Use of compressed air tools

[EdKing]

Bob, It is beter it the filter is oriented with the bowl down, kind of like the bowl on the fuel filter on your tractor. I try to keep it orientated that way. You can usually find the filters at places like Home Depot, Lowes, or Sears, just look in the tool department.

 

[bgott]

And sometimes when you need that extra UMPH! you can oil the snot out of the impact and get just a little more power out of it. Works best on worn tools.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

If planning to paint buy yourself a dedicated hose. I have a filter-regulater- oiler unit on a thirty gallon oil type compressor. This is fine for tools and inflating things. When I paint I just have to remove the f-r-o unit and hook up the "clean" hose. Hose, even the good stuff, is cheep.

 

[wasabi]

Bob,

These guys are giving you the straight scoop, so I have little to add but this:

Having used compressors in the design/build business for many years, I have to say one of the greatest tools made is the <font color=blue>"little trigger device for blow-cleaning"</font color=blue>. You will find this handy for blowing leaves and dust out of stuff such as your engine and under-hood area, cleaning off a worksurface and such. They are also incredibly handy for a quick "air shower" after getting sawdust or such all over you and your clothes. Cover your eyes and blow away....It will help you keep peace with the CFO /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Bob_Trevithick]

<font color=blue>...Having used compressors in the design/build business for many years, I have to say one of the greatest tools made is the <font color=green>"little trigger device for blow-cleaning"</font color=green>. You will find this handy for blowing leaves and dust out of stuff such as your engine and under-hood area, cleaning off a worksurface and such.</font color=blue>

Yup, I love that little thing!!

My next purchase might be a small grinder for sharpening blades. Of course I've never sharpened a blade, and will have to learn about this first. Then decide on the best tool for the job. The CFO was so impressed with the garden I tilled for her that she's being very gracious lately with my toy allowance. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

<font color=red>The CFO was so impressed with the garden I tilled for her that she's being very gracious lately with my toy allowance.</font color=red>
Beware that slippery slope. She's making a list of all the things you've claimed you'll be able to do with those toys.

 

[TerryinMD]

Bob,

A grinder to run off of the compressor or an electric one.

Either way, it is wise to make sure that the blades are somewhat balanced after sharpening. If you don't, you might end up with an expensive shaking device - keep in mind the speed of those blades as they're spinning around....

Terry

 

[Bob_Trevithick]

<font color=blue>...And sometimes when you need that extra UMPH! you can oil the snot out of the impact and get just a little more power out of it. Works best on worn tools. </font color=blue>

This brings up a question I've been pondering. How do you know how much torque you are really applying to something? My little wrench has a knob with three or four settings, but they aren't calibrated. And I have no way of knowing if the wrench really does 230 ft/lbs. Are you more or less likely to strip threads with an impact tool? Is there any easy way to figure out how much tightening is appropriate for say, car lug nuts, lawn mower blades, etc.? Or do you just use a real torque wrench if there is any doubt at all, and mostly use the air wrench for loosening?

 

[GaryK]

The torgue will depend on how much CFM your compressor puts out and the quality of your impact wrench. I had an old wrench that would not tighten anything past 50-60 flbs and the compressor did not put out much either, i now have a new compressor and new impact wrench that will zip lugs off my truck and will tighten them well past the required 140flbs. Over torqued lug nuts can damage rims and lug nuts and on some vehicles, can warp the disk brake rotors. I use the impact to snug up the lugs and then tighten them with a torque wrench to the specified torque. and yes to answer your question, you could snap off a bolt before you know it.

 

[Bird]

Bob, the only instrument I know of to actually measure torque output on your air impact wrench costs over $1,000. Trial and error is the only other way I know of, and that would highly unreliable. If you're using a wrench that you're familiar with, and a compressor that puts out the volume and pressure you're familiar with . . ., well, after many years experience, you might have a pretty good idea. I've put hundreds of lug bolts (or nuts) on with nothing but the air impact, never had one loosen, and never damaged one, but I've seen lug bolts twisted off in tire shops on more than one occasion./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif And especially with alloy wheels, I run them up snug with the impact wrench, then do the final tightening by hand, whether with a torque wrench or just a plain 4-way lug wrench.

And as for <font color=blue>the "little trigger device for blow-cleaning"</font color=blue>, you mean there's someone who doesn't have one? I use 3; different length and size of nozzle for different jobs./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif