| f the most important aspects of almost any job in a | | | | high standard quickly. Different products are available |
| modern auto workshop is getting the area that you | | | | that offer different numbers of needle points, or work |
| are working on as clean as possible. Removing dirt | | | | at higher or lower power speeds. When choosing a |
| and debris from the area where you want to carry | | | | needle scaler for your workshop, there are a number |
| out a repair makes finding and isolating the problem | | | | of factors to consider including the price you are willing |
| much easier, and makes fixing it simple. While it is | | | | to pay, and how much you are going to use the tool. If |
| possible under certain circumstances to use solvents | | | | you are likely to use needle scalers a lot – and |
| and other cleaning agents to get an area ready to | | | | most mechanics find that they are – it makes |
| work in, the best air tool to properly prepare an area | | | | sense to buy one that will go the distance, and will |
| and remove the dirt that can compromise your repair | | | | clean effectively to reduce the amount of time a job |
| is a needle scaler. | | | | takes. |
| Needle scalers are one of the most important air tools | | | | Ingersoll Rand needle scaler, one of the top names in |
| in a modern mechanic’s armory, and have | | | | air powered tools produce a standard duty needle |
| literally hundreds of different uses in the workshop. | | | | scaler that Red Hill Supply has on sale at around $165, |
| These are simple but effective air tools that are | | | | which is a real bargain considering that the |
| amongst the most efficient method of clearing debris | | | | recommended price is more than $300. This tool has |
| from an area to prepare it for work. | | | | 19 needles and pumps out at 4600 cycles per minute, |
| A needle scaler is an air tool that replies on a supply of | | | | making it very effective at cleaning even the hardest |
| compressed air that forces a piston backwards and | | | | contamination from an area. |
| forwards. This piston is connected to a number of | | | | Florida Pneumatic offers a similarly priced needle |
| very fine chisels that resemble needles. By pushing the | | | | scaler which has been designed with a pistol style grip |
| needles forward at a very high speed – up to | | | | to make it more comfortable in use, and easier to |
| around 5000 times per second – the needle | | | | poke into confined areas. The FPT 1050 offers lower |
| scaler is able to rapidly chip away at any debris in an | | | | levels of power than the Ingersoll Rand product, with a |
| area and clear it back to bare clean metal in a matter | | | | maximum speed of 2700 cycles per minute in normal |
| of seconds without the need for any expensive and | | | | use. The tool weighs around 4 ½ pounds, which |
| messy solvents or other cleaning products. | | | | means that it is still light enough to use for short jobs, |
| The secret of the success of a needle scaler is the | | | | but you may find it tiring to clean larger areas using it. |
| fact that it works at such high speeds. Because the | | | | If you don’t yet require the power of one of |
| chisels move so fast, they only need to move a small | | | | the high end needle scalers from Ingersoll Rand, then it |
| distance, which means that the tool is incredible | | | | is probably still worth considering something like the |
| accurate and precise when used. Someone who is | | | | lightweight pneumatic scraper kit from Astro |
| experienced in using a needle scaler will find that it is | | | | Pneumatic. At less than $45, this tool is perfectly |
| an excellent way of removing paint, rust, and other | | | | adequate for light surface cleaning, and can even |
| things from a surface with a minimum of fuss. | | | | remove spot welds with a little effort. While it may not |
| The air tool can be held in a similar manner to a large | | | | have the effectiveness of a more powerful needle |
| pen, and gradually used to clean a surface to a very | | | | scaler, it will still give acceptable results in most cases. |