What's better than canned air?

On Jan 21, 5:27, Jeffrey Sharp wrote: remove two Those cans get flipping cold, don't they? Beware static. And you may find the pressure isn't as high as you'd like. Scuba gear. If you find any, let me know :-) Maybe we can retrain/reprogram them to repair stuff too. I've taken this out of order, because it's what I now use. I bought a small electric compressor and some air tools (used for other things than classic computers) for under UKP100 (about US$140). Things to watch out for: Compressors are fairly noisy animals. Mine is quiet as such things go, but still louder than the high-power vacuum cleaner I have. The vacuum is better than a blower to remove dust (think about where that dust will go). OTOH, a blower is much better for drying things off, or getting into things the vacuum+paintbrush can't. The vacuum, however, is better for spiders. Any fast-moving air stream can generate static. You can alleviate/prevent that by using a grounded metal nozzle. Even a small compressor will deliver pressures well in excess of 100 psi, and that's way too high for use on electronics. You can rip components off boards, never mind rip disk heads off. 20-40psi is perfectly adequate, and it will deliver higher velocity than most aerosol cans give you. One of the air tools I have is a small pistol-grip-style trigger-operated blow gun. You can buy them separately for about UKP3, or say $5. For example, see http://www.series4.co.uk/s4shop/en-gb/dept_123.html, or http://www.sip-group.com/PAGES/800x600%20PAGES/Air%20Tools.html (the one I use looks like 02130, under "Dustres" on that page). These are much easier than turning the Shop-Vac on and off. Many compressors include a small amount of oil in the airstream to lubricate air tools, deliberately added either by an oiler, or as a byproduct of the oil system used by the piston. However, you can get oil-less compressors perfectly easily, and oil any tools that need it by adding a drop in the inlet periodically, or fitting an oiler, or filter/water-collector/oiler combo, in the airline. They're not expensive. You can get cheap compressors without a receiver (air tank). Don't bother. You can also save a few $$$ (not many!) by buying one with a "regulator" which is really an adjustable blow-off valve to vent the excess air, rather than a proper pressure-reducing regulator. Given the choice, take the proper regulator; the compressor will usually also have a cut-off for the pump to stop it when it gets up to full pressure in the receiver. You *need* a *good* regulator to run an airbrush properly. If you want a compressor for other tools besides a blower, remember that the piston displacement, measured in cu.ft/min, is typically only about 2/3 the available air delivery you'll actually get, and a lot of hobbyist/low-usage compressor pumps are only rated for a 50% duty cycle (10 minutes on, 10 off, commonly). The pump gets HOT. If you ever plan on using something like a die grinder, you want a compressor rated for about three times (or more) the listed air consumption of the tool. If you buy quick-release couplings, be aware there are at least three standards, and they're not interchangeable. I'd recommend buying a small compressor. Mine is great, though I sometimes wish I'd bought a slightly bigger one. Whether you buy a scuba tank or a compressor, just think of the cost and inconvenience of ten cans of high-pressure air duster. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York