Woodworker's Journal 2009-33-3, страница 61

Today's Shop

Pneumatic random-orbit sanders (left and middle) are powerful, compact and terrific for most wood sanding tasks. A dual-action (DA) sander (right) works with a more aggressive random-orbit action.

Fitted with a coarse sandpaper, an air disc sander (rear) hogs through wood quickly for shaping operations. A narrow belt sander (front) can fit deep into nooks and slots where even detail sanders can't reach.

Even routers and jigsaws are available as pneumatic models. They can work even in wet conditions where electric tools present a shock hazard. Air routers pack a lot of power into a trim router-sized machine.

PRO TIP:

For rapid hook-up and tool changes, fit all your air hoses and air tools with quick-disconnect fittings that match the diameter of your hoses.

determines sanding aggressiveness: large-orbit models sand more aggressively — best for rougher sanding jobs — while small-orbit models are better for finer finish sanding. Some pneumatic ROs have built-in dust extraction, and they connect to either a vacuum hose or a passive-collection dust bag.

Dual-action or "I)A" sanders, long the kings of cabinet shops, employ the same sanding action as ROs, but they have a handle configuration that makes them a better choice for sanding edges, corners and curved surfaces.

Disc and Narrow-belt sanders

Fitted with coarse-grit discs, pneumatic disc sanders are really handy for quickly shaping large surfaces, say to refine a coopered panel into a smoothly curved cabinet door.

Narrow belt sanders run skinny (1/2") belts on a long wand that can get into areas where even a detail sander won't work. They're indispensable for smoothing the hard-to-reach nooks and crannies on a project.

Jigsaws and Routers

A pneumatic jigsaw may seem like an odd tool, but its smaller size makes it a good choice for curved cutting jobs in cramped areas, like doing plumbing cutouts on the insides of kitchen cabinets. Air jigsaws are also a terrific choice if you need to do repairs while lying on damp ground under a house or work on a boat that's still in the water — there's no hazard of electric shock.

One company. Beaver Tools, makes a line of pneumatic routers and laminate trimmers which are very compact, yet powerful. Accepting only l/4"-shank bits, these routers are nimble to use for inlay and detail work, as well as for trimming veneers, plastic laminates and solid-surface materials.

Reversible and Right-angle Drills

Sporting keyless chucks and rotation-reversing levers, air drills are just like electric drills, only smaller. Just like a clutch on a cordless drill, you can change air pressure on an air drill to control the amount of torque. Lacking the bulk of an electric motor, right-angle air drills are small enough to get into the narrowest compartments. making them great for drilling holes for furniture and cabinet hardware.

Today's Shop continues on page 62...

60

June 2009 Woodworker's Jou ma I