Air needle scalers.

[Myk Rian]

HF has 2 models. One on sale for $45, the other for $20.
Has anyone used either model, and would like to comment?
http://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/specialty-air-tools/air-needle-scaler-1108.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/specialty-air-tools/compact-air-needle-scaler-96997.html

[Brett Robson]

I have no experience with those specific models, but I spent plenty of time behind a needle gun while in the Navy.

They're effective providing you have sufficient volume of air to run them. Other than that, they are LOUD, messy and will pound millions of tiny dents into your metal in the process of hammering off the paint and/or rust.

[Ken Deckelman]

I have the #1108 Model. It work's OK...I use it for cleaning weld spatter in inside corners. The needles are soft so get an extra set. It also uses quite a bit of air so make sure you have a decent compressor to power it.

[Ron Kellison]

I have no experience with those specific models, but I spent plenty of time behind a needle gun while in the Navy.

They're effective providing you have sufficient volume of air to run them. Other than that, they are LOUD, messy and will pound millions of tiny dents into your metal in the process of hammering off the paint and/or rust.

LOUD doesn't quite describe how loud the guns were that Brett and I used in the NAVY. If the standard font used here is 10 points LOUD should be shown in 20-point! I worked in an area with lots of sophisticated (for the time) test equipment and we measured the dB level at 128 dB at 1 meter! We wore the standard issue ear protection but I'm convinced that the experience was one of the things that makes me continually turn to my wife and say "What did you say?"

Regards,

Ron

[Joe Kaufman]

No first hand experience but had a club demo last month by a person who uses the needle scalers for texturing. He said the previous HF scaler with the pistol grip is much easier to control than the present in-line version as you are actually holding back from the wood surface. The air pressure is only high enough to get the tool to cycle and the needles need to be radiused on the ends with a griinder before use on wood. Excessive noise is not a issue under these operating conditions.

[Myk Rian]

I intend on using this on cast iron for a restoration of a 1930-40s jointer. Since I haven't gotten any negatives, (except the noise issue) I'll stop and pick one up. With an extra set of scalers.
Thanks.

[David Kumm]

Myk, The needle scaler works well on old cast iron but I find I use various air grinders about 90% of the time. If the iron has lots of filler, sometimes paste, sometimes lead, the scaler with remove all of it whereas the wire wheels are gentler. It is a needed tool however. The ratio is ten to one- wheel to needle. Dave

[Ken Whitney]

Myk,

I use the smaller version to texture the surface of turned bowls. Not exactly the intended purpose of the tool, but it does work very well.

Ken

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I would avoid needle gunning any of the critical surfaces, such as the bed or the fence or the ways. As mentioned the gun will produce millions of dents in the metal. Especially soft cast iron.

[Erik Peterson]

I have no experience with those specific models, but I spent plenty of time behind a needle gun while in the Navy.

They're effective providing you have sufficient volume of air to run them. Other than that, they are LOUD, messy and will pound millions of tiny dents into your metal in the process of hammering off the paint and/or rust.

Brett,
You wouldn't have happened to have been a GMG were you?
--Erik

[Myk Rian]

they are LOUD, messy and will pound millions of tiny dents into your metal in the process of hammering off the paint and/or rust.
Yes, they are loud, so one uses ear protection.
Messy? Not really. Sure, the paint and rust chips have to go somewhere, but they stay close.
Tiny dents? Not in cast iron.

I got the large model. Helped me restore this.
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