Oscillating Tool Uses

Practical uses for your oscillating tool

Oscillating tools—aka “multi-tools”—are selling like crazy. Everyone in the tool business agrees about that. But when we ask them what oscillating tools are used for, the answers aren’t as clear. So we asked our Field Editors. They told us about hundreds of situations where an oscillating tool made the job faster and easier. This article will show you some of the most common uses, as well as tricks and accessories to help you get more from your oscillating tool.

Oscillating tool side-to-side motion

How oscillating tools work

An oscillating tool works with a side-to-side movement. The oscillation is very slight (about 3 degrees) and very fast (about 20,000 strokes per minute), so it feels more like vibration. A saw blade is shown; the tool also works with scrapers and sanding pads.

Tip 1: Use a straightedge for straight cuts

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Straight cuts in wood

Make clean, straight cuts using a straightedge.

The new fridge at my daughter’s house was a bit too tall for the opening. So I trimmed the cabinet’s face frame with my oscillating tool. There’s no way I could have made such a clean, precise cut with any other tool.

A straightedge makes a great guide for the blade. But you still have to be careful; the blade can gouge the straightedge and go off-course.

Larry Heenan is a Field Editor in Raytown, MO. He has been busy building an entertainment center for his daughter.

Wood-cutting blades

Round Blades or Straight?

A straight blade is best for plunge cuts, where you stab the blade into the surface. For long, linear cuts, use a round blade. You’ll get cleaner cuts with the round blade if you make a shallow scoring cut first, then gradually deepen it.

In any case, keep in mind that heat kills blades. Occasionally swing the blade back and forth out of the kerf to clean out dust. And don’t press so hard.

Tip 2: Faster flooring prep

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Undercut a door jamb

The oscillating tool makes quick, clean undercuts when installing flooring.

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Close-up of wood-cutting blades

A flush-cutting blade is best for undercutting doorjambs. The raised center lets the blade sit flat on a guide scrap. With a flat blade, the tool’s arbor protrudes below, so the blade can’t ride over a guide.

I had to undercut 24 door jambs so I could slip new laminate flooring under them. I bought a door frame handsaw specifically for the job but found myself (and my knuckles) sore, tired and beat up. Then I remembered my oscillating tool. Doorjambs went from taking five minutes to taking 30 seconds apiece.

The oscillating tool worked great, slicing its way through the wood like butter! With a scrap of flooring as a guide, the tool also makes a straight, clean cut. The only downside was the noise (oscillating tools are loud!). But the savings in time and pain were worth it.

Alan Wagenbach is a Field Editor in Lakewood, CA. He just finished building a white picket fence—next up is painting the whole house.

Tip 3: Remove trim without damage

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Cutting baseboard nails

Put on a metal-cutting blade and cut hard-to-reach nails.

I was prying off some thin trim that was held on with amazingly stubborn nails. After I split a few pieces of trim, I found a better method: I gently pried the trim away from the wall just enough to slip in an oscillating tool blade. Then I probed for the nails and sliced through them. Fast, easy and no more splits. I used a scrap of sheet metal to protect the wall.

Tom Dvorak, Field Editor extraordinaire, is constantly improving his rental properties and his own home in Minneapolis/ St. Paul, MN.

Metal-cutting blade

Metal-Cutting Blade Alert

Beware: Most blades sold in stores are meant for soft materials like wood and plastic. Cutting metal destroys them in a few seconds. For metal cutting, be sure to buy blades labeled “bimetal,” “titanium” or just “metal.”

Tip 4: Great for grout removal

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Grout removal

Carbide grit or diamond blades in the oscillating tool remove old grout from between tiles.

My oscillating tool did a great job of chewing out the grout from between tiles. I can’t say it was fast, but it was faster than the other methods I tried. Plus, it didn’t damage any tiles or whip up a dust storm. I went through two carbide-grit blades in a 5 x 6-ft. area. The noise got to me after a while, and the tool got pretty hot, so holding it was uncomfortable. Still, if I had to do it again, I’d go with the oscillating tool.

Frank Okrasinski is a Field Editor from Owego, NY. His favorite job is acting as a woodworking coach for his 10-year-old grandson.

Grout removal blades

Comparing Grout Removal Blades

A carbide blade (about $25) is fine for small jobs. For larger jobs, a diamond blade ($40 and up) saves you money because it lasts two to three times as long. Both types come in 1/16-in. and 1/8-in. thicknesses to match grout widths. When you see sparks, you know that the outer edge of the blade is worn out, even though there may be plenty of grit left on the sides of the blade.

Tip 5: Trim shims in a jiffy

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Trimming a door shim

Cut shims quickly and cleanly without causing them to shift with your oscillating tool

When you install a door, the usual way to trim the shims is to score them with a utility knife and then snap them off. It’s a slow way to go, and half the time, you push the shims out of place. Other times, they don’t break off cleanly. But I discovered that my oscillating tool does the job perfectly. Quick, clean, no hassles.

Matt Kelly, a Field Editor in Champlin, MN, wins our Excessive Ambition Award: He’s replacing all his windows, siding, interior doors and trim, and installing a paver patio.

Tip 6: Goes where other tools don’t

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Cutting pipe

The oscillating tool can make difficult cuts in hard-to-reach places.

I use my oscillating tool no less than three times a week, often in tight situations where no other tool will fit. I’ve used it to cut pipe in cramped quarters, to section out dry rot in a beam where a router or saw couldn’t reach, to remove termite-damaged rafter tails my reciprocating saw couldn’t reach…. Oscillating tools are AMAZING. After friends borrow mine, they go right out and buy one for themselves.

Kyle Beria is a Field Editor and contractor in San Marcos, CA.

Extra wide blade

The Value of Extra Wide Blades

Extra-wide blades like this 2-1/2-in. version are perfect for cutting round stuff like pipe because they don’t slip off a curved surface the way narrow blades do. For other jobs, narrower blades are usually best; they plunge-cut better and put less strain on the motor.

Tip 7: Scrape away gunk

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Adhesive removal

An oscillating tool can make short work of scraping up old hardened adhesive.

I had stubborn patches of dried construction adhesive on my shop floor. I could have spent a couple of hours on my knees picking away at it with a putty knife. But my oscillating tool—equipped with a scraper blade—sliced it off in no time.

Charles Crocker is a Field Editor from Sherman, TX. He’s finishing up his 1,200-sq.-ft. shop before building a new home.

Scraper blades

Lots of Scraper Blades

Scraper blades come in lots of styles: stiff or flexible, sharp or blunt, straight or offset. The long, thin version shown above is for digging caulk out of joints.