Woodworker's Journal 2009-33-3, страница 58

Air Tools in the Woodshop

By Sandor Nagyszalanczy

Compact, powerful and affordable, air-powered tools connect to a compressor instead of an electric outlet, but still deliver the kind of performance woodworkers expect from their portable power tools. Are they right for your shop?

If you've gol a decent-sized compressor in your shop, why are you only using it to spray finishes, blow dust off benchtops. and shoot fasteners from a nail or staple gun? When you think of air tools, the impact wrenches and body grinders used in automotive and metal shops may first come to mind. But there are lots of sanders, saws, drills, routers and more that run on compressed air and are perfect for everyday tasks in the woodshop. Many of these tools are pneumatic versions of electric portable power tools. Yet air tools are more compact, simpler and easier to maintain, safer to operate (no chance of electric shock) and — best of all — are often more affordable than their electric counterparts. For example, a 1/4" electric die grinder will set you back $100 - $150 or more, but you can buy a pneumatic die grinder for as little as $10 - $20. Production quality air tools made by companies specializing in pneumatics such as Sioux and Dynabrade cost more, but are built tough enough to handle the heaviest use and still last for decades. You'll find a quick rundown on some of the more woodworking-friendly air tools starting on page 58.

If there's a downside to using air tools, it's that most have a powerful hunger for air, meaning you need a fairly large compressor to run them at full capacity (see sidebar, page 62). There are a couple of other issues to consider with air tools, although I don't think either is a deal breaker. Although air tools are not significantly noisier than electric tools, the added clatter of a running compressor can create quite a din in a small shop. Also, the tools' air exhaust lends lo blow sawdust around, and if you work in a cold climate, this cool air blast can feel unpleasant.

Air Tool Operation

Regardless of the size and type of compressor you have, the setup for running air tools is basically the same. You'll want an air filter/moisture trap and a regulator connected to (he outlet of the compressor's storage tank to clean and dry the air and adjust the

In many situations, size does matter. Although their mostly-metal bodies have a decent amount of heft to them, air tools are often much more compact than their electric-powered equivalents, allowing them to work in cramped spaces where corded tools are just too big to fit.

Woodworker's Journal June 2009

57