I am in the process of retooling a shop. New managment has allowed me to finally buy some of the shop tools I have been trying to get for years. We do restoration of nearly any type of art work. Over the past few years furniture has grown over the other departments and is now approximately 75% of the business. I am in the process of retooling the studio and have almost all the shop tools purchased (not yet running, electrical needs complete upgrade). I am considering switching our electric hand tools (orbital sanders mostly) to air tools. I also want it for a heavy duty finish polisher. We do only hand rub finish so I do not need the compressor for a spray gun. My question is what are the main advantages of air tools over the electric tools? I have never used them but have looked at them at past shows I have attended. It seems the biggest advantage I hear is they hold up better because they have less mechanical parts and a little less prong to damage for the dust. What about maintaining them vs electrical. I am going to get the polisher for working a final high gloss finish but want to size the compressor correctly if I go with numatic tools. Any suggestions on brands of tools and compressors would also be appreciated.
Thank You
Replies
I'm a big fan of air tools; my school shop will eventually be mostly air tools.
Advantages:
-like you said , much more durable than electric. Also a lot more powerful in many cases. My students were amazed at how much more power there was when driving screws into maple even with no pilot hole (just to see what the guns could do)
-the tools are typically a lot less bulky than the electric ones, especially the new big voltage cordless drills
-no extension cords to roll out and roll up all the time if you plan your air outlets intelligently
-sanders give a better, more consistent scratch in less time than the electric ones do (I can't explain why, but they do; rare to see anything but air powered in a solid surface fabricators shop, and they do a lot of sanding. My sandpaper rep basically told me the same thing recently; when advising customers who aren't happy with the results they're getting, first thing he says is go to air.)
-nailers: you probably have some uses for nailers even in restoration work, and if you haven't tried pneumatic fastners, you'll love them. The brad nail holes also look 'right' for restoration
disadvantages:
-higher up front cost; the two new screwguns I just bought cost a good bit more than a corded gun....about the same as a pro level cordless. Sanders are about twice the price of the electric version (don't know about you, but I've junked a lot of electric sanders, so I have no doubts about which is better value)
-you do need a lot of air. You have to add up all the CFM requirements of the tools you might be using at the same time, and factor that when choosing a compressor....big difference if it's one person using one tool at a time, or ten guys using ten tools
-the tools are shop tools; except for nailers, most people won't have a compressor big enough to run the tools in the field, if you do any of that.
Brands: I like Sioux Tools for drills/screwguns, Dynabrade for sanders. I've had prett good results from every brand of nailer I've used (up to 16 ga). Duofast makes some very nice ones that cost a little more than the entry level tools, so does Senco.
cabinetmaker/college instructor. Cape Breton, N.S
WAY too conservative to be merely right wing
Adrian got most of the points I would have made. I'll just add that air powered tools are better in damp environments because there is no shock hazard. However, when you look at cost, it takes a very big compressor to run some of the air tools out there, and having a 10 hp air compressor doesn't mean that your tools you run from it will be 10 hp. In other words, air tools will use more electricity than an electric tool. In any shop I think it is important to have a balance of both. Nail guns and air sanders are great, but I like corded tools as well.
If you can get a dynabrade cat., look through it to see the vast number of sanders,files and grinders that they carry. We use several in our shop daily, and feel that they are very high in quality, and real time savers. Also, they improve our quality with the job that they do. Not every tool is the right fit for everybody, so look around for what will help your shop do what you do. As the others have said, air tools are very good.
The CFM issue is a big one and it is expensive to make lots of air. "Electricity>compressed air>motion is less efficient than electricity>motion. Many factories I have visited have signs that show what an air leak in a compressed air line "costs" so everyone keeps an ear out for that sound and tells maintenance when they hear the hissing where it should not be. Does the boss fret over the electric bill? If yes, he/she will have a coronary a month after the big compressor goes in.
Also, be aware that air tools require lubrication - either an inline filter/drier/oiler or a few drops in the end every shift. This oil mist ends up on the work. Since you are doing resto work, you are probably not using waterborne finishes, but it is something to be aware of.
Gotta love those tiny little drills though. . .Steelkilt Lives!
Make sure you get an air compressor rated for industrial use. You can usually get one that is about 10 HP, and 40-45 CFM for just under $2K. If you need something with dual pumps, then be prepaired to spend even more. I purchased a 7.5 HP from an outfit called "Industrial-Air-Compressors.Com" of all places. This was a BelAire air compressor, and I have been extremely happy with it.
LazarusRemeber, "Wisdom is the toughest of teachers! She gives the test first and the lesson after."
Edited 6/29/2003 12:52:52 PM ET by Lazarus
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