Best Air Tools For Automotive Restoration
Article by Mark Trotta
As mechanics gain experience and begin to take on larger projects, they find that having the proper tools becomes a necessity.
Air tools will decrease the amount of time and energy needed to finish both large and small automotive repairs.
Air Tools vs Electric Tools
Here's a few reasons why air tools are still preferred by most professionals:
They're significantly lighter and faster, and quality ones are still more powerful than their electric counterparts. They don’t overheat, and there are many more options available for the same power source.
The only negative of pneumatic tools is that you need a decent-sized air compressor. Once you have a big enough compressor to run them, they'll last you a long, long time.
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From my 40 years of wrenching experience, here's my top ten list of air tools for automotive repair and restoration:
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#1) Air Cut-off Tool
You can use tin-snips to cut sheet metal, and you can use a hacksaw to cut off a rusty bolt, but an air-powered cut-off wheel (a.k.a. whiz-wheel) is much, much faster.
TIP: While cutting, work slowly, letting the tool do the work. Do not force it to cut faster, as that will overheat the tool and the metal.
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#2) Air Die Grinder
Just one of the many uses of an air die grinder is grinding rusty metal down to clean metal quickly. Both 2" or 3" pads and discs are common, and dozens of attachments are available. By changing the arbor on your die-grinder, it can serve as a cut-off wheel.
Die grinders come in either straight or right-angle. I keep one of each.
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#3) Dual-Action Palm Sander
The D/A, or dual-action sander is small and light and works at lower RPMs than other air tools. They have a dual orbital motion that helps prevent scratching.
Its primary use is to "feather", or fan out the area around a panel repair. 150 or 220-grit sandpaper is commonly used for this.
TIP: When using a D/A sander, keep it flat to the surface and don't press down too hard. Let the sander do the work.
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#4) Air Sander
More power than electric sanders, air-powered sanders have a smoother action that won't fatigue your hands as quickly.
As they work at higher RPMs without the orbital motion of a D/A sander, air sanders make quick work of paint removal and grinding down welds.
Ones with five-inch pads seem to be most useful. And because of their power, they can also warp/damage sheet metal, so they need to be used with finesse.
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#5) Air Drill
An air drill enables you to drill holes in sheet metal without running out of power or getting the drill hot.
You need to be careful when starting a pilot hole because they can spin at high RPMs. A 3/8" air drill was particularly helpful when removing rivets from Corvette brake rotors.
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CFM Requirements For Air Tools
- Die Grinder: 4 - 6 CFM
- Cut-Off Tool: 4 - 10 CFM
- Angle Disc Grinder: 5 - 8 CFM
- Dual-Action Sander: 11 - 13 CFM
- 1/4" Ratchet: 2.5 - 3.5 CFM
- 3/8" Ratchet: 4.5 - 5 CFM
- Air Hammer: 3 - 11 CFM
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#6) Air Hammer
No tool has gotten me out of more jams than this Ingersoll Rand 117 air hammer. I bought it back in the nineties, and it has never let me down!
The life-saver...the miracle worker...the old "Billy Baroo".
An air hammer's many uses include separating spot-welded body panels, removing tie rods from center links, and vibrating the heck out of stubborn nuts and bolts until they separate. Having an assortment of chisel heads makes them invaluable for automotive chassis and suspension repair.
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#7) Air Ratchet
If you need to disassemble an entire motor quickly, you need an 3/8" air ratchet. Impact guns can only fit in so many places, but air ratchets fit in a lot more.
You'll also find that a 1/4" air ratchet is very useful for tight places. Not only will it fit into places hand ratchets can't, it delivers the necessary torque to remove that stubborn nut or bolt.
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#8) Air Reciprocating Saw
A Reciprocating Saw is much more compact than a Sawzall or Portaband, so it can be used in close quarters, such as cutting out a rusty floorboard. They're also ideal for fiberglass, carbon fiber, and very small detail cuts.
When fitted with fine-tooth blades, an air saw will make very fine, clean cuts. It also removes less material than a cut-off wheel.
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#9) Paint Gun
Although I use a turbine spray system when I paint an entire car, I also have a siphon-feed spray gun for tight quarters and small panels. It's also good for motorcycle gas tanks and fenders.
Read: Best Spray Gun For DIY Car Restoration
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#10) Air Blow Gun
The many uses of an air blow-gun include cleaning fuel lines, blowing away filings and metal chips, cleaning spark plugs, etc. I use mine to quickly dry metal panels and parts before painting.
Get one with a rubber tip, it'll prevent you from accidentally scratching something.
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Air Tool Maintenance
Even with a filter/regulator, moisture from an air compressor gets through the hose and can contaminate them. Add a few drops of air tool oil before and after every use.
Although in-line oilers look effective, I've never used them. Several companies, including DeVilbiss, offer short desiccant hoses. These have an inline air filter to help removes dirt, oil and water.
Like other shop equipment, air tools are an investment, so buy quality name brands when you can. Some of my air tools are over 20 years old, and work just as well today as when I bought them.
What Brands Are Best?
With air tools, the better the quality, the tighter the tolerances, so less air usage. The majority of mine are Ingersoll Rand, but I've also had good luck with Chicago Pneumatic and Milton Industries.
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Safety Concerns
When operating high-powered tools, eye protection is essential. Also recommended are a dust mask or respirator. And since they can be quite loud, ear protection is also worth considering. I often wear hearing protection while running them.
You can still hear outside sounds while wearing earmuffs, but they will be much softer. What they will do is dampen noises down to a lower level.
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