In today’s Carpentry world from trim work to cabinets we commonly use an air compressor. It provides stored air in a tank at high pressure. That pressure provides the driving force to frame a building all the way down to install small pieces of delicate trims. It helps production from days of hand driving nails with a hammer.
The History of the Air Compressor, it may blow you away!
Well, the first known air compressor might be a shock but it's our lungs. We can inhale and hold our breath and release the air at very low pressure. This technique was used to stoke a fire by adding oxygen to it. This then sparked the idea in 1500 B.C. of a bellow a flexible bag you would operate by hand to intake fresh air and release fresh air without carbon dioxide in it. Following this in 1762 was a water wheel blowing cylinder. Most if not all of these designs were used for metalwork needed to provide heat for blacksmiths to create early products.
New Air Compressors
Modern compressors typically use an electric motor with drives a piston which draws air through an intake valve storing the air energy in a tank which is ready to use for many assortments of today’s tools. The modern compressor resembles a vehicle engine it uses the same technique except for a vehicle piston and rod engine uses gasoline to provide the power through combustion to move the piston. Essentially both are considered air pumps.
So, when you're installing that last piece of trim on your job with a nail gun that is powered by air, remember, someone at some time used a hammer and nail to install that piece of base. Along with that thought, a blacksmith used a bellow to stoke a fire that made the nail you are driving into the trim.
Contour Construction | Commercial Carpentry in Omaha
Contour can complete large and small carpentry jobs for:
- Multi‐Family Residential
- Commercial
- Educational
- Small scale tenant improvement and build-out projects
Contact Contour Construction to outline performance in carpentry on your next project. Click to check out our services, projects, or contact us today.
