REVIEW #4
AIRGRAVERS REVISITED AND
THE REVOLUTIONARY NEW PALM CONTROL
LINDSAY INNOVATIONS AND ADVANCED TOOLING FOR THE ENGRAVING PROFESSIONAL
by Adone T. Pozzobon October 12, 2009 Review
Older and newer Lindsay AirGravers used from 2001-2009
Back in early 2001, Steve Lindsay and I were having a conversation on the phone and the topic of engraving tools came up. Back then, I had no idea Steve had been working on anything outside of engraving let alone in the area of advanced tooling. He then asked me if I would be interested in testing a completely new air driven engraving tool that he had recently invented, a true pneumatic hammer that was non-spring assisted, called The Chasing AirGraver. Now at the time I was not aware of Steve's engineering and machining skills let alone his ability to create a revolutionary new engraving tool and machine it right there in his own shop.
Being quite comfortable with what I had used for a very long time, I naturally wondered how much of an improvement a new air hammer could possibly make; after all, I had used the competitor's tools for almost a decade and never gave a second thought to the possibility of a better tool. The more I listened to Steve the more I remembered how attentive he was to detail and that his precision was second-to-none therefore it was a pretty sure bet that if he had something to show me then I ought to be looking into it; excitedly I agreed to test his AirGraver.
When it arrived, I hooked it up and was immediately impressed at how quickly I adapted to his system and any inconveniences that I had prematurely drummed up in my mind were in reality not experienced whatsoever. I knew one thing for sure I was not shipping this Chasing AirGraver back. Anyone who has read my first and second reviews back in March and June of 2002 know that I immediately became stricken with The Chasing AirGraver; and then once again when he developed The Classic AirGraver and Omega AirGraver.
Those fortunate enough that have used any of the Lindsay AirGravers will tell you, they are a true joy to experience from the very first moment you try one; and speaking for myself seven years later engraving everyday with his tools, they are by far the best investment I have ever made as a profession artist. Their versatility and compact nature by far rivals all competitor models making the Lindsay line the Perfect Choice for creating the most delicate cuts to the heaviest, broad and deep cuts ideal for background removal. In addition to engraving, its uses comfortably extend themselves into other mediums including the jewelry trade being particularly useful for setting stones and creating wonderful finishes for background effects. As an added bonus, Lindsay AirGravers are far easier to operate than any other air or power assist tools I have tried, and this is a major advantage for beginners and seasoned pros alike. I did not expect that he could improve on this system, but much to my surprise, he did just that with the ultimate, The Palm Control.
In 2008, Steve and I had another interesting conversation on what he intended for his newest AirGraver, I wasn't so sure anything would be novel enough to better his already superb tools, after all how could it possibly get any better than this? My curiosity was soon peaked and I had to ask just what he had in mind. When I found out, I have to admit I must have leaped an inch out of my seat with excitement, he told me he believed he could eliminate the foot controller. The prospect of engraving without a foot controller was extremely inviting but at the same time was hard to fathom it would work as well and I was a little concerned that the graver might not have the same sensitivity I was accustomed to in critical applications. I therefore played devil's advocate with Steve tossing all sorts of what ifs along his path to which his confidence never wavered and I began to believe that he might just pull off this little miracle after all. By this time, I was giddy with excitement at the prospect of engraving without a peddle controller. This new idea was truly amazing yet still I wondered if it was too good to be true, could it really be as effective in the real world as it had been in the conceptual one?
A few months passed and Steve and I spoke again and by this time he prototyped it and soon thereafter perfected it and put it into production. I allowed some time to pass before trying one out, mostly to see if Steve would need to make further adjustments to his design, and seeing he did not so I finally attained one and I must say I was in utter awe at how wonderfully easy it was to operate. Immediately I called Steve and commented that the tool had exceeded every expectation I had imagined and that it had effectively overcome all of my concerns regarding sensitivity and control. It further surprised me by delivering a more impact power than my Classic AirGraver. Steve explained it was because of a slight increase in mass due the Palm Control's handle and that this minor increase assisted the piston in delivering more impact power directly to the anvil. This new system considerably simplifies things by removing not only the pedal and its airlines, but also replaces the previous dual regulator with a single regulator system and the idle screw previously on the regulator is now self-contained as a thumbscrew on the Palm Control handle. This is just another example of why Lindsay Innovations are not just cool tools, they are downright intelligent, comfortable, and simply put, engraver friendly.
THE LINDSAY PALM CONTROL
The Palm Control is a genuine marvel of engineering, and is Steve Lindsay's latest contribution to the improvement of worldwide engraving standards and once again, he raises the bar one notch higher in Advanced Tooling. The best news is that if you already own a Classic AirGraver then a Palm Control is a simple upgrade done at anytime. Beginners will find this engraving system far easier than any other eliminating the time required to develop good hand/foot co-ordination that is required of all conventional pedal operated devices. Engraving becomes more enjoyable with less fatigue when using a Palm Control because it is no longer necessary to remain in a stationary foot position controlling a pedal for many hours at a time. This freedom ultimately translates into improved posture making engraving a more pleasurable experience.
The Palm Control is remarkably responsiveness requiring only slight pressure against the palm handle to deliver gentle impacts that produces feather light cuts. By applying more or less pressure to the Palm Control handle as desired will determine its impact power dependant on the setting of the fully adjustable length of stroke adjuster. The length of stroke adjuster is sleeve on the graver barrel that moves the internal anvil forward or backward in order to fine-tune the rate of impact by adjusting the distance the piston travels before striking the anvil. The length of stroke in combination with the Palm-push throttle, and the PSI setting, controls the power and sensitivity output throughout its entire range. The engraver is free to govern these features on the fly because unlike any other tool on the market they are all self-contained on the handpiece and not as bench units as per competitor models that clutter up ones workspace, a particular problem for people with limited room. All this and no foot peddle, go figure, how swell is that folks!
From the moment that you experience the traditional styling, size, and operational feel of any of his tools you will want for no other and soon thereafter will part with your older equipment favoring an upgrade to the Lindsay AirGraver that best suites for your needs.
It does not get any better than this, styling, quality, and functionality, after all there must be a very good reason why so many professionals worldwide are switching to Lindsay products, and not the other way around!
Visit AirGraver.com site for full specifications on the AirGraver tools
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