Home Page link

Cutting outlet holes in plaster/wood-lath walls.

Home| Search | About
Login Password
Register Now! Lost Password?

Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here. 

Page 3 of 3       << first < 1 2 3 Bookmark this page:  YahooMyWeb Yahoo!  Google Google  Windows Live Favorites Windows Live  del.icio.us del.icio.us  digg digg  Add to Netscape Netscape
Subject Author Date
Cutting outlet holes in plaster/wood-lath walls. BETAC-T 04-09-2007
If you were  Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
Posted by Bob F on April 13, 2007, 1:10 am



> Thanks everyone for all of the great ideas and suggestions. Since so many
> people described the same kinds of issues I have been encountering, at
> least I know it's not just me -- it's not a job with a known clear-cut
> easy solution.
>
> I have been cutting out the plaster first (by scribing it, etc.), and then
> working on the wood lath. So, at least I have that part figured out.
> And, I have been trying to work VERY slowly and VERY carefully, but it's
> still a pain.
>
> I looked up "Rotozip" because, to be honest, I didn't really know what
> that was. Seems like it uses the "side-cutting" drill bit concept I had
> seen on TV. And, I guess it has some types of small circular blades that
> may help in cutting the laths. I'm definitely going to Home Depot, Lowe's
> etc. and checking them out today.
>
> There's a subject heading called "Rotozip: goodgawd..." that was posted in
> this newsgroup on 04/09/2007 at 11:45 PM that has some additional info and
> thoughts about Rotozips.
>
> Yesterday, I started thinking there ought to be some kind of jig or clamp
> that I could use (or invent) to clamp the lath tight while cutting it to
> keep it from vibrating. I thought maybe there is a way to cut out the
> plaster part (that's easy), then slip the clamping device between the
> space between two laths, then tighten it down to clamp the laths from the
> back up tight against a flat piece that is on the wall surface -- then cut
> the laths. I didn't see any ready-made clamping devices that would do
> that, but I'm sure someone here can come up with that invention. I am
> just surprised that electrician's don't already have something like that
> that they use. The best I could figure out for now was to try buying a
> 5-inch metal 90-degree angle brace. I don't know if that will work, but
> I'm going to see if there is a way to use that to put through the space
> between two laths and pull them tight from the back while cutting. Right
> now, I can't picture that working in my mind. But, I'll bet there is
> something along those lines that could be created or fashioned to do what
> is needed.
>
> Thanks again to everyone.

You can always run a screw into the lath to hold it, through any kind of
block or structure you can conceive to stabilize it.

Bob



Posted by DB on April 10, 2007, 5:24 pm



>I have an old house with wood lath and plaster walls, and I need to cut out
>a lot holes in the walls for light switches, electrical outlet receptacles,
>etc.
>
> Here is what I am doing now, and here is what the problem is:
>
> I am just cutting them out by hand, one-by-one, using hand-held wallboard
> saws, etc. The problem is that it is hard to keep the underlying wood
> lath from vibrating and causing a wider area of plaster to crack and break
> out. I have tried making sure each hole is adjacent to one of the studs so
> at least one side of the hole has wood lath that is nailed down to the
> adjacent stud. And, I have tried being very careful, cutting out a
> little, reaching in to hold the rest of the wood lath stable, and then
> carefully cutting the wood lath. But it is still a mess, doesn't work
> very well, and takes a long time for each hole.
>
> I don't think using any kind of powered reciprocating saw or saws-all
> would help and probably would only make the lath vibrate more and damage a
> wider area of plaster than using the by-hand method.
>
> The problem seems to be the reciprocating action of the saws, so I keep
> thinking there ought to be some kind of small circular saw that could be
> used and plunged into the wall to cut the lath without vibrating it back
> and forth. But I don't have, and haven't seen, a circular-type saw that
> would be small enough to do this.
>
> I have thought about buying one of those drill bits that supposedly can
> saw sideways to cut holes in walls (which I saw on TV), but I haven't
> found anything like that in any stores and I have a hunch they don't work
> anyway (which is probably why they are only on TV).
>
> So what the heck do professional electricians do? I keep thinking they
> must have a tool or know of a trick to make this easy, especially since
> they don't want to damage their customers' walls when putting in new
> outlets, etc.
>
> Any ideas? Thanks.

You need something with a high speed rotary blade to minimize the back and
forth yanking of a reciprcating tool.Iin a pinch a die grinder with a cut
off wheel would probably work but something with saw teeth would work more
efficiently.



Posted by on April 17, 2007, 2:21 am


wrote:

>
>>I have an old house with wood lath and plaster walls, and I need to cut out
>>a lot holes in the walls for light switches, electrical outlet receptacles,
>>etc.
>>
>> Here is what I am doing now, and here is what the problem is:
>>
>> I am just cutting them out by hand, one-by-one, using hand-held wallboard
>> saws, etc. The problem is that it is hard to keep the underlying wood
>> lath from vibrating and causing a wider area of plaster to crack and break
>> out. I have tried making sure each hole is adjacent to one of the studs so
>> at least one side of the hole has wood lath that is nailed down to the
>> adjacent stud. And, I have tried being very careful, cutting out a
>> little, reaching in to hold the rest of the wood lath stable, and then
>> carefully cutting the wood lath. But it is still a mess, doesn't work
>> very well, and takes a long time for each hole.
>>
>> I don't think using any kind of powered reciprocating saw or saws-all
>> would help and probably would only make the lath vibrate more and damage a
>> wider area of plaster than using the by-hand method.
>>
>> The problem seems to be the reciprocating action of the saws, so I keep
>> thinking there ought to be some kind of small circular saw that could be
>> used and plunged into the wall to cut the lath without vibrating it back
>> and forth. But I don't have, and haven't seen, a circular-type saw that
>> would be small enough to do this.
>>
>> I have thought about buying one of those drill bits that supposedly can
>> saw sideways to cut holes in walls (which I saw on TV), but I haven't
>> found anything like that in any stores and I have a hunch they don't work
>> anyway (which is probably why they are only on TV).
>>
>> So what the heck do professional electricians do? I keep thinking they
>> must have a tool or know of a trick to make this easy, especially since
>> they don't want to damage their customers' walls when putting in new
>> outlets, etc.
>>
>> Any ideas? Thanks.
>
>You need something with a high speed rotary blade to minimize the back and
>forth yanking of a reciprcating tool.Iin a pinch a die grinder with a cut
>off wheel would probably work but something with saw teeth would work more
>efficiently.
>

THey do sell small circular saw blades for dremel tools. I never
tried them, and I wonder how long they would last from plaster.
Probably not long.


Page 3 of 3       << first < 1 2 3
Similar ThreadsPosted
Cutting holes in Glass/Mirrors October 27, 2005, 1:55 am
Repairing holes in stucco walls (interior) October 14, 2007, 8:33 am
Drilling holes in basement concrete walls November 26, 2007, 8:53 pm
cutting accurate canister light holes in celing October 27, 2006, 7:51 pm
Lovely holes in plaster/lath walls - where to buy materials? January 29, 2006, 11:38 am
Cutting circular holes in plastered ceiling for recessed light housing February 12, 2008, 9:05 pm
Green substance around electric outlet holes ... What could it be ? August 27, 2008, 5:45 pm
It's snowing in Miami in February and I am snowman! Cutting plastered walls February 16, 2008, 9:27 pm
How to connect 4 primed cable to 3 holes electric outlet? June 14, 2006, 9:13 am
Cutting Electrical PVC (WITHOUT CUTTING WIRES) November 29, 2005, 12:15 am

Contact Us | Privacy Policy

XML SitemapXML Sitemap