In my opinion an inner liner isn’t an absolute necessity if you use the gold filter with 13X micro sieve media and are servicing your filter every 10 hours as you should. The Diablo filter contains desiccant media without a cartridge and I doubt a leading vendor would sell them if they were a liability risk. The gold filter has to do a lot more moisture removal when used with a $300-$400 economy Chinese compressor. These compressors do not have a well designed moisture separator and put a lot more moisture into any high pressure filter. A more expensive well designed compressor has a water separator tower after the first stage which removes 99.7% of all moisture before it reaches the high pressure filter. If you are getting visible amounts of water purged from your high pressure filter or quickly saturating media then your economy compressor is the reason. Modifications you choose for your filter are done at your own risk.
The original gold filter hack uses 1.25″OD PVC and o-rings as a media cartridge substitute to prevent moisture from the filter walls. One filter vendor claims that water vapor mixed with desiccant media leeches acid causing the filter walls to oxidize and become unsafe. Another vendor sells the unlined Diablo filter yet no one has ever posted that it has oxidized from damp media leeching acid. The problem with using 1.25″ O.D. PVC and O-ring seals is the gold filter is 1.375″ inches in diameter leaving an opening space. It is likely that 1.25″ PVC and O-rings do not provide an airtight seal inside. Moisure and high pressure air could channel around the .0125″ size differential. I have been trying find a solution to help gold filter buyers to ease their oxidation concerns and save them money by using the affordable gold filter. It would be an easy fix if there was 1.370″ polycarbonate straight tubing available. There is 1.375″ OD polycarbonate tube, alumium tube, and stainless steel tube available but none fit in this filter. They won’t fit unless you can reduce their diameter with a lathe .005″ for them to fit.
Here’s an easy fix. It only costs $1 for a package of 8 flexible plastic index dividers from Dollar Tree as pictured below. Each liner should last the filter’s lifetime. The flexible plastic index dividers are from their school supply section or obtainable from an office supply store. The only accessories needed are a 1″ or less round dowel rod and a straight edge paper cutter. If you don’t have a paper cutter, a T-Square or L-Square and a razor knife will suffice to square up the liner material. The liner is shaped by cutting the flexible plastic index dividers into a 10″ length and 8″ width and cutting off the divider tab. It needs to be rectangular 10″ x 8″ or less width so that when rolled on the dowel rod it is squared at each end. Place the rolled plasic liner into the filter housing, remove the dowel rod and it will expand itself and fit snugly to the inside wall. There is enough overlap that you get nearly two full layers of plastic lining inside the gold filter. Pull out the plastic tube to just beyond the filter housing threads and add 3/4″ cut lengths of the tampon that come with the gold filter as round end caps. One end is inserted to the bottom with the dowel rod and spaces the tube. Use the dowel rod to push it toward the bottom of the gold filter but not completely out of the partially pulled up tube liner. Pour in your 13X desiccant media, then insert the top end tampon section, then push the filled tubing down into the filter to the level of the threads. This way inserting the tampon caps is simple and won’t fray them from being squeezed over the plastic tube lining with the dowel. Air pressure expands the liner so tightly to the filter that it holds any moisture inside and is fully absorbed by the media. The tampon ends prevent any damp media from touching the threaded filter end caps. You now have a home made cartridge for your gold filter that fits it perfectly with no leaks, acid leeching, or air channeling concerns.
The original gold filter hack uses 1.25″OD PVC and o-rings as a media cartridge substitute to prevent moisture from the filter walls. One filter vendor claims that water vapor mixed with desiccant media leeches acid causing the filter walls to oxidize and become unsafe. Another vendor sells the unlined Diablo filter yet no one has ever posted that it has oxidized from damp media leeching acid. The problem with using 1.25″ O.D. PVC and O-ring seals is the gold filter is 1.375″ inches in diameter leaving an opening space. It is likely that 1.25″ PVC and O-rings do not provide an airtight seal inside. Moisure and high pressure air could channel around the .0125″ size differential. I have been trying find a solution to help gold filter buyers to ease their oxidation concerns and save them money by using the affordable gold filter. It would be an easy fix if there was 1.370″ polycarbonate straight tubing available. There is 1.375″ OD polycarbonate tube, alumium tube, and stainless steel tube available but none fit in this filter. They won’t fit unless you can reduce their diameter with a lathe .005″ for them to fit.
Here’s an easy fix. It only costs $1 for a package of 8 flexible plastic index dividers from Dollar Tree as pictured below. Each liner should last the filter’s lifetime. The flexible plastic index dividers are from their school supply section or obtainable from an office supply store. The only accessories needed are a 1″ or less round dowel rod and a straight edge paper cutter. If you don’t have a paper cutter, a T-Square or L-Square and a razor knife will suffice to square up the liner material. The liner is shaped by cutting the flexible plastic index dividers into a 10″ length and 8″ width and cutting off the divider tab. It needs to be rectangular 10″ x 8″ or less width so that when rolled on the dowel rod it is squared at each end. Place the rolled plasic liner into the filter housing, remove the dowel rod and it will expand itself and fit snugly to the inside wall. There is enough overlap that you get nearly two full layers of plastic lining inside the gold filter. Pull out the plastic tube to just beyond the filter housing threads and add 3/4″ cut lengths of the tampon that come with the gold filter as round end caps. One end is inserted to the bottom with the dowel rod and spaces the tube. Use the dowel rod to push it toward the bottom of the gold filter but not completely out of the partially pulled up tube liner. Pour in your 13X desiccant media, then insert the top end tampon section, then push the filled tubing down into the filter to the level of the threads. This way inserting the tampon caps is simple and won’t fray them from being squeezed over the plastic tube lining with the dowel. Air pressure expands the liner so tightly to the filter that it holds any moisture inside and is fully absorbed by the media. The tampon ends prevent any damp media from touching the threaded filter end caps. You now have a home made cartridge for your gold filter that fits it perfectly with no leaks, acid leeching, or air channeling concerns.
