8 Ways To Use Oscillating Tools

One of the handiest applications of an oscillating tool is its ability to make plunge cuts in materials ranging from plasterboard to plywood and weatherboard. It’s ideal for cutting away a damaged section of a wall as well as making cutouts for switch plates or multimedia cables.

TIP Rotate the blade to cut neat, perpendicular corners.

When installing a new laminate floor, or tiling over an existing surface, it is often necessary to trim the base of the doorjambs. Instead of using a handsaw, make the cuts using an oscillating tool with a segment blade.

Position an offcut of flooring under the blade to use as a guide that will instantly align the blade at the precise height required.

When replacing weatherboards or wall trim, you may be faced with screws that have seized or corroded, or nails that split the timber when you try to pry it off. The simple solution is to lever the board just enough to slip the blade of an oscillating tool in, then use a timber and metal blade to cut through the stubborn fasteners.

TIP Protect the adjacent surface with an offcut of sheet metal.

Fitted with a carbide grit segment blade, an oscillating tool is great for chewing through old grout. It’s faster than using a handheld grout saw and it won’t damage tiles or whip up a dust storm.

TIP It’s best to use a corded tool for this job as removing grout can be quite time consuming.

Making flush cuts in small pieces of timber, such as when trimming dowels or cutting packers around a new doorjamb, has traditionally been a job for a sharp chisel.

An oscillating tool with a flush cut blade can do the job with equal precision but without the shock of a hammer blow, which can jar a key component out of alignment.

Another invaluable use for this tool is to mount a scraper attachment and scrape away dried adhesive, peel up vinyl tiles or strip old silicone.

With a chisel accessory, it can even chip off small splashes of concrete after a masonry job.

One of the great things about oscillating tools is that they have a very compact working envelope. In other words, the cutting or grinding is highly localised, and situated at the very front of the tool.

Unlike circular saws, reciprocating saws or jigsaws, which all need quite a lot of clearance around the actual cutting edge of the blade, oscillating tools can be used unimpeded in a tight spot.

Instead of trying to remove badly corroded nuts with a shifter or vice grips, you can just cut straight through the bolts. An oscillating tool can also slice through adhesive with minimal damage to the joining surfaces.

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