Compressor for timber framing

In timber framing and timber frame construction, compressed air is first of all about nailing. Strip and coil framing nailers for studs, plates and trusses, staplers for breather membranes and vapour barriers, sheathing nailers for OSB and racking boards: on a panel prefabrication table, several carpenters fire hundreds of nails an hour. Add the blow gun to clean tables and freshly cut timber, and sometimes pneumatic screwdrivers or drills. Unlike a joinery workshop, where air also feeds finishing spray guns, here everything comes down to flow in series production and keeping up with the site.

How much air do framing nailers need?

Our configurator uses, as an indication, about 80 l/min per nailer or stapler in normal use, at around 6 bar, and about 150 l/min for a blow gun. A framing nailer driven at a high firing rate uses more: check the tool's data sheet, which gives the air used per shot and the working pressure.

The calculation is simple:

1. Count the tools working at the same time, not the ones hanging on the wall.
2. Add up their consumption. Tools used in short bursts, such as the blow gun, count at 50%: the air receiver absorbs the peaks.
3. Add a margin of at least 25% for long hoses, tool wear and a future station.

Example of a timber frame prefabrication workshop: 5 nailing and stapling stations on two tables, plus a blow gun.

• Nailers and staplers: 5 × 80 = 400 l/min
• Blow gun: 150 × 50% = 75 l/min
• Total: 475 l/min, or about 595 l/min with the 25% margin.

Which compressor for timber framing?

A carpenter who nails from time to time: the E 75

For one or two nailers and a blow gun, used at the pace of installation, the E 75 piston compressor 7.5 kW is the simplest answer: 0.9 m³/min, 180 L receiver on wheels, 8 or 12.5 bar. A piston compressor is built for intermittent use and needs rest periods between cycles.

Cutting and prefabrication workshop: the S 55

Once the nailing tables run all day, demand becomes continuous. The S 55 screw compressor 5.5 kW delivers 0.6 m³/min at 8 bar, or 600 l/min: it covers the workshop in the example above. It runs at variable speed and adjusts its output to the number of carpenters nailing. It is supplied without receiver or dryer; pair it with a receiver sized using our air receiver size calculator. If the workshop grows, the S 75 delivers 1.1 m³/min at 8 bar.

Erection on site: the M 75

On site, you need a compressor that moves. The M 75 mobile screw compressor 7.5 kW is mounted on a 180 L receiver and wheels: 1.0 m³/min at 10 bar, with no fixed installation. The 10 bar leave headroom for the pressure drop in long hoses running up to the deck or the roof. It is electric: plan for a 380 V three-phase supply on the site distribution board. For a one-off job, compressor rental is another option.

What air quality for timber framing?

• Water. Framing workshops are often barely heated sheds. Condensate rusts nailers, washes out their lubrication and can freeze in hoses in winter. Drain the receiver every day and fit an air dryer: refrigerated if the network stays in a heated area, desiccant if lines are exposed to frost. Our article which air dryer to choose explains the choice.
• Tool lubrication. Many nailers need a few drops of pneumatic tool oil. Follow the manual: a lubricator at the station, or oil added by hand each day.
• Oil and particles. Our compressors are oil-lubricated. For nailing, a particle filter at the start of the network is usually enough. To go further, our fine filters and our ISO 8573-1 guide help you define the air class with our technicians.

Installation and maintenance

• Sawdust. The compressor draws in the surrounding air. Keep it away from cutting machines and saws, or install it in a separate, ventilated room. Check the intake filter often: in a timber workshop it is the first part to clog.
• The network. On a prefabrication table, provide a drop with a quick coupling at each station rather than one long hose. Our guide on connecting a compressor to the air network sets out the rules.
• Draining. An automatic condensate drain means no one forgets the receiver on Friday evening.
• Servicing. On the S 55 and M 75, the first service is at 500 hours, then every 1,500 hours, with a reminder on the controller. Our service kits bundle the filters and wear parts for each model. On the E 75, the usual rule of thumb is an oil change about every 500 hours and at least once a year, as explained in our piston compressor maintenance schedule.

AIRSTAHL compressors carry a 2-year warranty, with spare parts available for 15 years.

To size your workshop or site, use the configurator or the air receiver size calculator, then send us your list of tools in a quote request.

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