Anyone have one of those little rotary saws - is it any good?

Those are ideal for exctly that. Get some good blades/bits for it, and go to town.

If you mean a Rotozip, yes. I have no problem with the saw itself, but those little bits are pretty brittle. I would get HSS vs carbide if possible. I snapped several of those little carbide bits trying to cut outlet holes in OSB when sheeting my shop.

JW

JW, I have to disagree. I have the Milwakee (sp?) version of the Rotozip, and when cutting abrasive materials like sheetrock and particle board, you go through a HSS cutter every few feet of cut. I was cutting around ther permiter of my kitchen ceiling to replace it, and went through 2 HSS cutters in less than 4-ft of cut.

A single carbide cutter did the rest of the job -- in total about 60-ft of cutting 1/2" sheetrock.

If you find yourself snapping off the carbide bits, the problem is not the bits but the fact that you don't know how to use your Zip saw. You have to keep the guide of the Rotozip flush with the surface you are cutting at all times. If you do, it's practically impossible to break carbide cutting tools unless you try to push the tool faster than it can cut.

My opinion is that HSS cutters on Zip saws are all but worthless. Carbide is the only way to go.

Harry C.

1/4 " laminate trimmer works too. You can buy spiral bits that fit or some come with collets to accept 1/8" bits as well.

Could be.

It was tough to hold onto it and keep it perfectly flat. If it lifted(or torqued) even a little bit, snap. I was cutting through 1/2" OSB. On drywall, you are right. I cut nearly all day with a single bit and had no problems. Drywall will mush around a little bit, but there is no give in OSB(comparitively).

Just my experience. FWIW.

JW

One of the best tricks I have seen for dry wall was from a contractor friend -- take one of those Milwaukee Sawzall's and take a regular old blade for it. Break the blade off so that when it is all the way forward, it just sticks out past the shoe the thickness of the drywall. Sharpen the end of the blade and have at it -- it will punch through the drywall but does not go past it so there is no danger of cutting what ever else is ALWAYS behind a wall where ever you are sawing (wires, pipes etc.). Really works slick.

mikey

That's what the original drywall trimmers were. Lots of noise and dust. Extreme pressure and a utility knife is usually my choice.

Cool trick. I'm going to do that next time I have to cut into a wall. I just had to cut through a waterlogged wall with 4 pex waterlines, a 220, a couple

110's and a vent pipe. I would have been much more relaxed opening the wall. Thanks Karl

Thanks for the good tip. sic, I'll use it the next time I'm cutting around electrical wiring. ZAAAAPPP. Bugs

"jtaylor" wrote in news:0bZ1e.95796$ snipped-for-privacy@nnrp1.uunet.ca:

A better way: Dremel now has a reciprocating saw attachment for their "400-series" Moto Tool that uses standard jigsaw blades.

Small enough diameter [smaller than the Rotozip/Advantage tools] to work with easily in confined spaces and provides a short-but-adequate depth of cut.

Since it uses standard jigsaw blades, it can double as a hacksaw to cut out the pipe sections.