I’m never one to pass up on the opportunity to buy a new power tool, but I honestly never thought I had much use for an oscillating multitool. Then I had a drywall project. I picked up a battery-powered multitool to help remove some water-damaged drywall in the ceiling and cut a perfect-sized opening aligned to the joists to replace the old stuff. Since then, I’ve used it for a number of projects, and now, I’m not sure how I ever went without one.
What Is an Oscillating Tool?
An oscillating tool is a handheld power tool that works by making side-to-side movements with the cutting blade. The side-to-side movement is very slight, just a few degrees, but it can move as fast as 20,000 oscillations per minute.
Another advantage is that the oscillating motion means the dust from whatever your cutting falls to the surface instead of being flung into the air and all over everything like it does with an angle grinder. That was especially helpful cutting drywall.
What Is an Oscillating Tool Used For?
As you might have surmised from the name “multitool,” these things can do a lot. It can cut everything from copper pipes to wood. It’s great for removing grout when you’ve got a tiling project on your to-do list. You can cut away rusty bolts with it. Another popular application is sanding hard-to-reach surfaces. There are a variety of cutting tools and attachments for the various jobs it can do.
The list below is a helpful starting place.
How To Use an Oscillating Tool?
To start, make sure you’ve got the proper safety gear. You’ll need to wear eye protection, and I would recommend a mask to keep yourself from breathing in dust. Also remember to keep loose clothing and long hair out of the way, so it doesn’t get caught in the blade.
With your safety gear on, the next thing to do will be to put the proper attachment onto the tool. Make sure the safety is on, if your tool has one, so that the tool doesn’t accidentally start up while you’re doing this. I would recommend removing the battery too. Different brands handle this part differently, so be sure to consult the specific instructions. Basically, there’s a release mechanism that allows you to slide the attachment over the pins and lock it into place.
Once that’s done, you’re ready to fire it up. With the safety off, you just hold it by the handle and pull the trigger, adjusting the speed as needed. These tools are made to be operated with one hand, but I’ve found that using a second hand to steady the top part of the tool helps keep your cuts straight. And that’s really all there is to it.
Need to shave a little off a cabinet or a piece of trim because someone read the tape measure upside down? Use the oscillating tool to make a clean, precise cut and make the problem go away. Use a straightedge if you need a guide for the oscillating saw blade. Just watch that the blade doesn’t gouge the straightedge and go off-course.
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Family Handyman
Faster Flooring Prep
If you’re installing a new floor, a flush-cutting blade on an oscillating saw tool will slice through doorjambs like butter! With a scrap of flooring as a guide, the oscillating tool will make straight, clean cuts so that the new flooring will easily slip into place.
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Family Handyman
Cut Rusty Faucet Nuts
Sometimes you just can’t muscle off rusted-in-place faucet nuts with even the best basin wrench. And you can forget about using a reciprocating saw under the sink deck—there simply isn’t enough room. But you may be able to pull off the impossible by using an oscillating saw tool equipped with a high-quality bimetal cutting blade. Angle the tool against the nut and start it off at slow speed until it cuts a groove. Then increase the speed and keep sawing until you’re about three-quarters of the way through. Then break off the remaining portion with pliers.
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Family Handyman
Remove Trim Without Damage
Here’s a better method of removing delicate pieces of trim: Gently pry the trim away from the wall just enough to slip in an oscillating tool blade, then probe for the nails and slice through them with a metal-cutting blade. Fast, easy and no more splits. Use a scrap of sheet metal to protect the wall. Oscillating tool uses are endless!
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Family Handyman
Grout Removal
An oscillating tool does a great job of removing old grout from between tiles. It’s still tedious work, but unlike with other methods, you won’t damage the tiles or whip up a dust storm.
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Family Handyman
Trim Shims in a Jiffy
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 an oscillating tool does the job perfectly. Quick, clean, no hassles.
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Family Handyman
Making Cuts in Cramped Spaces
Oscillating tools are perfect for tight situations where no other tool will fit. Use it to cut pipe in cramped quarters, to section out dry rot in a beam where a router or saw can’t reach, to quickly cut out damaged flooring and more.
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Family Handyman
Scrape Away Gunk
Get rid of stubborn patches of dried construction adhesive, joint compound and other gunk without spending hours on your knees hacking with a putty knife. With an oscillating tool equipped with a scraper blade, you can slice it off in no time.
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Family Handyman
Remove a Toilet
Trying to remove an old toilet? Cutting off corroded hold-down bolts with an oscillating tool is a lot faster than trying to unscrew them. Ditto for the bolts that fasten the tank to the bowl. And if the bowl is caulked to the floor, you can switch to a scraper blade and slice right through the joint.
10/16
Family Handyman
Remove a Towel Bar or Soap Dish
It’s easy to remove a broken or outdated surface-mounted towel bar or soap dish with an oscillating tool. Jam the blade into a corner about 1 in. deep. Then work it all around the fixture. Shove it in deeper and do a second pass around the fixture, cutting through all the adhesive and caulk.
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Family Handyman
Oscillating Tool Adapters and Accessories
Oscillating tool adapters give you more blade options. Sometimes, blades of one brand will fit on a multitool of another brand. But not always. So pick up an adapter that’s designed to suit your multitool. Most home centers carry only a small selection of blades and scrapers, but endless accessories are available online.
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Family Handyman
Oscillating Tool Blades: Round Vs. Straight
A straight blade is best for plunge cuts, where you stab the blade into the surface. For long, linear cuts, use a round oscillating saw blade. You’ll get cleaner cuts with the round blade if you make a shallow scoring cut first, then gradually deepen it with an oscillating saw.
In any case, keep in mind that heat kills blades. Occasionally, swing the oscillating tool blade back and forth out of the kerf to clean out dust. And don’t press so hard.
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Family Handyman
Oscillating Tool 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.
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Family Handyman
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.
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Family Handyman
Extra-Wide Oscillating Tool 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.
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Family Handyman
Oscillating Tool Metal Cutting Blades
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.
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