Air Hammers...I hate 'em!!!!!!

[millermatic1]

I'm looking for a new air hammer. I have bought several macs, snap-ons, cornwells, matcos...break them all..the barrells freeze up no matter how much oil I use. I'm a 20 year body man. I'm sure it's because I use them as a pry bar when i'm cutting, but you have to. They get stuck. I'm just gonna buy the cheap ones, the good ones cost too much and last 4 months. Any ideas out there?

 

[Merkava_4]

Your distributor won't warranty them passed 90 days or something?

 

[35mastr]

I'm looking for a new air hammer. I have bought several macs, snap-ons, cornwells, matcos...break them all..the barrells freeze up no matter how much oil I use. I'm a 20 year body man. I'm sure it's because I use them as a pry bar when i'm cutting, but you have to. They get stuck. I'm just gonna buy the cheap ones, the good ones cost too much and last 4 months. Any ideas out there?

You may want to check over your air system. I used air hammers daily and was not even oiling them. I still have all 4 that I bought over 15 years ago and still use them.

Never broke any of them except the chisels and the quick disconnects.

If you have any kind of a real tool guy. He will put a good one in your hands.

 

[Trumps]

There's two different trains of thought with these things. Now, personally, I'm in the camp that says you shouldn't put oil in an air hammer or rivet gun because it can make the piston stick. Does anyone have any experience or opinions on this?

 

[Merkava_4]

There seems to be and endless variety of air hammers. the main thing to narrow it down to is what length of piston stroke you want, i.e., 1x 2x 3x 4x, etc.

The first place I'd look is one of the online aircraft tool suppliers. They use a lot of air hammers for bucking solid rivets and they stock all kinds of different strokes too.

 

[Diesel_Crawler]

Get a Snap on PH3050 and do not Oil it, That was the main issue with mine. Send them back again and again, The air tool oil (which i got from snap on) was messing up the inner workings. Now that i stopped it has worked great.

 

[Trumps]

There seems to be and endless variety of air hammers. the main thing to narrow it down to is what length of piston stroke you want, i.e., 1x 2x 3x 4x, etc.

The first place I'd look is one of the online aircraft tool suppliers. They use a lot of air hammers for bucking solid rivets and they stock all kinds of different strokes too.

Aircraft rivet guns are of a much better quality than most air hammers. For example, it would be rather uncomfortable to put down rivets with an air hammer. I use a CP (Chicago Pneumatic) 3x and 4x at work, and both are smooth and very good quality. Atlas copco also make excellent Rivet guns in my experience. They are expensive though. You might be able to pick up a cheap one on Ebay, or a reconditioned one from The yard store

I'm an aircraft sheet metal worker by the way.

 

[Merkava_4]

Aircraft rivet guns are of a much better quality than most air hammers. For example, it would be rather uncomfortable to put down rivets with an air hammer. I use a CP (Chicago Pneumatic) 3x and 4x at work, and both are smooth and very good quality. Atlas copco also make excellent Rivet guns in my experience. They are expensive though. You might be able to pick up a cheap one on Ebay, or a reconditioned one from The yard store

I'm an aircraft sheet metal worker by the way.

When does an air hammer become a rivet gun anyway? When they get down to 1x and 2x maybe? 3x and 4x an air hammer?

 

[Trumps]

When does an air hammer become a rivet gun anyway? When they get down to 1x and 2x maybe? 3x and 4x an air hammer?

Not really. You can still get a 1x rivet gun, but at that size, I know them as a buzz gun (take a smaller diameter rivet snap, and only any use for small rivets in awkward places. A 2x Rivet gun is only really any good for 3/32 or 1/8th rivets, where as a 3x is good for most size rivets, but will struggle on 3/16 steel or 1/4 ally rivets. The 'feel' and operation of a rivet gun is important, and you can also adjust the air flow on some to make them more usable on smaller rivets. Air guns, in my experience, have no 'feel' and are either 'on or off' I would never try to put a rivet down with an air hammer, and expect it to be pretty.

