Using a car tire for air source

you need a moisture trap

Man does that bring back memories. I started with an old truck tire and a foot pump - what a work out that was! Yeah, you need a moisture trap and get that regulator as soon as possible - it'll save you some air and will be usefull down the road with a compressor.

Condensation in a tire is caused by water in the airline that filled it which is usually caused by heat from the compressor motor.
I would take 1337's advice and get a moisture trap at least.

Mike

QUOTE: Originally posted by neudog The instructions said to inflate the tyre to 40psi, would the higher pressure prevent the condensation forming so quickly?

No, if anything it would increase the level of condensation, as the others have said you need a moisture trap. It would also be more economical to buy a combined Pressure regulator / moisture trap than to buy then separate.

This is the reason that so many racing teams use nitrogen to inflate their tires. It is dry, contains no moisture, and the affects of temperature are negligible since it doesn't expand or contract as much as plain "Air" does. If they inflate a tire to 15 psi it pretty much stays at 15 psi instead of going to 20 as the tire heats up.

A quick solution to the problem before you get a chance to buy a moisture trap is to unscrew the valve stem insert and spray a shot of WD-40 (WD= water displacement) into the tire.

The moisture trap should solve the condensation problem...but what do you do about that stinky vulcanized air?

QUOTE: Originally posted by J-Hulk The moisture trap should solve the condensation problem...but what do you do about that stinky vulcanized air?

Maybe in addition to a shot of WD-40 adding a shot of Lysol might be in order

I don't understand how the WD-40 could work, but since I've never tried it I won't say that it can't. If clfesmire says it works then it's worth a try and I'm just sort of thinking out loud here. The moisture that is condensing out when you spray is already absorbed in the air. With free water in the tire and being a closed system, the relative humidity inside the tire will be 100%. When you spray the air out, the moisture just goes right along with it. Maybe the WD-40 displaces it from the air as well.

Now that our summertime humidity is here, I get about a half ounce of water in my moisture trap after a couple of hours of spraying. The air coming out is perfectly dry. When I bled my tank this afternoon the water in the moisture trap was swirling around, but I let the air blow on my hand and there was never a trace of moisture coming out. Well worth the $20 cost.

Boy, that takes me back. I used a tire for quite some time before I got a compressor, and now I'm back to canned air for the time being and wish I had a tire. Of course, here in NYC you can't just roll it down to the corner. Some jerk would stick his hand out and want three dollars for the air and make me put it in. I used to overfill the tire (not dangerously) and it would last for a couple of models before petering out. I think the adapter, which comes with a lot of Badger sets, was intended for people who lost their air supply in the middle of the night or while working in a mountain cabain. Just go out to the car and your on your way to painting.