Compressor down! Solved!

[30cal]

The drive belt on my Shoebox Max compressor broke!

I have a friend that I just introduced to airgunning. He is totally hooked after me just telling him all about it and showing him some photos of some high end guns. So he jumped right in and ordered a Daystate Huntsman Regal XL .22 and a Tiger Shark CF tank. Anyway I offered to be his air source and charge his tank as needed. Well I swaped tanks with him so he could play with his new toy. Last night I was charging his empty tank. After about 5 hours it was at 1,600 psi the Shoebox started making a strange noise. As I was walking towards it to check it, the belt stripped and the motor kept spinning and the pump stopped. So now I'm dead in the water! I definitely will not be finishing the job with Hill pump. Haha.

So 2 lessons to learn here. Check the belt tension often. And keep spare parts on hand. At least the belts are inexpensive. $5.00 ea. I will order 2 and also a cylinder rebuild kit and whatever other bushings I think I may need. Hopefully I will be back up and running by next weekend.

 

[linsfreak]

How old was your shoebox? I grease the rods 2 or three times during a fill. Then in middle of a fill I give it a break and let it cool with the fan running. Then start again.

 

[30cal]

Mine is only about four months old. But I use it a lot. It has the newest features including the auto lube feature. Which is just small felt strips wrapped around the cylinder rods that you soak with silicone oil. But it does work good. I stop it and add a couple drops every 3-4 hours. I also put a drop on the brass or bronze guild bushings on the right end of the rods.

But I admit to forgetting to check the belt tension. I did when it was new but it was alway tight so I kinda forgot about it. It needs to be very tight to work. Any stretching and it will slip and strip the cogs off.

 

[KYAirgunner]

Thanks for the info to late. No kidding this exact thing happened to me yesterday. but atleast i got one of my 4500 psi tanks filled first so that will hold me for a while.

 

[wyshadow]

Good to know. I've only used my shoebox twice so far. Never thought about ordering spare parts just in case

 

[Dman1114]

Email Tom Kaye ( [email protected] ) ..... The owner/ manufacture of shoebox compressor. He will jump through hoops to make it better.... Being only 4 months old thats quite new....

My pressure switch kicked out on mine at 8 pm on a Sunday night. i emailed him thinking he would get to monday... I checked my email an hour later and he had replied saying that a new one will be on the way. needless to say. i was up and running tuesday night.

Hope you get it up and going quick.

 

[AJ3]

I purchased a new shoebox a month or so ago and didn't lube the brass bushings that guide the rods and one wore almost completely out in 10 hours or so...very important point to keep these lubricated. Manufacturer sent me free replacement and I lube with lithium grease.

 

[30cal]

Wow that's fast service Dman. I will e-mail Tom. Thanks.
Ya my guild bushings are wearing too. Seems like they could be made of UHMW plastic or something better than brass.

 

[30cal]

I run it without the cover and a 20 inch box fan blowing on it and the small shop compressor. They both get warm during a long pumping session.

 

[30cal]

Tom the owner of Shoebox is sending me a new belt and guild bushing at no charge! I didn't even ask for that. Was willing to buy them myself. Now that's great customer service!

He recommended using lithium grease on the guild bushings instead of the silicone oil provided with the compressor.

 

[cawleyd]

Same thing happened to me (burned-up Shoebox belt). The key is to use a big screwdriver to tension the belt before tightening. When you think it's tight enough, tighten it some more. No problems since I read that the belt needs to "twang like a banjo string."

 

[30cal]

Yes I will definitely be keeping it tight from now on.
I'll be ordering an extra one just to have.

 

[30cal]

Ok got the new belt on and I'm back up and running! The new belt and guild bushing didn't cost me a cent and arrived in three days. Nice when a company takes good care of their customers!