Pneumatic hammers, lettering hammers, chiseling hammers

If you want to work on stone with pneumatic hammers, you need to decide on an air hammer (also called a lettering hammer or chiseling hammer, depending on the area of application). At bildhau you will find two different types of pneumatic hammers, which can already be distinguished by their shape: straight, rod-shaped and curved, pistol-shaped.

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How do the different types of pneumatic hammers differ?

The straight pneumatic hammers are very manoeuvrable and can be turned excellently, they allow a quasi 360° use and follow the hand in all directions. Many sculptors therefore particularly like to work with them, because these pneumatic hammers can also be used to carve detailed sculptures very well, especially from marble.

At bildhau you will find pneumatic hammers from two manufacturers in particular: the classic is produced by the Italian company CUTURI. CUTURI pneumatic hammers come from traditional Italian marble sculpting and are so-called continuous runners, i.e. they run continuously with even force.

The pistol-shaped pneumatic hammers that we sell at bildhau are made in Germany, by BAVARIA and FRÖLICH & KLÜPFEL. They come primarily from the stonemasonry sector and are used there for lettering and relief work. These pneumatic hammers are very good for frontal work. The pistol grips are comfortable, have less vibration and various controls directly on the handle. This allows the compressed air to be switched on and off and the impact strength to be regulated. For CUTURI pneumatic hammers, you need an extra air tap for this.

There are also differences in the type of impact: The pneumatic hammers of the traditional brand CUTURI have a more direct impact, which is advantageous for working marble . This makes them classics for working crystalline rocks. The blow of the pistol-shaped hammers is less direct and more like the blow of a Holzklüpfel – with it, for example, sandstone can be worked very well.

The German and Italian hammers differ not least in price: the CUTURI pneumatic hammers are less complex in their technology, which is why they are somewhat cheaper than the pneumatic hammers from BAVARIA or FRÖLICH & KLÜPFEL. However, the latter offer greater convenience in use.

Both types of pneumatic hammers have their advantages. So it all depends on how you want to work and what is practical and suitable for you – and of course what you like best! Many sculptors also work with several pneumatic hammers, depending on the area of application.

Match pneumatic hammer, pneumatic chisel & compressor

When choosing your pneumatic tool, it is important that pneumatic hammer, compressor and compressed-air chisels match each other.

With all pneumatic hammers you will find information on how much air is needed for optimum operation. Your compressor should deliver this output if possible. If your compressor can only provide a smaller amount of air, this does not mean that you cannot work with the pneumatic hammer. It just means that the maximum power is not available. Roughly speaking, CUTURI pneumatic hammers require less air for the drive.

To ensure that pneumatic hammers and pneumatic chisels fit together, the shaft thickness of the chisels must be taken into account. CUTURI pneumatic hammers are designed for air chisels with a shaft thickness of 7.5 mm and 12.5 mm. The pneumatic hammers from BAVARIA and FRÖLICH & KLÜPFEL that we have on offer for you are generally available with insertion ends for pneumatic chisels with a shaft thickness of 10.2 mm. Some models are also available with other shaft thicknesses (12.5 mm, 13 mm conical).
Please also make sure that the connection of compressed air hose and compressor match. Here, too, there are different systems.

Stroke speed, piston stroke & piston diameter

Basically, three variables determine the possible uses of pneumatic hammers:

1. the stroke speed indicates how many strokes are performed per minute.
2. the piston stroke regulates the strength of the blow. The following applies: with a large piston stroke, the blow has more force and is slower, correspondingly a smaller piston stroke means a faster blow and a finer movement.
3. the piston diameter also influences the force of the blow, similar to the weight of the mallet when hitting by hand. With a small piston diameter, less force is used, it is not so well suited for large chisels, for example.

For finer work, therefore, a pneumatic hammer with a smaller piston diameter, a smaller piston stroke and a faster impact speed is suitable. For coarser work that requires more force, a larger piston diameter and piston stroke with a slower impact speed is recommended.

Which pneumatic hammer for which stone?

In principle, of course, any stone can be worked with pneumatic tools, but working with compressed air offers the greatest advantage for stones with a Mohs hardness of about 3 to 5. But also alabaster or softer limestone with a Mohs hardness of about 2 can be worked well with large pneumatic claw chisels, for example. For rough work in hard stone such as granite, we recommend working by hand first (or with diamond cutting blade as well as chisel and mason's hammer), here the removal rate with compressed air tools is too low. Detailed work and inscriptions, on the other hand, can be done very well with compressed air.

Maintenance during work

In order for the pneumatic hammer to work optimally, it must be oiled – every day when you work regularly. To do this, a few drops of oil (approx. 1 – 5 ml) are placed manually either in the compressed air hose or in the opening of the pneumatic hammer at the connection point of the flexible compressed air hose (the hose must be unscrewed for this). An alternative to this is to install an automatic oiler, but this can sometimes deliver too much oil, which not every stone tolerates well.

How to work with the pneumatic hammer & pneumatic chisels?

The pneumatic chisels are inserted loosely into the pneumatic hammer. This is why it is always necessary to work with both hands: one hand holds the pneumatic hammer, the other hand guides the chisel or the air tool in general. You can find more information on the use of pneumatic chisels here. 

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