Just watched a video by Eastwood about using a needle scaler to remove rust and crud. Seemed to work well. I have never used my needle scaler for this, and I figured I’d see what the hamb collective has to say about it. Anyone see the video, or do this with your needle scaler?
I have used mine on heavy flaky rust with good success. Also works knocking off the old brittle undercoating. Actually, my scaler is an attachment for my air chisel/impact.
Sure Dave. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...e-grinder-for-cleaning-model-a-frame.1299692/ https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/pneumatic-needle-scaler-good-or-bad.659493/ https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/anyone-used-a-needle-scaler-on-rust.4434/
I use a cheapo harbor fright one at work to rattle the rust off of brake rotors before mounting them on the brake lathe.
Well, I'd try it on an iron diff housing. The bellhousing is probably safe, but the main case is where I'd be Elmer. Thin aluminum, close tolerances (auto). If this is an iron case (manual or early auto), your call.
I don’t think I’d try it on aluminium. It would be a good interesting experiment on something that was already scrap, to see what happens, but not on something that I want to use. The only part that I have right now that is a bit grungy is a 33-34 I-beam that is not very dirty. Years ago I used a needle scaler on welds that I wanted to peen. I took a piece of heavy wall plastic pipe that was just a little bit larger than the needles and cut it to length just slightly shorter than the needles, so that it concentrated the needles on the weld. It also made a handle of sorts that allowed me to guide the needles. A quick braap over the weld was very useful, cleaning off the slag, and knocking the weld down a bit. Having done that, I can imagine that using one on aluminum would probably make a right mess of the part.
I used one to clean up a very rusty old 4x4 frame. It did a very good job at cleaning off the heavy rust at the seems, and the regular frame rust. I did the entire frame and leaf springs, then wiped it down and painted it with spray bomb Rustoleum. It worked OK on the hard caked oil/dirt mixture, but if that oil/dirt mixture is soft, it will be quite a mess. Wear ear protection, it will test your air compressor, and I still felt the vibration in my old wrists 2 days after I was done. It did the job though, and 4 years later, the frame still looks good.
I worked at a tire shop that the owner thought a needle scaler was the greatest invention ever for cleaning rusty rims and other things. I have a small one I use at work now. Clean brake hubs and caliper brackets with it mostly. Other guys hate it because of the noise but it’s so much quicker than the sanding they do. Don’t use on aluminum or any cast iron
Have used ours numerous times to remove heavy scale rust, a little patience and bright metal will appear. Our needle scaler is a decent heavy weight model . Probably not on panel steel though.
I would not use it on body panels, but it worked OK on the front and rear axles on the 4x4 I used it on. Sometimes very light pressure worked better then force. Like any tool, discovering how to make it work, or what not to use it on is very much part of how well things turn out. With a needle scaler, a very light touch is how you start. Its not hard to see what it is doing to the material you are working with, if it doesn't look good, a smart guy would just stop before he ruined something. You just need to understand that you are using an air hammer to drive several pieces of 1/8" rod into what ever you are trying to descale.
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