Cutting Around Electric Boxes

Beepster

OK, I just finished sheetrocking my basement and need advice for the NEXT time I have a major sheetrocking project. I use the drywall bits in my dremel to cut around electric boxes. By the end of the project, my dremel is shot with all the drywall powder that has gotten into it. Any hints how to prevent this? I thought about having a shop vac hose to suck up the powder but it takes all my concentration just to make sure the cut is good and the bit traces the box.

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joecaption

A Dremel is a light duty toy.
Should have been using a Roto Zip with a pilot bit, or an ossilating saw.
You can buy an attachment for the Roto Zip that holds a vacuum hose.

Beepster

I didn't know the Roto Zip was heavier duty piece of equipment. I've known about it, though. Can you use multiple attachments with it, ie can it be used in lieu of a dremel. Probably one of the things I use the dremel most for are the cut off disks.

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joecaption

http://www.rotozip.com/en-us/Pages/Rotozip.aspx

Fix'n it

i use a dremel with the drywall bit. it is working just fine.

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DIY'er, out of necessity. if i did this for a living, i would make about $3.50 an hour
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Seattle2k

You can get new parts for your dremel easily. I would clean blow it out with compressed air, then remove the plugs that cover the brushes...remove the brushes, clean out cavity, put in new brushes. I've not used mine for drywall, but I have abused it pretty badly and it keeps on running..I've owned mine for 15 years and I'm still on the original brushes.

ToolSeeker

Drywall dust is so fine it will plug almost anything including the filter on a good shop vac. To do drywall get the roto-zip its sealed so the dust really can't get in

jklingel

i'm not that fancy. i just cut them out with a small, large-toothed saw and/or utility knife. yah, it's a little slower than a power tool, but it works, and the tools are right on my belt.

Beepster

I took the dremel apart and blew it out. The front bearing got some dust inside. I sprayed it with some silicon lube and WD40. We will see tonight if it loosened up.

Yeah, i know, a new bearing would not be that much. It just sucks fixing tools in the middle of a big project. Like I don't have enough to do already.

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