What kind of blade do you guys use for cutting traditional plaster over metal lath? I just installed a couple of electrical boxes in a (well-cured) three-coat plaster job that was about 1″ thick. I drilled holes first, so it should have been easy. None of my bimetal or steel blades lasted for more than 1 box cutout. Maybe if I did not pull the trigger all the way and ran it slower it would have worked? I do not generally use a Sawzall for cutting out electrical boxes, but the jigsaw was not up to it. I did not try a rotozip, but cannot imagine it works for this job.
Rick
Replies
Lenox makes a blade just for plaster; it holds up well cutting plaster on wood lath and plaster on rock lath.
I ahven't tried it on wire lath, so I don't know how it'll hold up. I suspect the wire lath is the culprit in dulling the blade so fast.
Get the blades with carbide grit instead of teeth. Package should say for use on plaster. Lenox, Milwaulkee both make them. They will last quite a while in plaster/lath, less time in plaster/wire, but far longer than any toothed blade.
Rick,
Her's the link for the Lennox blade.
http://www.tools-plus.com/len456rp.html
Thanks to all three of you. I have been buying blades mail-order because they are otherwise so expensive. Had I been browsing at a supplier, however, I guess I would have seen the packages with the abrasive/grit edge.
Rick
Rick,
I've been involved in an extensive remodel and have cut out several tons of the stuff (or so it seems) for windows, outlets, two entire rooms, you get the picture. For cutting out small boxes, I've found using a cold chisel has been my best friend. I can get a good fit on the boxes (for outlets, sconce boxes) and then snip away the metal lathe. What I like about this approach is you don't have to seal off the entire room because of airborne dust. For larger jobs (window and door rough ins) I've been using the Lenox Plaster Master blades in my sawzall and reduce the orbital action like I'm cutting metal. I have found this approach does a decent job, but you go through a bunch of blades. I've used an angle grinder a bunch of times, but that throws a lot of dust.
Jim
Ben there and I found that if I used a long bi-metal blade say 4-6" and tried to cut with the tip only as the teeth wore of I took the grinder and removed the end of the blade giving me a fresh set of teeth to cut with.
That's not a bad idea. I tried something similar in this escapade before I turned to Breaktime. I broke some hacksaw blades into thirds. I chucked 1/3 of a hacksaw blade into my sawzall, used it up, then went on to the next third. The holes don't line up exactly right, so I had to be careful not to tighten so much that I wrecked the setscrew, but not so loose that the blade fell out. These were cheaper to burn up than sawzall blades, but they are really too flimsy. Next time I will try the Lennox plaster blades as I was advised.
Rick