Foot control for air tool?

[Chris Stevens]

Wonder if anyone has any bright ideas on a variable flow foot control for air tools? Have a 90 degree air porting tool, and its pretty much impossible to use without a foot control, but could be quite useful as its smaller and more compact than flex drive tool I also have. NSK make a foot control, but I would guess the likely cost is probably more than the grinder itself, so thats not really an option.

 

[rtbcomp]

Could you make something based on a lever operated ball valve, a pedal and a spring?

 

[Maker]

@Wendelspanswick made one

 

[WorkshopChris]

@Wendelspanswick made one

Isn't that just a on / off valve Chris is looking for variable flow i think?

Its another thing on my long list of projects to make one for similar reasons.
I have the bits just got to get the time to build it, problem is it s a long way down my list of jobs.

I have a proportional controlled Norgen Regulator it varies the air pressure based on a 0-10v signal. got to build a simple power supply and feed it from a pot in a foot switch just like tig.

EDIT:- just found it.


2nd Edit:-
Just done a search and seen the price around £500.00 so that might be out unless you can find one online listed with other parts as i did for a fraction of the price. Just need to find the control interface box, haven't seen that for a while.

 

[outofthefire]

The cheapest way I've seen is to modify a blower.

 

[Ton-up]

Could you make something like a shuttle valve? A moving tube in a tube, where a series of small holes are uncovered the further you push the pedal? I.e the more holes uncovered, the greater the flow. Done through an adjustable bell crank if needed, to adjust ratio.

 

[outofthefire]

Could you make something like a shuttle valve? A moving tube in a tube, where a series of small holes are uncovered the further you push the pedal? I.e the more holes uncovered, the greater the flow. Done through an adjustable bell crank if needed, to adjust ratio.

That doesn't half sound complicated compared to a blower

 

[Ton-up]

Do you mean a supercharger?

 

[outofthefire]

Do you mean a supercharger?

No I mean an air blower, its a variable valve with the right threads at either end. It just needs mounting and the finger trigger changing to a foot pedal.

 

[rtbcomp]

^^ that makes more sense - I thought you meant a fan type blower, couldn't work out how that would drive a grinder!

 

[Chris Stevens]

No I mean an air blower, its a variable valve with the right threads at either end. It just needs mounting and the finger trigger changing to a foot pedal.

Thanks..........modifying a blow gun seems well worth a try, and cheap and easy to replace if it fails. Small right angle air grinder is relatively cheap in comparison to flex shaft driven one (£300 +), but not at all easy to use without any form of control.

 

[Gareth0123]

I know I am a little late to this conversation but this Foot pedal control for air tools popped up in my recommended list on ebay this morning, and at £9.99 it just might be worth a punt.

 

[Chris Stevens]

Thanks, but that looks like a simple on/off switch.

 

[zx9]

No I mean an air blower, its a variable valve with the right threads at either end. It just needs mounting and the finger trigger changing to a foot pedal.........

IIRC there is a thread about building an air planisher which used a blow gun to control the air operated hammer.


Edit: As per Makers link in post number 3

 

[the snooper]

You could use an old regulator, remove the screw adjustment and replace it with a rod connected to the foot pedal, the more you press the more air you get

 

[Bill Edwards]

I wonder if a blow gun will flow enough air? I'd think possibly not given they're fairly low consumption devices so it wouldn't surprise me if you need two parallel. Worth bearing in mind when building the device.

 

[brightspark]

use a ball valve make an arm linked to a pedal and put a spring on it to return and shut off cheap and simple to make one

 

[Chris Stevens]

Thanks for the ideas, but getting on very well with Foredom flex shaft handpieces I have now, and get the feeling that if I did get a footpedal sorted, the air tools wouldnt get used a lot as the speed is very high and pretty much zero torque at low speed.