For whatever reason, air compressors are one of those shop tools that seems to get cooler with age. For instance, I love watching these restoration videos, especially when they center around air compressors because I have an early 1960s Dayton Speedaire that was given to me years ago and that I restored back into functional order. It was a fun project to mess with and the simple old compressor got a new lease on life with fresh rings, some repair electrical stuff, and new valves to keep everyone safe when it was being used.
Andy Rooney once famously wrote that the most satisfying job to do is the one that isn’t too hard but that requires some knowledge and skill to complete the right way. I think these restoration videos, especially on something like this really touch perfectly on that subject. What’s being done here is not rocket science, but it is being done well and with an eye for detail and proper finishing technique.
As neat as it is to watch this guy rebuild the little one piston compressor we dig his work on the electric motor the best. It does not even look like the same piece when he is done. The finished product here looks like it came from the early 1900s and not 1950. We’re not saying that in a bad way. The color and the look are both amazing!
