There is no end to the applications and industries that are using air driven tools. In this article I will focus on the home improvement and construction industry. Air Power Tools that drive fasteners have had the biggest impact on the construction trades. The good old hammer is being challenged as the tool of choice. I am not saying that we can all just throw the hammer away…not at all. I still have 5 or more different hammers in my tool kit. Each one has a special purpose and I would be lost without them.


 

Denver Tools 192-7 16-Piece Air Tool Kit

The pneumatic tools today have actually sped up production and made it easier on the wrist. Try swinging a 26 ounce hammer all day and you will see what I mean. The air spiker has totally revolutionized how carpenters frame houses and work on remodels. To drive a 3 inch spike with an air tool, all you have to do is pull a trigger. These are powerful fastening devices and in the wrong hands they can be dangerous. Safety features have come a long way since I first started using these tools 30 years ago.

The varieties of air power tools are endless. You can get a micro pinner that shoots a headless wire nail. This tool is used for precision finish work where you cannot see where the nail was driven. It also prevents the Carpenter from splitting the thinnest moldings available. I would be doing a disservice to the automotive industry if I did not mention how air power tools have helped make the lives of mechanics more enjoyable.

Denver Tools 192703A 3/8 Driver Air Ratchet Wrench

Professionals and manufacturers have used air power tools for decades, well aware of the safety and dependability of pneumatic power as opposed to electrical power. Additionally, Air Power Tools are often lighter and less bulky than electrical tools, resulting in less fatigue when using hand tools. Production has increased because the technology of air power or pneumatic has made it less strenuous on the worker.

Air Power Tools can be used for all sorts of applications once thought to be strictly the domain of electrically powered hand tools. These applications include sanders, cutting tools, screwdrivers, chisels, staplers, saws, chippers, and hammers, among numerous other tools. Several additional powered hand tools, such as sprayers, nail guns, ratchets, and torque wrenches are far better suited to compressed air operation than to electrical power.

The most common type of nail gun is the pneumatic nailer, which works with compressed air. When the trigger is pulled,air pressure builds up, driving the nail out. Although cost-effective, easy to use, and highly powerful, a pneumatic nail gun has the disadvantage of depending on a bulky air compressor to work. For on-site jobs, however, this type of nail gun is the preferred choice.

As there is less risk of splitting the wood grain when using a nail gun than when using a hammer, nail guns are especially useful in delicate projects such as the application of indoor trimming. A nail gun sets the nail in one motion, reducing the chance of slips and bumps that can ruin delicate woods. Most models also include a rubber safety nose to protect the wood from friction.

Nail guns have long been considered a safety hazard. They are powerful and achieve high velocity, and can be dangerous if mishandled. In fact, over a thousand serious accidents are reported every year from nail gun mishandling. Caution is a must when working with one.

Professional-grade varieties are automatic, and fire a nail directly upon pulling the trigger. A semi-automatic nail gun is more appropriate for beginners, since it requires a two step process: pull the trigger and then tap the barrel against the wood. This safety feature protects the user from accidentally firing a nail gun and injuring himself or others.  A good-quality starter set, including both a compressor and a small nail gun, can be bought for around 100  dollars. Today online shopping has made it more cost effective to purchase AIR POWER TOOLS, eliminating extra costs for employees, storefront costs and added insurance cost.  More sophisticated models can reach $500 or more. There is no end to the quality of Air Power Tools someone can purchase.

Air compressor supplies air to the nail gun
The smallest size of fasteners are normally 24 to 22 gauge (0.60 to 0.71 mm diameter) and generally have no head. They are used for attaching beadings, mouldings and so forth to furniture, etc. Lengths are normally in the range ⅜ to 1¼ in. (10 to 32 mm) although some specialist manufacturers supply up to 2 in. (50 mm) These guns are typically called Micro-pinners
The next size up is the 18 gauge (1.22 mm diameter) fixing, often referred to as a "brad nail". These fastenings are also used to fix mouldings but can be used to used in the same way as the smaller 22 to 24 gauge fastenings. Their greater strength leads to their use in trim carpentry on hardwoods where some hole filling is acceptable. Whilst most 18 gauge brads have heads, some manufacturers do offer headless fastenings. Lengths range from ⅝ in to 2 in. (16 mm to 50 mm)

Going up from 18 gauge fastenings the next sizes are 16 and 15 gauge (1.63 and 1.83 mm diameter). These are generally referred to a "finish nails". They come in lengths between ⅝ and 2½ in. (16 to 64 mm) and are used in the general fixing of much softwood and MDF trim work (such as baseboard/skirtings, architraves, etc) where the holes will be filled and the work painted afterwards.

The largest sizes of conventional collated fastenings are the clipped head and full head nails which are used in framing, fencing and other forms of structural and exterior work. These nails generally have a shank diameter of 0.11 to 0.13 in. (2.9 to 3.1 mm) although some manufacturers offer smaller diameter nails as well. General lengths are in the range 2 in to 31⁄3 in (50 to 90 mm). Shank styles include plain, ring annular, twisted, etc and a variety of materials and finishes are offered including plain steel, galvanised steel, sherardised steel, stainless steel, etc depending on the pull-out resistance, corrosion resistance, etc required for the given application. These sizes of fastenings are available in stick collated form (often 20° to 21° for clipped head, 28° to 34° for full-head) or coil form (for use in pallet/roofing nailers) depending on the application. Full-head nails have greater pull-out resistance than clipped head nails and are mandated by code in many hurricane zones for structural framing.
Another type of fastening commonly found in construction is the strap fastening which is roughly analogous to the large head clout nail. These are used in conjunction with a strap shot nailer (or positive placement nailer UK) to fix metalwork such as joist hangers, corner plates, strengthening straps, etc to timber structures. They differ from conventional nailers in that the point of the fastening is not sheathed so it can be exactly positioned before firing the nail gun.
Other specialist nailers are also available which can drive spikes up to 6¼ inches long, fix wood to steel, etc.
A variation on the nail gun is the palm nailer which is a lightweight handheld pneumatic nailer that straps to the hand. It is convenient for working in tight spaces where a conventional nailer won't fit and is flexible enough to drive either short nails into metal straps or six inch nails into timber. By repeated hammer action (of around 40 hits per second) the fastener is driven into the material by a more constant palm pressure (as opposed to a conventional nailgun which drives the nail against the inertia of the nailgun itself).