Karl Brogger
Member
- Messages
- 519
- Location
- Dennison, MN
For ever, or at least over the course of the last few thousand dovetail drawer boxs I've built, I've been pounding them together with a hammer and a block of wood. Some go easily, some are cranky, but they've all carried the Estwing stamp of assembly.
Until today friends, until today.
I had thought about doing this for years, just never bought one to try it. A friend loaned me his air hammer to try out. Freakin' awesomeness. I need to go pick up a regulator though. It's a bit aggressive at 150psi. Took a while to get the hang of it too, but instead of using say 6-8 hammer hits to tap the dovetails together, this does it with about 20 lighter, mucho faster hits. I used a block of maple to pound against, and to spread out the load as well. Same thing I do when I use a hammer to assemble. A lot less chipping, and much less cumbersome than a hammer. Not quieter though by any means.
Then it crapped out on me. There's a seal inside that died, my guess is old age is most of it. My ridiculous line pressure being the rest of the cause. $70 for a rebuild kit. I went to lunch, and came back to the sound of air being dumped and the compressor running. Fortunately I don't think it had been running for too long. The tank was warm, but not hot. One more reason to shut the air off at the tank when you're not around.
Then I watch a video with a CNC drawer assembler, and I feel stupid.
Until today friends, until today.
I had thought about doing this for years, just never bought one to try it. A friend loaned me his air hammer to try out. Freakin' awesomeness. I need to go pick up a regulator though. It's a bit aggressive at 150psi. Took a while to get the hang of it too, but instead of using say 6-8 hammer hits to tap the dovetails together, this does it with about 20 lighter, mucho faster hits. I used a block of maple to pound against, and to spread out the load as well. Same thing I do when I use a hammer to assemble. A lot less chipping, and much less cumbersome than a hammer. Not quieter though by any means.
Then it crapped out on me. There's a seal inside that died, my guess is old age is most of it. My ridiculous line pressure being the rest of the cause. $70 for a rebuild kit. I went to lunch, and came back to the sound of air being dumped and the compressor running. Fortunately I don't think it had been running for too long. The tank was warm, but not hot. One more reason to shut the air off at the tank when you're not around.
Then I watch a video with a CNC drawer assembler, and I feel stupid.