13/2015 at 23:51

I just changed the oil a couple months ago. I even managed to find non-detergant oil. Planning to keep it for a long time.

shop-teacher > Chariotoflove
10/13/2015 at 23:52

Thanks!

michael bleggi > shop-teacher
10/14/2015 at 00:05

oh my goodness! i literally inherited that same compressor from my grandfather who died recently. none of my family (including my parents) are into motorports or cars, but he was. he built racing motorcycles, had a house he built around his garage with a huge set of i beams to lift engines. he also had a sick 60’s chevy pickup that he had the dealership install an international diesel for him, custom, for a like a thousand bucks with it was new. he was the one owner of it for most of his life and had a magazine feature or two for it. he worked for a crane company so had the heavy equipment.. much of it was built into his home. this was all almost antique stuff too. unfortunately, i could only inherit his hand tools, toolboxes and stuff like that compressor because much of it was attached to the house. Brings back great memories of him though!

question tho: is that a 240v compressor? mine had a label on the side that showed how it should be set up for 120v and 240v wiring situations... and mine didn’t work on 120v. i think it may be a larger model 4hp compressor and my grandpa had a normal plug on the end so he could easily adapt an existing recepticle to use it... but i’ll never know if the compressor is just in bad shape or was never really meant to be run on 120vs. i just wired my garage up for 240v and run it has he had it set up (i think). it works well enough for minor and mid load automotive stuff i use it for. it goes without saying... old stuff was built so much better!

shop-teacher > michael bleggi
10/14/2015 at 00:16

Your grandfather sounds like a seriously cool dude!

Mine is wired for 120, but can be set up for 240. The main advantage to 240, is it’ll draw half the amps. My dad is a contractor, he used it to drive nail guns on job sites, so he needed it to run on a standard plug.

pip bip - choose Corrour > shop-teacher
10/14/2015 at 04:32

\0/ win!