My pneumatic hammer blew its guts out mid-job last Tuesday

I was in the middle of smoothing out a Ford F-150 quarter panel when the air hammer just let out this loud HISS and stopped working. Opened it up and found the o-ring had completely shredded itself into confetti inside the cylinder. Anyone else have a tool just give up on you at the worst possible time?

3 comments

3 Comments

abby_martinez4d ago

That o-ring turning into confetti is rough, I've had that exact thing happen on a Friday afternoon with a rush job waiting. Idk what brand you're using but if it was a standard cheap rebuild kit it probably used a Buna-N o-ring that just can't handle the heat and the constant vibration. You might want to grab a urethane or a Viton o-ring for the rebuild, they hold up way better under high cycle use. I mean it costs a couple bucks more but you won't be tearing it apart again next week. Also check the cylinder walls for scoring while you have it open, sometimes that shredded rubber hides a burr that'll kill the next seal too.

evan_davis4d ago

Confetti o-rings? That's a new level of spectacular failure I've never seen before.

the_viola3d ago

Confetti o rings" is the perfect way to describe it lol. I had one do the exact same thing last month and I was just staring at the pile of rubber bits like...really? It was a cheap kit from the auto parts store and I learned my lesson the hard way. Now I always spring for the Viton ones too, even if it stings a little at checkout.