tips for a newcomer to using pneumatic tools

[Mark Williams <stnbrk@xxxxxxx>]

Hello list!

    I'm not a stone cutter in the sense that most of you
folks are...  I carve gemstones and do fossil and
specimen preparation.  I lurk on this list in hopes of
gaining any tidbits of useful info.  Of course, I'm not
ruling out the possibility of carving on a larger scale
someday (especially if I find that perfect jade
boulder). Thought I might be able to add a little
something to this thread, as I use pneumatic hammers and
scribes frequently in my work ( mine are probably much
smaller in scale than most of yours):

Mark's rule #1)    Dissassemble and clean your
pneumatics frequently - that rock dust can get into all
kinds of mischief when it gets into your tools (and it
will get into them, no matter how well "sealed" they
are).  Keep spare parts on hand - especially O-rings and
springs, if necessary.  Some tools can have solvents or
cleaners run through them to clean them, but check with
your manufacturer first.  I always prefer to take it
apart so I'm sure I get all the dirt out.

Mark's rule #2)   After cleaning, and frequently
thereafter, oil your pneumatics.  There is no such thing
as too much oil (well, there probably is, but it's a
lot).  Automatic or in-line oilers are good, but just to
be sure, I frequently put a few drops of air lube into
the inlet of my tools.

Mark's rule #3)  Let the tool do the work...  That's its
job.  Don't force it into working harder than it should.
It will complain and you will be sorry.

Marc's rule #4 (Marc is one of my friends that does
fossil prep, too) Be careful what you run your tool
through or around.  In fossil preparation, we frequently
need to use epoxies and other glues to stabilize fragile
stone.  Marc recently ran his pneumatic scribe through
some unset super glue.  I'm sure you can imagine what
happened...  The poor scribe just froze up completely.
He had to soak it in acetone for hours just to get it
unstuck.  Of course then he had to replace all O-rings
and a few other parts. Don't know if this last tip will
be useful to you folks, but thought I'd throw it out
there just in case.

    Finally, on the hand vs power tool debate...   I
say, whatever floats yer boat.  If you're having fun and
getting the desired results with a minimum of
frustration, you're doing it the "right" way.

Mark