What is a needle scaler?

[bmwpower]

Seen these before online. What the heck do you use them for?

 

[nova65ss]

Seen these before online. What the heck do you use them for?

Removing paint, rust, gaskets, etc. I do believe.


Jimmy

 

[kartracer55]

WELDING SLAG!!!! lol makes life easy

Think of an inline air hammer but instead of chisels or punches its got a bunch of needles. Wont give you a mirror finish but it helps in cleaning up super heavy stuff. I have only used them for welding slag after I initially cracked it with ahammer so I dont know how well it does for other stuff

Jim

 

[Der Bugmeister]

Don't use them on thin metal or surfaces you want kept smooth...they work by driving the 'needles' (really rounded end rods) repeatedly against the surface to be scaled (cleaned of paint, rust, etc). All the ones I ever used left noticable dimpling on the surface.

Granted, they were industrial strength needle guns...there may be 'subtler' ones available.

 

[Paradise Ridge]

They work GREAT for removing rust, paint etc. from cast iron parts such as vintage tractor axle housings and engines!

Scott

 

[PAToyota]

Not for everything, but they do have their place. I use mine for welding slag and knocking rust scale off of stuff. Never tried it to remove paint, but there have to be easier ways to remove paint. Also does a nice job of removing mortar/plaster from brick and masonry.

 

[330Scott]

Also does a nice job of removing mortar/plaster from brick and masonry.

Hmmm... What about removing paint from concrete block? And linoleum tile from our basement floors? Yeah, I'll bet it would work in both cases.

Better send the wife on a visit to see her Mother for a few days.

 

[PAToyota]

I removed parging from a block wall - not sure that it would do paint off block without taking off the top level of the block as well. As for tile, I really doubt it because the linoleum will absorb the shock. I'd use a scraper to remove tile.

It is sort of like "attached" shot blasting - like consider that the shot is "attached" to the tool and goes back and forth... Hard to explain in words but real easy to demonstrate if you saw it in action.

Basically, it works best to fracture a solid coating - rust scale, plaster, weld slag, ice - off another solid material. Guess you could think of whether using an ice pick on something would do any good and then multiply it by 100 and you've got a needle scaler. So cleaning plaster off something with an ice pick would work, it would just take forever. Enter the needle scaler! But you're not going to get much of anywhere trying to chip paint off something with an ice pick, so you're not going to make much headway with a needle scaler either.

 

[URY914]

They are used in shipyards alot. Make short work on major hull rust. But no fun to use, **** flys everywhere. Need to wear a hood, gloves etc...

 

[AZAV8]

They are used in shipyards alot. Make short work on major hull rust. But no fun to use, **** flys everywhere. Need to wear a hood, gloves etc...

AND EAR PLUGS and EAR MUFFS. They are NOISEY!

Phil

 

[PAToyota]

AND EAR PLUGS and EAR MUFFS. They are NOISEY!

Phil

Yep, forgot to mention that bit! And AzaV8 has it right - it isn't ear plugs or ear muffs - it is ear plugs and ear muffs!

 

[Cebby]

Also does a nice job of removing mortar/plaster from brick and masonry.

Great tip! I have 400 used block I need to take the mortar off of. I figured it was brick hammer time - maybe not!