Are you remodeling your home? Take the hassle and frustration out of smaller jobs with an oscillating multi-tool. Invented in the 1960’s to remove casts from broken limbs, the oscillating multi-tool has was introduced to the woodworking profession in the mid-1990’s. The equipment was an instant hit among contractors, woodworkers, plumbers, and DIY enthusiasts.
The oscillating multi-tool offers a versatile solution for a variety of home remodeling tasks. Interchangeable tool heads can be used for cutting, sanding, grinding, scraping and polishing almost any surface with ease. Get into those hard-to-reach corners and sand them to perfection. Cut through exposed nails and plumbing pipes in seconds. The oscillating multi-tool is a powerful and robust piece of equipment that belongs in the tool cabinet of both professionals and hobbyists.
Complete your remodeling tasks quickly and efficiently with this revolutionary technology that’s designed to enhance and improve your workmanship. Here is a list of ten remodeling jobs that you can take care of with an oscillating tool.
#1 Sand surfaces smooth
Do you have a complicated sanding job in front of you? An oscillating tool comes equipped with several sanding attachments to assist you in sanding the most intricate tasks. The most popular sanding attachment is the triangular shaped pad.
This large triangular pad smooths broad, flat surfaces with ease. The pads feature loop and hook technology on the rear of the pad, allowing for easy, fast replacement. For smaller jobs, the tool comes equipped with pointed sanding fingers, allowing you to reach the tightest spaces.
#2 Trimming door casings
Are you installing a new floor in your home? Don’t you just hate it when the floor is finished and the door won’t close? This is a common problem for DIY enthusiasts and can be easily fixed. The oscillating tool will help you trim down your door casings.
Simply take your measurements and attach a flush-cut wood blade to the multi-tool head. All that’s left to do is plunge the blade into and through the door casing, then simply cut along your line for a perfect cut and the optimal fit.
An oscillating tool can help you with other tasks on your door as well. Cut out jambs and hinge brackets in seconds. Then sand down the door surface to a smooth finish.
#3 Removing paint
Is the paint peeling from your walls or ceiling? Make this terrible remodeling task simple with an oscillating tool. Start your paint stripping by attached the scraper blade to the tool head and remove all the blisters and bubbles from the paintwork.
After you have removed the old paint, attach the coarse grit sanding pads to rip off the rest and sand the edges of the paintwork fast and efficiently. To finish the job, switch to a finer grit sanding pad, then smooth and polish it up to its original state.
#4 Save your room moldings
Have you ever tried to remove moldings from your walls? Successfully prying them away from the wall without damaging them is very challenging. It is quite common to have the cornices and moldings crack, tear or break as they are removed.
The fine-tooth cutting blade is the perfect attachment for this task. It penetrates through layers of paint and caulking and slices the molding away from the wall without damaging it. Baseboards, rails, window and door casings, are all easily removed and salvaged for your remodeling task.
#5 Remove mortar
struggling to remove mortar without making a mess and destroying your floor? The oscillating tool is just what you need to effortlessly complete this frustrating task. Attach a carbide-grit pad to the tool head and grind away the toughest mortar and cement with ease. The rasp is designed in a triangular shape, allowing you to access tight corners with no trouble at all.
#6 Remove grout
There is no longer any need for specialized tooling to remove grout. The oscillating tool tears away cracked and stained grout with a carbide-grit blade specifically designed for this task. Select the blade thickness to suit your application and get to work removing that old grout. The oscillating function of the blade does not blow grout dust all over the room in the same manner a grinder might. Get the job done right and keep the mess to a minimum.
#7 Cutting Pipes
Do you have a plumbing task on hand? Plumbing pipes and even exposed nail heads are quickly sliced away with an oscillating tool. Copper, plastic, and galvanized piping are no match for a compact, adjustable multi-tool. Adjust the blade to any angle and reach tight corners with ease.
#8 Create drywall openings
Installing drywall? The metal-cutting blade of the multi-tool will punch right through drywall without damaging it. Simply mark your outline, plunge the blade through the drywall and cut to your specifications. The blade is flexible and gives you a high-level of control and balance, offering superior cutting power that doesn’t crack or tear your drywall.
#9 Stripping adhesives
Are you having a hard time removing hardened, high-strength, adhesives? When adhesives cure they can be incredibly difficult to lift and remove. However, with an oscillating tool, you can strip them away without the hassle.
The high-speed operation of the multi-tool coupled with a steel scraper attachment will make short work of removing tough, cured, adhesives and mastics from any surface. To finish the job, attach the carbide rasp and smooth the surface down.
#10 Getting rid of old caulk
Putty knives are a thing of the past. Removing old caulking with an oscillating tool is much more efficient and requires less effort and produces better results than traditional methods and tools.
Attach the steel scraper blade and remove old caulk from sinks, baths, windows, doors, and countertops.
The final verdict
Do you think an oscillating tool deserves a space in your tool cabinet? If you are still on the fence with your decision, then take a look at this quick list of advantages for using it when remodeling your home.
Combine multiple tools into one piece of equipment.
- Save time, effort and money on your remodeling.
- Improved control and efficient operation when compared to other DIY remodeling tools.
- Effortlessly switch between jobs without the need to change your tools.
- Take on a large variety of home remodeling tasks with one tool.
- Suitable for electrical, carpentry, plumbing and tiling tasks.
The final verdict is clear, an oscillating tool is an essential piece of equipment that offers tremendous value to any professional contractor or DIY enthusiast.
Author: Jason Rosser
