I've read several times on forums like http://www.ytmag.com/ that a tractor restorer's best friend can be this odd air tool called the needle scaler. Many swear it beats getting sand in places where the sun doesn't shine - a common hazard of sandblasting.
So, I finally picked up a needle scaler at Northern Tool & Equipment. It was a cheapy but I figured it would do the job.
It is fantastic! It is three times as fast as the little sandblaster I'm using and it is a lot cleaner. It is made up of 19 hardened steel rods that are about 1/8 inch in diameter. The air-gun portion of the tool works like a air chisel. Aparently it very quickly vibrates the needles and off comes the dirt, paint, and rust. . .
One problem I have is my little 15 gallon air compressor. I am able to needle scale for about 45 seconds before it kicks in again. This wouldn't be too much of a problem but my air compressor is dying a slow death right now. It has a worn vinyl sleeve and o-ring (a hazard of the new oil-free air compressors). I ordered the parts at Sears today and they should be here in a week. Anyway, it takes about 4-5 minutes to reach full pressure again. Hopefully the new parts will bring that down to less than a minute in the future.
Anyway, below you will see some of the work of the needle scaler. You can compare the difference between the old yellow paint and areas stripped by the needle scaler.
Overall it was a good three-hours of uninterrupted work in the garage.
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