Air tool, oil requirements advice needed

This is a place to share about tools and workspaces
Post Reply

Topic author
letank
Posts: 4009
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:16 pm
Location: SF bay area

Air tool, oil requirements advice needed

Post by letank »

I have been thinking in moving up to air tool for cutting... but was surprised by the fact that an oiler is needed, but the worst part is that the oil is evacuated in open air... by the tool, near your face... I checked various sites and indeed the comments do not bring an ounce of safety...

What is your enlightened opinion?

it is an old post, but a good beginning:

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/g ... oil-97284/

As I posted under the lubrication for South Bend Lathe topic, There are paraffins in motor oils.

In refrigeration machinery, air tools and firearms where temperatures can be depressed by expansion of gasses or in the case of firearms, by taking them out in the cold, the paraffins will go to a waxy solid and gum up the works.

desergison's synthetic is paraffin-free and the light hydraulic oils are pretty much so. The Marvel Mystery oil has such a strong solvent in it that it will free up anything.

Home shop and light industrial users can get away with more than construction users. The heavy duty rock drills can get the exit air stream so cold that it throws ice chunks.

That brings up another point. Air tool oil not only has to stay oily at low temperatures, but it can't go to snot when mixed with carryover water in the air. I, sadly, have had to de snot several pneumatic systems and it 'snot fun.

End of preview

Electric and cordless seem like a better idea!
Michel
74 wag (349 Kmiles... parked, next step is a rust free body)
85 Gwag (229 Kmiles... the running test lab)

threepiece
Posts: 430
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2020 8:33 am

Re: Air tool, oil requirements advice needed

Post by threepiece »

What are you cutting and how much of it?
I used to name my FSJ’s after their previous owners, I realized I had too many with five named Rick.

Dang raccoons again!

Rust is a color too.

Topic author
letank
Posts: 4009
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:16 pm
Location: SF bay area

Re: Air tool, oil requirements advice needed

Post by letank »

threepiece wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 12:51 pm What are you cutting and how much of it?
roof and A pillar and cleaning up the welds after that ... I got the donor (post about the sawzall, yes it is a Milwaukee cordless, I have a corded too and the generator to power the corded for the remote jobs)... now I need to do the swap, it will be corded and in the outside more likely

Thank you for your advice
Michel
74 wag (349 Kmiles... parked, next step is a rust free body)
85 Gwag (229 Kmiles... the running test lab)

threepiece
Posts: 430
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2020 8:33 am

Re: Air tool, oil requirements advice needed

Post by threepiece »

It looks like with the addition of an angle grinder you would have most of your cutting needs covered.

The only significant advantage of any air powered tool over electric would be a 1/4” angle die grinder. I don’t know of any electric grinder with this configuration. It will do what other cutting tools can’t but they are low on HP and cut relatively slow. I have one that I modified. I removed the collet and shortened the spindle. I pressed a 1/4-28 nut into the spindle bore so I can attach a cut-off wheel. The head is now very compact so I can fit it into tight places, it works great. I keep a selection of various diameter cutting disks on hand for different applications.

Another handy cutting tool is the small pneumatic reciprocating saw they too will do what other tools can’t but they are dangerous. The frequency at which they vibrate will damage the small blood vessels in your fingers. I don’t own one because I can’t afford any more damage to my vibration ridden hands. When I need such an action as a saw I use a hack saw blade with a holder.

About a line oiler, you don’t need one. They are for production use. I would not want oil in my supply hose as I paint with them as well. A few drops of oil in the inlet every hour of use is enough. I take the tool outside after oiling and hit the trigger a few times to pass most of the oil.
I used to name my FSJ’s after their previous owners, I realized I had too many with five named Rick.

Dang raccoons again!

Rust is a color too.

Topic author
letank
Posts: 4009
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:16 pm
Location: SF bay area

Re: Air tool, oil requirements advice needed

Post by letank »

threepiece wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 6:58 pm It looks like with the addition of an angle grinder you would have most of your cutting needs covered.

The only significant advantage of any air powered tool over electric would be a 1/4” angle die grinder. I don’t know of any electric grinder with this configuration. It will do what other cutting tools can’t but they are low on HP and cut relatively slow. I have one that I modified. I removed the collet and shortened the spindle. I pressed a 1/4-28 nut into the spindle bore so I can attach a cut-off wheel. The head is now very compact so I can fit it into tight places, it works great.
Excellent idea, I was looking at the compact side of the air tool, and the ones (local home improvement stores) I found were relatively heavy an larger than what I expected. There was a post or a video and someone had an air angle grinder, that was so compact and light weight that it convinced me ... it is always a challenge to find a good and reliable tools... If you have a pict of your mod, can you post it ?
threepiece wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 6:58 pm Another handy cutting tool is the small pneumatic reciprocating saw they too will do what other tools can’t but they are dangerous. The frequency at which they vibrate will damage the small blood vessels in your fingers. I don’t own one because I can’t afford any more damage to my vibration ridden hands. When I need such an action as a saw I use a hack saw blade with a holder.
Truly, it is all about what kind of damages we are willing to inflict to our body willingly or unknowingly ... between motorcycling riding and handling of dangerous fluids or tools I had my shares ... When looking at the bad obsession of the Brits doing the cutting and grinding for the mini, it was my first reaction... no face masks! Our local contractor when doing small construction jobs for sanding or cutting was always wearing an N95 mask 2 years ago... he was lamenting that he trashed so many good masks before the pandemy started.

Thank you for the tips... that was also my feeling that the oiler would contaminated the hose...
Michel
74 wag (349 Kmiles... parked, next step is a rust free body)
85 Gwag (229 Kmiles... the running test lab)

threepiece
Posts: 430
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2020 8:33 am

Re: Air tool, oil requirements advice needed

Post by threepiece »

I posted a thread about the die grinder modification here https://www.shopfloortalk.com/forums/sh ... post757737 for anyone interested.
I used to name my FSJ’s after their previous owners, I realized I had too many with five named Rick.

Dang raccoons again!

Rust is a color too.

Topic author
letank
Posts: 4009
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:16 pm
Location: SF bay area

Re: Air tool, oil requirements advice needed

Post by letank »

thank you, yes the one -husky- that was gifted for father's day is way too big and heavy...
Michel
74 wag (349 Kmiles... parked, next step is a rust free body)
85 Gwag (229 Kmiles... the running test lab)
Post Reply