Looking for a brand and model recommendation on a rotary saw. I was
shopping for a jigsaw but the rotary saws have caught my eye. They
appear to be much easier for cutting curved shapes and I would assume
just as easy for straight cuts. I want one primarily for small
woodworking projects and I plan on finishing a basement and garage soon
so will likely use on sheetrock for outlet box cutouts. Any info,
opinions or recommendation would be appreciated!

-Mark

Well, they're pretty much all junk, as far as I'm concerned. If you
need a jigsaw, then buy a jigsaw. Rotozips and their ilk were high on
the list in the "most useless tool" thread recently.

BTW, you'll want to be extra careful with that Rotozip and outlet
boxes, particularly if you're doing the wiring. YMMV.

-Phil Crow

DON"T DO IT !!. Pleae don't buy "rotary saws", it only encourages companys
to keep making these useless tools.




wrote in message
ups.com...
Looking for a brand and model recommendation on a rotary saw. I was
shopping for a jigsaw but the rotary saws have caught my eye. They
appear to be much easier for cutting curved shapes and I would assume
just as easy for straight cuts. I want one primarily for small
woodworking projects and I plan on finishing a basement and garage soon
so will likely use on sheetrock for outlet box cutouts. Any info,
opinions or recommendation would be appreciated!

-Mark

they work for a short time well in wood but they are very light duty
tools.In sheetrock they work well if you use with plastic boxes but they get
clogged with dust.

Len
wrote in message
ups.com...
Looking for a brand and model recommendation on a rotary saw. I was
shopping for a jigsaw but the rotary saws have caught my eye. They
appear to be much easier for cutting curved shapes and I would assume
just as easy for straight cuts. I want one primarily for small
woodworking projects and I plan on finishing a basement and garage soon
so will likely use on sheetrock for outlet box cutouts. Any info,
opinions or recommendation would be appreciated!

-Mark

wrote:

Looking for a brand and model recommendation on a rotary saw. I was
shopping for a jigsaw but the rotary saws have caught my eye. They
appear to be much easier for cutting curved shapes and I would assume
just as easy for straight cuts. I want one primarily for small
woodworking projects and I plan on finishing a basement and garage soon
so will likely use on sheetrock for outlet box cutouts. Any info,
opinions or recommendation would be appreciated!

A rotary saw is not a substitute for a jigsaw. If it is a substitute for
anything it is a substitute for a small router, and for casual use they can
fill that role reasonably well. Some can also with accessories do most of
what a small angle grinder or a Dremel can do.

The intended use is in cutting openings for electrical outlets and the like
in old work where you have to cut the opening in a wall that is already in
place. The ability to control the depth of cut is what makes them
desirable for this purpose--you can cut the plaster or sheetrock or
whatever without cutting into whatever is behind it. Th small diameter
bits they use for cutting most materials results in a low cutting speed, so
they don't run away from you like a conventional router would--working
handheld against a vertical surface this is a real concern with a
conventional router and bit, which could otherwise do most of what a rotary
saw does.

Another benefit is that if the rotary saw is getting full of plaster dust
and what not then your jigsaw, which is a more expensive tool if it is a
decent one, is not getting full of it.

The folks who claim that the rotary saw is of no utility and that one should
not encourage their production have clearly never tried to cut an opening
for an electrical outlet in a plaster wall using a jigsaw. It can be done,
but it's not pleasant. With a Rotozip it's quick and easy.



-Mark

--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

"J. Clarke" wrote in message
...
wrote:

Looking for a brand and model recommendation on a rotary saw. I was
shopping for a jigsaw but the rotary saws have caught my eye. They
appear to be much easier for cutting curved shapes and I would assume
just as easy for straight cuts. I want one primarily for small
woodworking projects and I plan on finishing a basement and garage soon
so will likely use on sheetrock for outlet box cutouts. Any info,
opinions or recommendation would be appreciated!

A rotary saw is not a substitute for a jigsaw. If it is a substitute for
anything it is a substitute for a small router, and for casual use they
can
fill that role reasonably well. Some can also with accessories do most of
what a small angle grinder or a Dremel can do.

The intended use is in cutting openings for electrical outlets and the
like
in old work where you have to cut the opening in a wall that is already in
place. The ability to control the depth of cut is what makes them
desirable for this purpose--you can cut the plaster or sheetrock or
whatever without cutting into whatever is behind it. Th small diameter
bits they use for cutting most materials results in a low cutting speed,
so
they don't run away from you like a conventional router would--working
handheld against a vertical surface this is a real concern with a
conventional router and bit, which could otherwise do most of what a
rotary
saw does.

Another benefit is that if the rotary saw is getting full of plaster dust
and what not then your jigsaw, which is a more expensive tool if it is a
decent one, is not getting full of it.

The folks who claim that the rotary saw is of no utility and that one
should
not encourage their production have clearly never tried to cut an opening
for an electrical outlet in a plaster wall using a jigsaw. It can be
done,
but it's not pleasant. With a Rotozip it's quick and easy.


Quick and easy yes, and sloppy. Ever had to repair rotozip holes around
electrical boxes?
I can't count the number of vapour barriers I've seen destroyed with
drywallers using these things.
I can't imagine using a jigsaw in drywall. A small drywall saw makes less
dust, does a better job, and is actually quicker.

TaskMule wrote:


"J. Clarke" wrote in message
...
wrote:

Looking for a brand and model recommendation on a rotary saw. I was
shopping for a jigsaw but the rotary saws have caught my eye. They
appear to be much easier for cutting curved shapes and I would assume
just as easy for straight cuts. I want one primarily for small
woodworking projects and I plan on finishing a basement and garage soon
so will likely use on sheetrock for outlet box cutouts. Any info,
opinions or recommendation would be appreciated!

A rotary saw is not a substitute for a jigsaw. If it is a substitute for
anything it is a substitute for a small router, and for casual use they
can
fill that role reasonably well. Some can also with accessories do most
of what a small angle grinder or a Dremel can do.

The intended use is in cutting openings for electrical outlets and the
like
in old work where you have to cut the opening in a wall that is already
in
place. The ability to control the depth of cut is what makes them
desirable for this purpose--you can cut the plaster or sheetrock or
whatever without cutting into whatever is behind it. Th small diameter
bits they use for cutting most materials results in a low cutting speed,
so
they don't run away from you like a conventional router would--working
handheld against a vertical surface this is a real concern with a
conventional router and bit, which could otherwise do most of what a
rotary
saw does.

Another benefit is that if the rotary saw is getting full of plaster dust
and what not then your jigsaw, which is a more expensive tool if it is a
decent one, is not getting full of it.

The folks who claim that the rotary saw is of no utility and that one
should
not encourage their production have clearly never tried to cut an opening
for an electrical outlet in a plaster wall using a jigsaw. It can be
done,
but it's not pleasant. With a Rotozip it's quick and easy.


Quick and easy yes, and sloppy.

Sloppy if it's used in a sloppy manner.

Ever had to repair rotozip holes around
electrical boxes?

So what tool do you advocate for this purpose that will be more precise?

I can't count the number of vapour barriers I've seen destroyed with
drywallers using these things.
I can't imagine using a jigsaw in drywall. A small drywall saw makes less
dust, does a better job, and is actually quicker.

In drywall perhaps. Now, try that same "small drywall saw" on metal-lath
plaster and see how many you go through for each box. Rotozip goes right
through it just as neat as you please.

--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)