I guess the main difference, is the quality. The Air hammer is very rough, and agricultural in its performance. I purchased an air hammer in England a few years back, and paid about £25 ($40) for it, where as my recent CP 3X rivet gun, cost me around £100 ($160)

The best air tools in the world, in my opinion and in no specific order, are Desoutter (Now a part of CP I believe) Ingersoll Rand and Atlas copco. Snap -on/blue point air tools are not up to their standard in my experience.

 

[Spookrider]

My Dads 1965 CP zip gun is still thumping right along to this day at work.

 

[LGMechanical]

I own a Snap On PH3050A and it's a beast. No problems for over since I got it almost a year now. You must have dirt or lots of moisture in your compressor or you are throwing them against the ground.

 

[bushhawg73]

I am not sure I understand the "NO OIL" comment. If the air hammer has no source of lubrication won"t this cause it to fail. I have never heard not to oil an air tool.

 

[JeepsAreBuilt]

wow.. breaking good air hammers.. I agree with 35mastr, it could be your air doing the damage.

 

[ZRX61]

The best air tools in the world, in my opinion and in no specific order, are Desoutter (Now a part of CP I believe) Ingersoll Rand and Atlas copco. Snap -on/blue point air tools are not up to their standard in my experience.

Try a Sioux sometime (if they still make em.)

http://www.siouxtools.com/force_percussive_accessories.php

and
http://aircraftspruce.com/menus/to/rivet_0guns.html

 

[Trumps]

I am not sure I understand the "NO OIL" comment. If the air hammer has no source of lubrication won"t this cause it to fail. I have never heard not to oil an air tool.

lots of good quality air tools will run without oil. But, obviously, moving parts wear faster and less efficiently without lubrication. I've never lubricated my rivet gun. The only moving part in a rivet gun is the piston, which is made of some pretty sturdy steel.

I lubricate my drills regularly, and love the noise it makes when the rpm goes from a nice whizzzzzz up to a really high pitch, maximum rpm WHIZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

 

[Trumps]

Try a Sioux sometime (if they still make em.)

http://www.siouxtools.com/force_percussive_accessories.php

and
http://aircraftspruce.com/menus/to/rivet_0guns.html

Good point I've not got any hands on experience of sioux, but, i've heard good things about them. I'd like to get my hands on one of their small but powerful palm drills.

 

[nate379]

Dotco is what the guys here use at work on the aircraft.

 

[country83]

I've had extensive experience with air hammers, and it is possible that oiling them can cause the piston to stick. The tolerances between the barrel and piston are sometimes very, very tight, and the oil sometimes takes up too much room. If that happens, just run a little rubbing alcohol through the air inlet. Clears the excessive oil out.

 

[Lyaec350]

Good point I've not got any hands on experience of sioux, but, i've heard good things about them. I'd like to get my hands on one of their small but powerful palm drills.

I've got a spare Sioux air hammer... new, never used, in box. If you're interested...

It's a 270-2" stroke I believe... like this http://www.threedaytool.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=21_49&products_id=369 except gray instead of red.

Let me know...

 

[Charles (in GA)]

When does an air hammer become a rivet gun anyway? When they get down to 1x and 2x maybe? 3x and 4x an air hammer?

Air hammers and pneumatic rivet guns are two different animals. Basically, and air hammer is almost uncontrollable except full power, no real teasing of the trigger and they are not smooth and even at all. I tried riveting with an B&D air hammer I have, as I suspected, its impossible.

Pneumatic rivet guns have smooth even power strokes, a easy feathering or teasing trigger, and also will double as a good air hammer.

Charles

 

[porschedude996TT]

I worked in a aircraft structures shop, we built high performance twin engine aircraft over twentyfive years ago and we never oiled our rivet guns that I recall. The air supply system didn't have any auto-oiling system either. Our drill motors had an oil supply well in them and we rarely oiled them. I still have the rivet gun and drill motor that was issued tome in 1974 and I think I have oiled the drill motor 3 or 4 times and the rivet gun maybe ???? ahh, Never???

 

[autoace]

I have never had any problems with air hammers, use a little WD40 in them, not oil.

 

[Trumps]

I've got a spare Sioux air hammer... new, never used, in box. If you're interested...

It's a 270-2" stroke I believe... like this http://www.threedaytool.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=21_49&products_id=369 except gray instead of red.

Let me know...

Thanks for the offer Lyaec350, but I've no use for an air hammer.