An air drill uses compressed air to generate rotational force for drilling and other tasks. Pneumatic power was first used in the late 18th century for moving documents through tubes. Dental drills spin up to 800,000 RPM while jackhammers break up concrete. Few pistol grip drills are air-powered due to the bulkiness of using an air compressor.
An air drill is a tool that uses compressed air to generate rotational force to drill holes and complete other tasks. Models can range in size from a dental drill to an industrial jackhammer. An air drill is basically the same as any other type of drill except for the specific type of power used to generate the torque.
Compressed air was first exploited as an energy source in the late 18th century, when methods for making airtight spaces advanced to the point where it was possible to generate sufficient pressure levels to move pistons housed within small rooms. A common use of early pneumatics was to move documents such as telegrams through tubes, a technology still used in 18th-century drive-through banking. Pneumatic power was applied to tools, including drills, around the turn of the 19th century and was instrumental in modern building techniques that made things like skyscrapers and automobiles possible.
Among the smallest air-powered tools is the dental drill. This device isn’t actually just a drill, but rather a rotary tool used more commonly as a drill. Various accessories can provide grinding, polishing and other types of functionality. A dental drill can spin up to 800,000 revolutions per minute (RPM), and its usefulness also makes it popular with jewelers and watchmakers, who appreciate its precision.
At the other end of the spectrum, a jackhammer is a kind of pneumatic drill that uses pneumatic power to break up concrete and other types of masonry. Large air compressors power the jackhammer itself, which is composed of a hammer and chisel bit. The hammer part strikes the chisel many times per second thanks to a spring loaded system. Unlike dental drills, which use an electric motor to power the compressor, jackhammers generally rely on large diesel generators. Pneumatic jackhammers are typically used in moderate applications, with heavy projects requiring hydraulic patterns.
Relatively few pistol grip drills – the type most commonly used in home improvement situations – are of the compressed air type. This is largely due to the suitability of power drills in these kinds of situations and the necessary bulkiness associated with using an air compressor. However, some contractors prefer a pistol grip air drill, and it may make sense in certain job sites where an air compressor may already be in use. Compared to dental drills, pistol grip models spin at a relatively slow top speed of about 3,000 rpm.
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