An air hammer is a versatile tool that can handle a wide array of jobs. It looks like a gun and uses different types of bits. All the bits are designed to perform specific tasks, but most newbies do not know much about these bits, like what are these bits called or when to use which bit, due to which sometimes they face difficulty while using air hammer.
So, today we are going to talk about air hammers and the uses of their bits, and after reading this guide, you will never confuse between the bits of air hammers.
There are 4 important types of bits that you should know about before using an air hammer. Let’s discuss them one by one.
Smooth-end Bits:
The first type of ones that we are going to talk about is the smooth-end bits. These bits are considered like a hammer because they have a flat and thick end, which works like a manual handheld hammer. We use a simple hammer for framing, cabinet making, struck nails into walls, etc., but we need force to use a simple hammer. On the other hand, if we use a smooth-end bit with an air hammer, we can complete any of these tasks in almost half time than a handheld hammer.
Tapered Punch:
Another type of bit an air hammer uses is a tapered punch bit. Basically, there are two types of taper punch bit. One that has a pointed end and another that has a flat end. Both of these bits are very useful when it comes to free frozen nuts, align holes and drive or lose pins.
Double blade panel cutter:
The tool that acts as a cutter to cut the lid off the tank is the double blade panel cutter. These are like sheet metal cutting tips for them. The idea is that you kind of get its one point started, and once it’s into the metal, it kind of rests and guides itself on the flat on either side, and this cuts just like butter. You can observe how easily it removes the rust from any tank and just absolutely incredible effective machines. These are typically designed for doing exhaust systems and stuff like that, and a big benefit with this is that there are no sparks; it’s not like an abrasive cutting.
Flat air chisel:
As its name suggests, it is a flat head air chisel with a sharp end used to cut or remove rusted or stuck bolts. The bits are hardened, so you can fix them a little bit, but you want to use a regular hand file, not a grinder, because that might spoil its sharp edge.
Instead of this air-powered tool, you can use a simple hammer and a sharp chisel to cut a screw or bolt you don’t need and hitting it with a massive force again and again until it cut. But with an air hammer and using a flat air chisel, you can do it in a very effective way saving your time and effort.
Some points you should know about air hammer
- If you’re doing a lot of heavy-heavy duty work and if an air hammer is a tool you want to use all the time, you are definitely going to want to invest in a decent one, one that has the chuck. An air hammer is not a toy, and it can harm you if you do not use it carefully.
- When you use an air hammer, it will make a lot of noise; that’s why using good quality hearing gears must be your first priority. And not just hearing gears, you should always wear anti-vibration gloves and goggles as the dust you’ll remove from the material can enter in your eyes.
- While installing the chisel, make sure that it is well fitted.
- If you want your air hammer to work for a longer time, then its time-to-time maintenance is one of the most important you should do. An air hammer doesn’t require much from you but regular oiling, which you can do one time in a month.
At the end
Basically, an air hammer has a whole bunch of different uses. It is a vital tool in your toolbox, and if you live in Rust Belt, this is a must have tool, and knowing how to use its bits or chisels is also a must; otherwise, next time, you will be using the wrong chisels for the wrong purpose and complaining about the quality of your tool.
