Some call ‘em random orbital sanders — I always call ‘em jitterbugs — either way, they’re the go-to tool for a smooth surface finish.  The vigorous circular motion of the sandpaper helps prevent sanding lines and swirl marks, and you don’t have to worry about the direction of the grain.  3M has released a new line of random orbital sanders with the catchy name “Random Orbital Sander.”  I guess the marketing department had the day off.

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Get into tight corners where your old die grinder can’t reach with AirCat’s inside-corner die grinder.  With its 4″ wheel you can access angles as shallow as 30°.  The tool’s 17″ length also allows you to reach into confined spaces.

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Cordless-Drills.net is selling what looks to be a really cheaply made air caulking gun for only $8.  If you’re doing a caulking project that requires multiple tubes, you’ll soon discover that the muscles in the hand aren’t meant to be squeezed repeatedly for hours.  For these jobs, an air-powered caulking gun will save you a lot of time and pain.

Will this one hold up?  Hard to say — but it’s cheap enough that if it just works for one big job, you’re going to be happy.

Air Caulking Gun [Cordless-Drills.net]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

To get started with air tools you don’t need to indulge in a momentous spending spree. If you’re just looking to get into some finish and trim work, Campbell Hausfeld’s bonus kit combo provides a cheap way to go.

At the core of the package are a two-gallon twin-stack air compressor and a 2-in-1 nailer/stapler that’ll handle up to 500 brads or staples in a few 18-gauge sizes. The kit also includes a 25-foot hose and all the assorted accessories that’ll get you going right out of the box.  Just charge up the tanks, load the fasteners, and you’re good to go.

It’s a good deal for an all-in-one package, and it helps the true beginner out by supplying all the right gear you may not have known you needed.

Air Tool Bonus Kit Combo [Campbell Hausfeld]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

When you think of a portable compressor you probably think of a tool that’s small and easy to move for powering your air nailer. Sure, that’s one definition of portable — but how about a compressor the size of a mobile home that can deliver 1,200 cfm at over 350 PSI!

You’re probably not going to see this trailer parked at your normal job site — it’s used primarily in the drilling field, where higher flow removes the cuttings more efficiently and higher pressure makes drilling go faster.

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If you use pneumatic tools a lot, you probably know to take care of them.  But if you only use ‘em a little, you might let the maintenance slide — not worrying about water in the line, not using a good filter, not lubricating your tools — like some Toolmongers I know. If you haven’t treated your air tools right, and they don’t seem to work quite like they used to, don’t give up hope. Blaster Chemical makes an air tool conditioner spray that one retailer claims is “SO POWERFUL IT BRINGS “DEAD” AIR TOOLS BACK TO LIFE!”

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Amazon is listing this Milwaukee framing nailer for $196, with free shipping. It’ll shoot 2″ to 3-1/2″ round-head nails with an operating pressure of 70-120 PSI, and it features a bump-and-fire mode, a reload indicator, and an adjustable air deflector. If your budget’s really tight, you can pick this up in the “new and used” section for as low as $165.

Framing Nailer [Milwaukee]
Via Amazon [What’s This?] [B000ENEULS] [What's This?]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

SK Hand Tools recently added a 3/8″-drive Mini Wobble Ratchet to their air tools line. Wobble ratchets are handy to have around because they allow 16 degrees of angle in a 360 degree range of motion. This little edge gives the mechanic more freedom to cram the tool in and get at hard-to-reach bolts. Once powered up it also wobbles, which helps un-stick the really stubborn ones.

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Porter-Cable’s PTX5 pneumatic reciprocating saw isn’t quite as powerful as its electric corded and cordless cousins, but what it lacks in power it makes up in agility.  Its lightweight aluminum body weighs only 2.7 lbs compared to 8 lbs for a corded saw.

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When I think of tire-inflation testing, my mind boggles with scenes of massive blowouts — breaking S#!$ is so much fun! I’m sure the tire-retreading industry keeps spectacular failures to a minimum, but the shielding on the machine tells me they’re not impossible.

Here you’re looking at the car-tire-inflation tester — the truck-tire version is a bit *heftier*. Despite my love of destruction, I find it reassuring to think that retread tires might actually be tested before they get reused on the highway, driving alongside my car.

Tire-Inflation Tester [Matteuzzi]

While doing the yearly maintenance on your lawnmower like a good Toolmonger, you pull the spark plug and discover it’s covered in crud. While replacing the plug is a fine idea, you might save a little dough and a trip to the store by cleaning it and using it for another year. And though you could clean the plug with a little elbow grease, why do it the hard way when this cheap-ass pneumatic spark plug cleaner’ll do the job for you?

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The nail gun revolutionized carpentry, but at the expense of tying the carpenter to a stationary compressor. Companies have devised some ingenious solutions to this problem — but battery-powered or battery-and-gas-powered nail guns can be heavy, awkward, and costly; and CO2-powered belt packs can only drive so many nails before you have to buy a new canister. Palmgren devised another solution: a portable, tank-less compressor that weighs just 6.6 lbs including the battery, so you can carry it easily over the shoulder or around the waist.

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These aren’t my X-rays, but last night, while working with my Craftsman nail gun, I had the pleasure of shooting a 2″ nail into my thumb. The nail passed cleanly through without doing any real harm. On the positive side, I came up with a new combination of swear words, I now have a great deal more respect for air tools — and I’ve started taking safety a little more seriously.

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What do you get when you cross a cat’s paw with an air chisel? The NailOut. Powered by compressed air, the NailOut drives the claw underneath the nail and removes it up to ten times faster than an ordinary cat’s paw. To get the full effect you need to check out the video here.

The NailOut connects to your compressor with a standard 1/4″ inlet and draws up to 4 CFM to deliver 4,600 blows per minute. If you need to remove 200 nails in a hurry, this is the tool for you. Check out the NailOut on Amazon for $150.

NailOut [Official Site]
VIa Amazon [What's This?]

Bending over or working on your knees with your nail gun can be tough on your body, especially when you do it every day. Wouldn’t it be nice to drive nails while standing up? Sure Drive’s pneumatic Nail Gun Extension lets you operate almost any nail gun with a handle and a trigger from a standing position.

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Campbell Hausfeld is recalling several compressor models after 11 fires were reported. The recalled compressors pose a fire hazard due to improper motor coverings that can ignite during use. The affected products include certain Campbell Hausfeld and Husky compressors sold between July 2005 and November 2007.

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Archimedes said something like, “Give me a lever big enough, and I’ll move the world.” I’m fairly certain the same general idea applies to Matjack’s low-pressure, high-lift bags — at only 8 PSI they can lift one and a half tons or jack up three ton vehicles. Applications include everything from off-road 4X4 lifting to search and rescue.

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