What do you use your needle scaler for?

[atlarge54]

Picked up a Snap On needle scaler at a garage sale the other day. It came with two tips, one seems to have a tighter "pattern" than the other.

What jobs do you use yours for. I have a feeling I'll never wear this on out---it's never been on my shopping list but now I own one.

 

[RESLLS]

Cleaning slag from a weld, remove paint or
rust before welding.

 

[Phill Tibbetts]

Ditto

 

[T.R.K.]

I used a cheapie version to remove the paint/grease/asphalt (yes, asphalt) from the belly of an industrial tractor before I painted it once.
It knocks off loose or flaking paint just fine.

The cheap versions tend the shake themselves apart. The last time I put setscrews in mine, I used the 'sleeve and bushing' formula Locktite
on them.

 

[Hobo,NC]

90% of what I use them for is to clean up a part before I take it apart. Rust/dirt/old hard packed grease it can not be beat. I use the one you put on the end of a air chisel/hammer a cheap HF one works great.

https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Tool-M669-Hammer-Attachment/dp/B00HFLIJFK

 

[JF in MI]

I got an HF cheapie. Works great except the thick part of the needles (that hold them in place) wear out and they keep falling out of the end necessitating holding on to them.
That said they are the absolute best for rust removal. Had a wheel off a bat wing mower that was so rusted on the inside that it would never hold air. Problem was that if I put
a tube in it the rust would eventually rupture the tube. It would have taken half a day to chip the rust off clean enough to safely use a tube. The scaler did a superior job in
about 10 minutes albeit noisy. Used it to strip paint off the grill and trans of my 8N before painting.

 

[led]

I had to use mine to fee up 18'machine shed door frozen in dirt & rock.
Led

 

[RobCons]

Works great for rust and dirt removal.

 

[thdrduck]

Mine has cleaned the concrete off of thousands of used bricks.

 

[Pete in Holland MI]

When repairing old steel, welds are ground smooth and then go over the surface with my de-scaler to get the texture to match
the pitted parent metal, when appearance is critical.

 

[1948CaseVAI]

JF in MI - Harbor Freight sells new needles for not a lot of money. I

To the OP - I remove slag, flux, and rust. I see someone mentioned cleaning mortar off of bricks and wish I had thought of that!

 

[Phil-mar Farms]

I like to use one to clean rust scale off of rims. Be sure to
wear ear protection!!!

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I'm not impressed with my HF scaler. Perhaps I need higher air pressure.
Mine is a good paper weight.

 

[marloweg]

they need a lot of air flow

 

[JMOR]

"What do you use your needle scaler for?" Scaling needles! :roll:

 

[Charles in Aus.]

Me too 1948Case !
I've just about worn out one elbow cleaning thousands of bricks in the past .

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I use a wire brush on right angle grinder.
Does a better job and uses a fraction of the electricity an air compressor uses.

 

[bentstick]

Cleaning slag, flux and distressing welds when I was in boiler repair ( think big boilers, IE Great lakes freighters, power house etc)