Cutting circular holes in plastered ceiling for recessed light housing (2026 Update)

A zip tool with a tile cutting carbide bit would be my first choice. You would have to go slow.

JK

Special carbide hole saws are made for recessed lights. They are expensive but work great on plaster and lathe. Be sure to get the correct size. I tried my Dremel Rotary Advantage once on some recessed lights. The first hole or two didn't come out too well even though I was using the circle cutter attachment. By the fourth hole they were looking great until the tool froze up from all of the fine dust getting inside of it. I had to completely dismantle the Dremel to get rid of all of the dust. I haven't used it since.

A cheaper alternative to buying a new power tool is a hole cutting compass - you can get one at THE DEPOT. Use this to cut a circle through the plaster but it won't go through metal lath. Get plenty of blades if you have to cut more than one. The lath will chew them up.

Next you can crumble out the circle piece then use wire cutters or sheet metal sheers to cut out the lath. Be careful when cutting that stuff with anything - power or hand tool - wear gloves. It will shred your skin worse than a mean tom cat.

This method is slower, but more deliberate with less chance of injury and cutting where you don't want to.

You need a special rotary drill designed for drywall, like the Dewalt DW660 or Rotozip RZ01-1100. You might try some pawn shops for them also for a better price.

I think the compass will take a power drill right? I think I will try this. Thanks!

I found this and it seems to describe my precise requirements.

MC

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote on 20 Feb 2008 in group alt.home.repair:

I have a consumer-grade version of that tool, and it works fine on wallboard. I don't know how it would do on plaster, but I suspect it would work as long as I went very slowly.