• Home
    • Resource Library
  • Blog
  • Free Primitive Patterns
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us

Prim Mart

For Home, Garden, and Lifestyle

  • The Home
    • Decor & Design
    • Cleaning & Organizing
    • Buying and Selling Homes
    • Electrical & Energy Use
    • Heating & Cooling
    • Home Appliances
    • Pest Control
    • Plumbing
    • Roof Maintenance
    • Security
    • Tools & Equipment
  • Outdoor Living
    • Gardening
    • Landscaping
    • Lawn Care
    • Patio Decorating
  • Art & Crafts
    • Craft Tutorials
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
    • Family
      • Parenting
      • Pets
    • Beauty & Fashion
    • Finances
    • Education
    • Fun
    • Legal Matters
    • Technology
    • Car Care & More
    • Celebrations & Holidays
    • Safety
    • Shopping
    • Travel
  • Wellness
    • Dental Health
    • Diet & Fitness
    • Holistic Health
    • Mental Wellness
    • Physical Health
    • Self Improvement
  • Work & Business
    • Business Tips
    • Business Marketing
    • Office Design
    • Building Upkeep
    • Career Training
    • Work at Home
Home » The Home » Tools & Equipment » What Is An Oscillating Tool Used For?

Tools & Equipment · February 16, 2022

What Is An Oscillating Tool Used For?

What Is An Oscillating Tool Used For?

The oscillating tool is dubbed the “jackknife of power tools” for its ability to handle all sorts of tasks. From cutting, scraping, and grinding to sawing and cutting, it delivers amazing results even when working in tight spaces.

Another similar tool is the rotary tool, but it is designed for more detailed work and is not often as necessary. This difference between oscillating and rotary tool tends to make the former more popular with carpenters, cabinet installers, tradespeople, and serious hobbyists. So, what else is there to know about this go-to piece of equipment for many a practical artist?

How Does It Work?

Unlike a high-speed rotary tool, an oscillating tool has a blade that vibrates over a narrow arc, which prevents dust from spraying all over. It’s a tool that becomes even more efficient when paired with the right accessory, allowing you to:

  • Trim wood flooring and baseboards
  • Plunge-cut wood flooring
  • Clean grout
  • Scrape away caulk or old glue
  • Cut wood, metal, plastic, and fiberglass
  • Grind tile adhesive
  • Cut nails and bolts

Oscillating Tool Considerations

Not all oscillating tools are created equal, and picking out the right model tends to involve looking at the following features specifically:

Oscillating Angle

When choosing between oscillating tools, the oscillating angle could be the deciding factor. Basically, it refers to the distance traveled by the blade as it vibrates. It usually measures between two and four degrees, with the higher angles offering more cutting power. Some tools also have shorter strokes, which provide better control and deliver a smoother finish. 

Variable Speed Trigger

Another key feature to consider is the variable speed trigger, which allows for better control and a wide range of cutting speeds. That way, you get optimal cutting power regardless of the attachment and the material being cut. Its superior level of control also helps prevent burnt work surfaces and clogged and overloaded tools.

Tool-Free Blade Changing

Saving time is everybody’s goal, and tool-free blade changing can contribute to that immensely. You may find this feature especially helpful when tasks require the use of different types of attachments in sequence.

Ergonomic Grips and Trigger Locks

Even using an oscillating tool an entire afternoon can strain the muscles in your hands and forearms. You can help reduce this occurrence by picking out a model with a trigger lock and ergonomic grip. These fatigue-reducing features are especially essential for those using the device for working on long-term projects.

Corded or Cordless

Choosing between these two features can be more than a matter of convenience. It can also be a matter of cutting power. Corded models tend to pack more power than their cordless counterparts. As such, they should be the ideal choice for cutting harder and tougher materials.

On the other hand, cordless models should still cut through demanding materials. However, they may not cut through them as effortlessly. Plus, you do have the benefit of portability with them, which can matter more in some cases.

Accessory Options

The accessories or blades you can use with an oscillating tool may depend on the specific model you’re using, the material you’re cutting, or both. Here are some examples:

Wood-Cutting Blades

Now, these should be staples in your DIY toolbox. They’re designed with wide and aggressive Japanese-style teeth that are great for flush-cutting door jambs and undercutting baseboards.

Make sure to attach them to a tool with more power, as a lower-powered instrument can make these accessories prone to breakage. Combined with the ideal tool, these blades should deliver smoother and more efficient finishes than those with smaller teeth. Go for narrower, straighter blades when aiming for plunge cuts.

Circular HSS Blades

These blades can cut through multiple angles from one position and are especially efficient at cutting plastic, metal, and fiberglass. That said, it’s important to note that their fine teeth can clog quickly when used at high power. 

Bi-Metal Blades

Despite requiring lower power-backing than wood-cutting blades, they are able to handle more demanding materials more easily, such as nail-embedded wood. Most standard wood-cutting blades would cave to that kind of toughness. 

Scraper Knives

These come in a wide assortment of rigid and flexible widths. Rigid varieties are ideal for peeling off dried glue, old gasket material, and old carpets. In comparison, flexible scrapers are more suited for paint removal tasks. There are also hook scrapers, which are effective at cleaning deep and narrow crevices.

Grinder Blades

The blade of choice for grinding tile adhesive and rough wood, the grinder blade is as tough as they come and built like a thin-set mortar. 

The Oscillating Tool for You

There are oscillating tools that suit every budget. Since you can use them for a ton of things, the key to choosing the right one could be to find out what you’d be using it for and how often.

Even if you initially needed the device for a single task, it should be easy to find more ways to use it once it’s inside your toolbox. Use our list of oscillating tool features and accessories to help make your decision easier!

Spread the love

Posted In: Tools & Equipment

Never miss a post!

You’ll Also Love

Best Torque Wrench Buying Guide for 2022Best Torque Wrench Buying Guide for 2022
How Having A Laser Level is Beneficiary To DIY Enthusiasts
How To Choose The Right Metal Plate For Your DIY ProjectHow To Choose The Right Metal Plate For Your DIY Project
Next Post >

Revived Y2K Fashion Staples For 2022

Search

Hello There!

Welcome to Prim Mart! I'm Katharine, a mom, wife, and blogger with a passion for all things related to homemaking and enjoying life. Prim Mart was founded in 2001 and has grown from just a craft blog to an online lifestyle magazine filled with helpful and creative articles for you!

AntiqueFarmHouse
300 X 250 banner

Archives

Categories

Garden Tower Project

Copyright © 2023 Prim Mart · Theme by 17th Avenue

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Read More

Accept Decline Cookie Settings
I consent to the use of following cookies:
Cookie Declaration About Cookies
Necessary (0) Marketing (0) Analytics (0) Preferences (0) Unclassified (0)
Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. The website cannot function properly without these cookies.
We do not use cookies of this type.
Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers.
We do not use cookies of this type.
Analytics cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously.
We do not use cookies of this type.
Preference cookies enable a website to remember information that changes the way the website behaves or looks, like your preferred language or the region that you are in.
We do not use cookies of this type.
Unclassified cookies are cookies that we are in the process of classifying, together with the providers of individual cookies.
We do not use cookies of this type.
Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient. The law states that we can store cookies on your device if they are strictly necessary for the operation of this site. For all other types of cookies we need your permission. This site uses different types of cookies. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages.
Cookie Settings