HF oscillating multifunction tool

It says it will cut metal; does that include mild steel and stainless? I need to cut a 2 1/8" hole in a steel door for mounting a deadbolt. Actually, it's a hollow core wooden door that someone laminated on both sides with steel sheet (I think it might be stainless.) Is it worth a try for $20?

Or should I just drill a bunch of 3/32" holes, knock it out with a cold chisel, and clean it up with a half-round file? I assume I'll have to do some filing if I use the oscillating multitool, but not a lot.

The hole saw I bought didn't do much except draw a circle for me and make a pilot hole.

Let's say it doesn't work for this. Is it worth $20 anyway? Thanks.

-Bob

Reply to
zxcvbob
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Bob, my short answer is yes, as I got my first god use out of a pneutimatic ultimate tool this week.

I have attachments for it which I'll now try, but it's a process.

Peace. Love. Square root of three.

Reply to
Uno

  1. The HF Multifunction Miracle Tool may or may not work for this application. Most likely it will with the proper blade. You will NOT need to do much, if any, filing. For the things it does effortlessly, the tool is worth 0, not .
  2. For your present job you could use a hole saw bit, but it has to be one for cutting metal (as in circuit-breaker boxes).
Reply to
HeyBub

Might cut it-- I can't imagine gutting a circle with one.

I'd spend the $20 on a *good* hole saw. Remember to keep the speed slow-- and use some cutting oil.

Yes. But buy the hole saw first if you only have one twenty.

Jim

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht

It's worth the $20, but I don't think it's right for this. I'd scribe the hole, drill, then use a jigsaw with metal blade. Watch you don't overcut one side. Since the blade will flex, you'll might have to make the final cuts on each side with a short blade. You can get carbide hole saws - expensive. But since the hole will be covered by an escutcheon anyway, I wouldn't worry is it's a little rough.

--Vic

Reply to
Vic Smith

Yes, the MF tool is worth $20, but when mine breaks I'll replace it with the $40(?) variable speed model. Depending on what my requirement is, I might buy the VS model before my single speed fails because there have been times when I've said "This tool works, but I wish I could slow it down a bit."

A hole saw made for metal shouldn't have a problem cutting through a steel-skinned door, although not knowing exactly what you have that's tough to say from where I'm sitting.

The MF tool will indeed cut metal when a metal cutting blade is used, although I don't know if I'd try cutting a circle in what is basically a solid piece of material. That sounds like a function that doesn't fit in the list of multi-functions that the tool can handle easily.

I suppose you could use one of the narrow plunge cutting blades and make a series of flat plunge cuts, but that sounds like a lot of work and something that would be hard to keep straight as you enter one side of the door and exit the other.

I've used a plunge cut blade to cut through nails so I could remove some window stops. Even though the blades said they were for metal, the teeth wore down fairly quickly. I had to keep moving to different sections of the blade since the nails would flatten a small section of the blade and make it useless. Still, even though I went through 2 blades, it was the easiest tool to use for the job.

For your project, I'd buy a decent hole saw made for metal and use that.

I'd then buy the VS multi-function tool anyway. ;-)

Reply to
DerbyDad03

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