The term pneumatic tools can refer to a large number of different tools the only shared characteristic of which is that they all run on pressurized air that is supplied from an air compressor. Though they may vary in function as well as size, they are all specialized pieces of equipment that are dangerous to anyone that isn’t properly trained to use them. Just to be clear (as if this need clarification) reading this text will not automatically give you all of the knowledge you might need to run any such piece of machinery. It may however, give you a bit of information on these sorts of device and their parts, as well as what to watch out for.
Firstly there are of course the attachments, or more precisely the parts of the machine which you hold in your hands and operate. As mentioned before, they come in all sorts of different dimensions and each one of them is perfect for a certain type of task. Just making a list of these types of tools will take a significant amount of time, so you can imagine how difficult it would be trying to explain in layman terms the proper maintenance and upkeep for all of them. Instead, a few things that you need to keep an eye out for when handling any of them is the deceptive size, the blowback and your protection while using them. All of these things sort of bleed into each other in that the deceptive size refers to the fact that even if the tool is small it can still run on and require a lot of air and will pack a punch bigger than you expect. This will in turn result in a bigger reaction from the point of contact than you were expecting and it might result in an injury or worse. So start out with the lowest pressure possible first and work yourself up from there.
Next we have the air hose and the air hose reel. These are two separate items but are used in tandem with one another. The air hose reel is a cylindrical spindle used for coiling and storing the hose, and to accomplish this, they can use a motor or a hand crank. It can keep the hose in a tidy state and give it more protection than it would have if it was simply lying around. The hose itself is the item that you need to check the most frequently since its job is to deliver the pressurised air from the compressor to the tool, which means any tear or leak that it might have could cause disastrous results. Frequently check for problems, never go over the designated pressure limit, make sure it is always attached properly, and never carry the tool by the hose.
Finally, we come to the compressors. This device converts power into potential energy in the form of compressed air, meaning that while the others were risky to handle, this particular piece of equipment is downright dangerous to tamper with if you aren’t sure what you are doing. The first thing you need to do is determine the pressure that is present inside and see that it is not too high or too low. If it’s too low, you won’t be able to supply the tool with enough air to run it properly, if it’s too high, it could lead to any number of potential accidents waiting to happen when used. These include, but are not limited to – damage to the tool, a rip in the hose, or causing the connections to any to release or more likely break off. As with the others (but especially in the case of this device) , remember to leave it to a professional if you are not sure what may happen if you even go near it.