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Shake & Break air hammer bit saved the day

SouthernIllinois

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Jan 14, 2024
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This bracket on the 65 Corvair had me. The screws were stripped out and wouldn’t budge. A made in USA Harbor Freight Chief 1/2” drive air hammer bit and a little heat saved the day. I was all prepared to use a screw extractor on it. This Harbor Freight Phillips bit on a $11 Menards air hammer had both screws out in less than a minute drama free!

IMG_8035.jpegIMG_8033.jpegIMG_8034.jpeg
 
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finn

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Mar 27, 2005
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The UP, God's country
Interesting...

So it just bangs the **** out of it without rotation or is that a special air hammer?
The original had a pin that you apply pressure with your hand to rotate the shaft (with a bit inserted in the end) to loosen the fastener while you rattle the tool and fastener.

This version looks to have a hex so you twist with an open end or box wrench while the air hammer rattles the fastener.

Th original works great and there’s no reason to believe this one isn’t just as good.
 

ericm

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Apr 17, 2016
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Southern Oregon
Oh so that's what the hex is for. I'm new to air hammers, I think I used mine for the first time last year.

I got my first motorcycle in the '70s. Japanese bikes back then had soft Phillips (or JIS) cross head screws that stripped easily. One of my first tool purchases was an impact wrench. Not an air or electric one, a hammer powered one.

IMG_1470.jpg


The chrome outer part slides back and forth on the shaft. There's a spring inside and a ramp. Hit it hard enough to compress the spring and hit the ramp, and it turns the bit while delivering the impact to it. It works pretty well.
 

alwaysFlOoReD

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Sep 24, 2013
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Location
Airdrie, Alberta, Canada
Oh so that's what the hex is for. I'm new to air hammers, I think I used mine for the first time last year.

I got my first motorcycle in the '70s. Japanese bikes back then had soft Phillips (or JIS) cross head screws that stripped easily. One of my first tool purchases was an impact wrench. Not an air or electric one, a hammer powered one.

IMG_1470.jpg


The chrome outer part slides back and forth on the shaft. There's a spring inside and a ramp. Hit it hard enough to compress the spring and hit the ramp, and it turns the bit while delivering the impact to it. It works pretty well.
I have 2 of those. One with a 3/8" square anvil, and one with a 1/2" square. And the adapter to use the screwdriver bits that come with them. They have definitely come in handy.
 

larry4406

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Jan 27, 2006
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19,323
Location
Northern Virginia
Oh so that's what the hex is for. I'm new to air hammers, I think I used mine for the first time last year.

I got my first motorcycle in the '70s. Japanese bikes back then had soft Phillips (or JIS) cross head screws that stripped easily. One of my first tool purchases was an impact wrench. Not an air or electric one, a hammer powered one.

IMG_1470.jpg


The chrome outer part slides back and forth on the shaft. There's a spring inside and a ramp. Hit it hard enough to compress the spring and hit the ramp, and it turns the bit while delivering the impact to it. It works pretty well.
I have one of these (Matco ID67 it’s stamped). Works great. Glorified yankee push drill. I bought it 1979-80 time frame off the tool truck when I worked at a Honda motorcycle shop.
IMG_0518.jpeg
 

Captain Spaulding

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Feb 13, 2017
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753
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Southern Indiana
Oh so that's what the hex is for. I'm new to air hammers, I think I used mine for the first time last year.

I got my first motorcycle in the '70s. Japanese bikes back then had soft Phillips (or JIS) cross head screws that stripped easily. One of my first tool purchases was an impact wrench. Not an air or electric one, a hammer powered one.

IMG_1470.jpg


The chrome outer part slides back and forth on the shaft. There's a spring inside and a ramp. Hit it hard enough to compress the spring and hit the ramp, and it turns the bit while delivering the impact to it. It works pretty well.
That is the very first tool I ever owned. Exactly the same. Still have it in my box.

