Inexpensive Air Filter for Plasma Cutter

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Looking for a reasonably inexpensive (read: good cost-benefit) air filter for a new plasma cutter that I'm picking up this week.  Anyone got a good recommendation?Would running two cheaper in-line dessicant filters work? Or am I looking at doing the Motorguard filter?Didnt find anything under search, and figure someone else wants to know as well!This is the least expensive thus far:http://store.cyberweld.com/mogudiplairf.htmlLast edited by DirtyLittleSecret; 03-26-2007 at 03:00 AM.ThermalArc 185MillerMatic 180 w/ AutosetVictor Cutskill Oxy/AcetyleneThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 38and spite!
Reply:Gee, 33 viewers without ideas?ThermalArc 185MillerMatic 180 w/ AutosetVictor Cutskill Oxy/AcetyleneThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 38and spite!
Reply:Well I suppose your talking compressed shop air..??????I really dont think a Moroso style air cleaner will do.. What about your everyday seperator??Or use the Moroso air cleaner on the compressor.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I've thought about building a largish dessicnt filter. Shouldn't be too difficult, some pipe, end caps, fine screens, fittings, and fill the pipe with calcium chlorate. CaCl is sold as 'DampRid' at your local grocery store. It is also sold as driveway de-icer. It is the best dessicant that i know of. The design would have to ensure that none of the CaCl made it out of the pipe though.Miller EconotigCutmaster 38Yes ma'am, that IS a screwdriver in my pocket!
Reply:I use the small orange colored throw away filter/dessicant dryers. They are about $4 at an automotive parts store. I don't have the name off hand, but I'll look at mine later and let you know. It works great on my air system.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Thanks.  Ive seen numerous c-h-e-a-p dessicant filters out there, but didnt know whether any were even okay.  Would be appreciated!ThermalArc 185MillerMatic 180 w/ AutosetVictor Cutskill Oxy/AcetyleneThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 38and spite!
Reply:Check out Dry Air Systems at www.dryairsystems.com Don't know if you'd consider this inexpensive, but their 9200 kit is available for about $85.00 it comes with a short length of house, filter housing and two replacement filters, which run about $15.00 a pop. This unit mounts right to the back of your plasma cutter, and does an excellant job of preventing moisture from getting to the torch head,which can really do a number on your consumables. The 9200 will filter down to .85 micron. I'd also recommend you have a seperator at the tank, and drain the unit often. Another problem I ran into a few years back was a diesel truck shop that bought a smaller plasma cutter, they went through tips like crazy, came to find out they had an automatic oiler on their air lines to oil their air tools, oil is not good for a Plasma cutter, once they bypassed the oiler with a seperate line to the plasma the unit ran fine.Last edited by ss42768; 03-27-2007 at 12:38 AM.
Reply:You should (I don't) always stop as much moisture as possbile at the source or along the way, but I think the motorguard style at the plazma is a natural final final. You should really have some sort of seperator/condensor in the line somehwere to pick out the bulk of the moisture. The cleaner the air is before it gets to the motorguard the longer it lasts. If for some reason you can't get a clean connection, it'll do the job for a short while. Nice thing about the compressed paper/fiber filters is they will start shutting the air down when or if they get saturated with moisture. I'm not sure dessicant will do that.
Reply:This is the unit I'm using, in addition to a water seperator at the air compressor, so it's not the only thing I use. As Sandy stated, the more protection you have, the better. On the unit, it is stamped with:  Motor Gaurd Corp.  Manteca, CA.  (209) 239-9191 , Model No. D-12 Attached ImagesJohn -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Thanks MZ.  Looks like Motor Guard designs the orange disposable model for 1 week of HARD use.  Think one of these along with a disposable dessicant filter will do me for awhile.ThermalArc 185MillerMatic 180 w/ AutosetVictor Cutskill Oxy/AcetyleneThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 38and spite!
Reply:I asked the counter lady and she said alot of the local paint guys (read:heavy use) get about a good month from them. Then they come back and get more. So, I'm thinking mine will last for at least 2 months...depends on how much water is going through your system.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Good to know.  Seems you could also recycle them at least once (dry them out for a month and give it one more shot).  Good to know someone's having some good results from these.Most sources are selling these by the box/crate!  Hmmmm...25 air dryers would dry the air out.ThermalArc 185MillerMatic 180 w/ AutosetVictor Cutskill Oxy/AcetyleneThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 38and spite!
Reply:Hmm, how much are they per box?John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/jlmd12-1-25.htmlIts the MotorGuard D-12 filter.  Looks like a box of 25 is about $105-110.  Didnt find any better deals online for these, but if you do a cost-benefit it comes out over the regular MotorGuard 26 filter that everyone seems to be using.  Though produces more waste .ThermalArc 185MillerMatic 180 w/ AutosetVictor Cutskill Oxy/AcetyleneThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 38and spite!
Reply:Check out http://www.tooltopia.com/index.asp?P...rch=m30&Page=1.  The M30 Model is the same as the M-26, except for the mounting bracket.  $57 and change for the filter and two spare filters.  I use a M30 with a Motor Guard DD1008 in-line disposable dessicant cartridge at the plasma cutter inlet.  I would not use DampRid.  My wife uses it in a damp closet in our house.  It does not hold the water, it just collects and then drips into bottom of the container below the pellets, which eventually turn into one big skanky lump.TeddCoHTP Microcut 400 & Invertig 160DC  Smith Dual Guard MD-510 OA Rig  Lincoln SP135+  Hobart Stickmate LX 235/160
Reply:I kept hitting e-bay looking for motor guard filters and sure enough I picked one up less then 80 miles away from me for about $30.00 shipped to my door. It might be worth a look to see if there are any there for sale.
Reply:I use a campbell hausfield filter similar to this one in the link and it seems fine to me.http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/...roducts_id=417
Reply:Originally Posted by Dipper Welder64I use a campbell hausfield filter similar to this one in the link and it seems fine to me.http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/...roducts_id=417
Reply:I went the other route, read EXPENSIVE. I have an air line chiller, water separator, dessicant dryer, then a Motorgard M-26. But I had the chiller and separator set up for sandblasting already. Wet sand does not flow well through hose and nozzle. Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain