Walls and Ceilings - Cutting outlet holes in drywall.....

Hi,

I'm going to do a refinish of some basement rooms that includes drywalling. Through this forum, I've got great advice on framing & insulation. As a test or learning experience, I insulated and drywalled my workshop first - I didn't care if it wasn't perfect, just a way to see if I was up to the job. I learned lots of stuff - mostly to use a strong light when sanding - what I thought was a good job wasn't so under the glare of harsh lights.

Another problem I had has me vexed - that is cutting out holes in hung drywall for outlet boxes, etc. I first tried a little hand saw and while that produced decent results, it was slow. A friend lent me his RotoZip tool - now that is a nice tool! The problem is I had a problem making a consistently square hole that was close to the (blue) box. How do people get the hole close to the outside of the box? I tried using a 'feel' method - the problem is I ended up chewing into the box a bit (I wish the bit was round near the end, that would make following the box easier). I suppose that a pro gets a feel or do people draw out a box around where they think the box is? I tried this but I made the box too big so my electrical outlets don't fit well.

When I use the tool, I'm running it like a router (counterclockwise) but I hope to to a better job making a clean, accurate hole.

Bob

You need to use guidepoint roto-zip bits for cutting drywall. What I have new guys do is to just cut out the outlets to the inside dimensions of the box & then finish cutting it to outside dimensions. Boxes should be mounted on wall so they clear the stud by 1/4" or so for better cutout as well.

Thanks - Awesome!

I'll take a hike to my local store to see if they have these. I imagine the end of the bit has no cutting edge, right? So I imagine the depth of the bit is deep enough to penetrate the drywall, plus a little more so the end of the bit rides on the box. Sounds great!

Yeah the ends of the guidepoints are smooth, so it rides on the box without damaging it if you're running the router correctly.

Thanks for the feedback!