When I was about 16, I went to a flea market with my recently retired grandpa. He was an old-school mechanic who was always looking for drills to sharpen. They were NOT bits, and I still cringe when I have to call them bits to fit in. We came across a guy selling these, and my grandpa haggled with the guy to get a second one cheap for me. It was a long time before I used it, but when I did, it worked! Probably used a half dozen times total, but it’s a big help when you need it!

I have the one he kept, and mine, side by side in my box. They’ll be there until I’m gone.
 
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finn

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Mar 27, 2005
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The UP, God's country
I've seen people use this sort of tool online, it has a handle so you can apply twisting pressure to the screw at the same time. It looks like it works great and I'd like to have one, except that I don't have an impact hammer. :)

51UF0w6SBOL.jpg
That’s like mine. From memory, the bit inserts are a little larger than common 1/4” impact bits. Don’t remember the size or where I got them.
 

fourjeepin

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Feb 12, 2011
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Location
Atlanta, GA
There was a thread here many years back (maybe 13?) on making one of these. It is the first thing I remover seeing here and thinking, I gotta build me one of those.

You sacrifice an impact hammer bit, grinding the end to fit into a short 1/2” extension. Before brazing it together, add a hex nut. It was a fun project but I think I have only used it once. Now can i locate a pic of mine…
 

ecotec

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Oct 5, 2010
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5,451
The adapter for the rivet gun/air hammer is colloquially known as a "screw knocker". Had those in aircraft tool boxes as far back as I can remember, and they were old even then.
We always called them Shake and Breaks, but that is just one brand’s (Wivco) name for them. You can find them from 30-40 brands.
 

mreisner

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Jun 25, 2019
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North of Detroit
That is the very first tool I ever owned. Exactly the same. Still have it in my box.

When I was about 16, I went to a flea market with my recently retired grandpa. He was an old-school mechanic who was always looking for drills to sharpen. They were NOT bits, and I still cringe when I have to call them bits to fit in. We came across a guy selling these, and my grandpa haggled with the guy to get a second one cheap for me. It was a long time before I used it, but when I did, it worked! Probably used a half dozen times total, but it’s a big help when you need it!

I have the one he kept, and mine, side by side in my box. They’ll be there until I’m gone.
First thing I bought too had a flea market at the local Stockyard I think everybody that had a dirt bike in the 70s or early 80s had one of those. I think it was collusion between the Japanese bike makers and the Chinese tool makers.
 

joecon

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Oct 4, 2010
Messages
681
I have both of them and have used then a lot. When you work in the rust belt you have a lot of use for anything that helps with rusty fasteners. The hand impact tool I always remember seeing around, but the screw knocker I first saw when GM had problems with Citation rear wheel bearings that were held on by Trox screws. They would round out when you tried to remove them, Then GM came out with a bulletin to use a screw knocker to loosen them, and it worked like a dream. I have a couple of them, and they can save you a lot of trouble. Both tools can save you a lot of heartburn. The first screwknocker I had was an OTC, the last one I bought was I think a Mayhew. The hand driver is a Mac.
 
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L.Cheapo

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Oct 23, 2014
Messages
5,946
I use mine for knocking out stubborn wheel hub bearings. Loosen the bolts a few turns, let 'er rip. Once the bolt heads touch the hub again I back them out another few turns and go again, or use a chisel bit in the new gap between the hub and knuckle. I've heard this can damage threads, but it hasn't happened to me yet.

Bought mine after I spent three hours beating a hub with a ball peen and chisel to get it off. My teeth hurt after that one.
 

NHtoolguy

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Mar 4, 2018
Messages
328
Location
Gilford, NH
I recently used a 3/8" drive Mayhew air hammer socket adapter and 14 mm socket to remove the dreaded Subaru front pinch bolt. I heated the knuckle with a MAPP torch and used my CP714 air hammer and a long 3/4" wrench to loosen the bolt. It worked great!
 
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