Pneumatic (Air) tools for break down

Hello,



I recently changed over from battery operated tools to pneumatic (air) tools for breaking stuff down. I'm current using a DeWalt Air Compressor (200psi, 5 SCFM, 1 HP, 4.5 Gallon). It has 2 two ports each port and I have a pneumatic screwdriver on each with different tips. here is the link to the that tool:
Reversible Air Screwdriver

I recommend switching over to pneumatic tools to whoever hasnt though of it yet or has been considering it.

got any air hammers? ; )

No, no air hammers but, I might be getting a cutting torch soon to help zip through things

I agree with everything here. Air tools rule. Air hammers rule. Torches rule.

I don't think I can replace my sawzall or angle grinder with air tools yet though.

Originally Posted by mrsamsonite

No, no air hammers but, I might be getting a cutting torch soon to help zip through things

I prefer dual stage regulators, unless they've greatly improved single stage in the last 20 years

I use battery powered everything. That way i can use it in the feild or shop. But dont buy cheap tools.

Bear, tell me more about stage 2 regulators, I'm not too familiar with them.

RR I also have battery powered stuff but, I use it mostly in the field. The pneumatic tool are nice because they are lighter, quicker, and there is no interruption in changing/charging batteries. But ya the pneumatic I only use in the shop.

I have an air line plumbed into the air tank on my truck from which I run my chisel and impact, in my shop I have a 5 hp DeVilbus on an 80 gallon tank for all my air needs. I even have a Ingersoll Rand pneumatic overhead chain hoist on a trolley. You can't beat air operated tools for durability, especially if you fork out extra money to get quality tools.

As for air chisels I have two, one with a long 2 inch stroke and the other with half that or less, they each have their uses. For cutting off converters I'm using a 13 amp Milwaukee sawsall, an awesome saw which has a longer stroke than my old Dewalt, the longer stroke utilizes more teeth of the blade and I'm finding not only will the Milwaukee cut faster but also gives better millage on your blades.

I use the sawzall from a 2500 watt pure sine inverter, which is not permanently wired into the truck so I'm able to swap it over to any vehicle in a moments notice.

I'm so impressed with Milwaukee's 5 year warranty and tool performance I recently purchased the Red angle grinder.

Gus,

Im rocking a 9a ridgid sawzall. Its pretty good but, probably not as good as your milwaukee. Although it does have a lifetime warranty!

Originally Posted by Dex

Gus,

In regards to plumbing off of your truck. Do you put a regulator in or a water separator? Or is it tank, valve, hose, tool?

Most trucks today equipped with air brakes have an air dryer before the wet tank, I take my air from the dry tank. The compressor on the truck cuts in at 60 psi then quits producing air at 120 psi. You could fiddle with the governor to get a higher cut in pressure with more psi at the top end, you could also install a larger air tank but by doing so it's going to take longer to reach that magical 60 psi which the maxi brakes require to release before driving anywhere.

Single stage compressors will not last very long if you jack the top end up.

A-United in Surrey BC was one of the largest auto wreckers I had ever seen, they had a separate yard for every make of car or truck then a separate yard for the heavy trucks. They eventually went into receivership, any how that has nothing to do with what I want to say.

In each yard they had an old beater with a cutting torch, tools and air for each yardman. The air compressor was nothing more than a Ford piston type AC compressor, on the air intake side they had a can fitted to the intake air line, inside the can a lightly oil soaked rag to act as an air filter, for an air receiver a 100 lb propane tank. At the air tank a pressure switch hooked into the 12 volt electric magnet, the pressure switch just an off the shelf compressor switch.

Not sure what pressure they had but it was enough to run an impact. The only thing I would like to see changed here is the use of the propane tank as an air receiver, unless the tank was one of those LPG tanks from an automotive application. And be sure to use a pressure relief valve with the proper setting.

Originally Posted by Dex

Thanks Gus.

I forgot about the air dryer on the truck. I had a brain fart. Surprising really, since I fought the truck at the first freeze up last fall, getting the air dryer working and the brake lines cleared of moisture. Thanks again Gus.

(EDIT)
How do you determine wet/dry tanks? I was told by a Mack mechanic that my air dryer was on my last tank. Meaning, the air had to go through the other three tanks before it found the air dryer. It is also the lowest tank. So I put air brake dryer in after the governor then used a propane/air torch to heat suspected ice clogs. After some time and two broken wires it was working again. I'm fairly new to air brakes and it's another learning curve.

I don't mean to high jack the thread and I apologize to the OP.

It's all relevant to the topic of this thread, to be able to use air tools you need compressed air, maintaining your equipment takes a bit of know how. Getting compressed air on the cheap could benefit those short on cash or just starting out.

On the old farms I find these old tractor PTO air compressors that slip onto the pto shaft to inflate a flat, then we have the spark plug compressor, remove a spark plug then install the compressor, these are good for one inflation at a time as they get very hot. I'm sure that extended use would cause damage to the unit.

The Rental shop I once worked at had some Ford 302 CID engines where one bank of cylinders was used to compress air, the opposite bank of cylinders ran the compressor the special head on the compressor side always gave trouble we were constantly doing repairs.

That's some cool stuff! I bet a guy could really move some air with a PTO compressor. I'd love to find one. I can only imagine the fun I'd have with a 35 hp air compressor (given a 45 hp tractor with 35hp assumed after parasitic power loss at PTO). Maybe a rotary screw style, tankless, compressor could be adapted? No tank just air, like some pull behinds. Got thee ole gears turning again.

With those 302 fords, were they still internal combustion engines on the one bank? I don't quite understand it. I understand suck, squeeze, bang, blow is how an engine works. Four cycles, five events. That sounds way cool.

The possibilites with air tools is endless. It would be nice to be able to use a one inch impact away from the shop. Or a jack hammer (for when a concrete drum stops turning when full off concrete and the scrappers are called to get the drum after it's hardened), or to be half the power behind a plasma cutter (for those aluminum jobs when a demo saw starts kicking my butt).

Thanks Gus.

I was thinking on those 302 fords. If the crank journals are at 90* relative to each other, it could quite easily be made to run on four cyls. Although the four cyls engines I've worked with had flat cranks with journals at 180* out from each other. I don't know ford firing order of the top of my head, (I know six cyl continental order though ((too young, too old, just right)) 16 54 32) but I suppose there was a reason they were used. To keep the engine balanced somewhat. No matter what, with that amount of rotating mass it would get shaky. The cam could stay the same, being that it still needs intake and exhaust strokes. The intake manifold might get interesting, but could be done. The exhaust on the compressor side might need to be a one-off custom, but it wouldn't get as hot so tighter seals could be achieved. I like this.

Scrappin ain't easy.

The company that made the Ford conversion Gordon Smith has gone out of business February 2010

Here is the archive org snapshot of their last active webpage. Smith Compressors

Perhaps not relevant, but my brother owns a sprinkler business. He has a towable compressor for blowing out sprinklers. It's 185 CFM. That would run just about anything.

There are still some parts available if you know your part #
Genuine OEM Air Compressor Replacement Parts for Gordon Smith Products and other suppliers .
When I first started in the air compressor business in 1978 the company I was a road mechanic for worked on any make and model of compressor , including the Smith's and Grimmer Schmidt's with the 302 cu. in. Ford's .
The company took on the G-S line as the New England Distributor , but promptly dumped it as too many headaches .
Gimmer Schmidt is now owned by Chicago Pneumatic which is owned by Atlas Copco
Bandit