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Some time ago in the genesis of diving there was a DIY article in an old Mechanics Illustrated devoted to Hookah.
Suggest a trip to a building know as a library and look it up..
SDM
View attachment 469900
most simple DIY hookah system!
Most piston-based compressors work exactly like a car piston.... but only piston based compressors. Diaphragm pumps work similarly, but not exactly. Vane pumps and screw pumps work completely differently.One problem is the way that regulators work. The way that traditional demand-regulators work (what we all know as scuba regs) is they take an input of around 140PSI (varies, from 120-150 for most regulators) and regulate it down to a breathable level based on ambient pressure. Custom-making a compressor is simply not feasible for most, and (no offense intended) you seem to not be as well-read as what it takes to make this attainable. If you're REALLY looking for some sort of surface-supplied air, and want to design it yourself, I'd figure out a way to float big bank bottles and attach them to traditional scuba gear and just put a big 10-30ft hose on the regulator.
Most compressors work exactly like a car piston.
this is a pretty dangerous statement. under no circumstances should an oil-lubricated compressor be used to supply 'breathable compressed air.' Dynamic oil separation ie immediately being consumed by the diver, is not reliable no matter how clean you might try and make it. The traditional "oil-less" compressors are another story. In fact, virtually all the Hookah systems I've seen offered include a single or dual piston oil-less compressor capable of delivering in excess of 50lpm at 0psi ie surface pressure coupled with an air reservoir to buffer the system.You can just about use any shop type air compressor pumping unit provided it is cleaned internally beforehand and a suitable oil is used, abac type 2 stages are quite popular in my industry (pearl diving) and 16cfm is good for 2 divers to 25m plus. Where it gets complicated and expensive is the other parts you may not be aware of. Breathing air hose, tema fittings for the hose, relief valve, water seperator, filtration unit, some kind of reciever usually built into the frame if the unit is portable.
For many years clisby compressors were the first choice (in australia at least) but now days it works out cheaper to use chinese produced pump units and replace the whole thing when the rings go rather than rebuilding the more expensive units.
I have built and rebuilt many of these and can do it only slightly cheaper than buying a production model and thats reusing the filtration units.
As tbone suggested buying a commercially available unit is the way to go unless your really after the diy feeling.