Rat repair.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

I've found that price is not necessarily related to performance when it comes to air tools, as is evidenced by some of the other comments. The one thing that does play a big part is the weight or "heft" of the air tool. The heavier the tool, the more likely it will perform well. As the air spins the motor, the higher centripetal force will keep it from bogging down when you lean into the material. I have two 90 degree air grinders that couldn't be more different. I use the heavy one with coarse grit discs for fast material removal. The lighter one works best with fine grit or scotchbrite discs because it requires a softer touch.

Your gas filler cover turned out great. Mine is welded to the bedside, but I only plan to use seam sealer where it meets the floor. Just in case something happens and I need to take the bedside off. Probably won't, but you never know.

Thanks for the comments Vic, my only experience has been that the brands my work buys (Ingersoll Rand and Chicago Pneumatic) seem to last forever, the stuff i buy from Harbor freight does not, but i do have one straight HF brand (Central Pneumatic)that has a lot of heft and it is super smooth compared to the same brand of light weight 90*'s and 45*'s.

EDIT: Oh, if i had to do it all over again i'd probably not flange the cover and just make one with 2 bends or a large radius like you did and tack weld it in place, the flanging was a LOT of time and effort that could have been spent elsewhere. But my original thought was that this is my work truck and i wanted something solid that i wouldn't knock loose if i loaded the bed with whatever i throw in the bed and also give me a way to have a quick look at the filler tube if need be to make sure its not seeping gas.

One thing i really do need is a better air compressor, i have one of the red Sears 26 gal single stage pieces of junk, have been debating if i should be looking for another 115V compressor (dual stage compressor?)that might fit my needs of running die grinders and also sanders, or if i'm gonna have to step up to 220V (single or dual phase?) and have an electrician wire it into my circuit breaker, that said i don't want to drill my garage floor for lag bolts..

Any advice on brands and or places to look would be appreciated.