Solid board cutters

[Mathew Newton]

Does anyone have any experience on the selection/use of solid board cutters?

e.g.

've got various cable routing tasks to perform in our house and, being built in 2007, has the seemingly obligatory chipboard flooring, glued down, walls built upon, etc. Basically, every trick in the book to make underfloor access difficult. Oh, and we've got carpets down to and want to cause minimal disruption to the existing decor.

I'm well tooled up with cable routing kits however I am now faced with the choice of how to get under the floors (or above the ceilings below really). These solid board cutters seem ideal in that they appear to make holes with the minimum of effort and risk to underfloor pipework/ cabling, and a simple drop-in plug seals/secures it back up.

If there's one potential negative it's that they seem quite pricey (~ =A330 for the saw and a few quid per plug) but I'm happy to pay if they're as good/convenient as they seem.

Has anyone used them before and otherwise know much about them?

Mathew

[Osprey]

I used a TREND routabout cutter ... if that is what you mean. They do a great job, very neat, kit is pricey ... but I sold mine for

2/3 of new price once finished with it.

Mkae sure you get correct version ... as differenet cutter f& insert ring for different thickness of boards

[Mathew Newton]

No, this is just a simple holesaw affair for use with a normal drill:

different means to the same end.

I noticed that with the routabout, and I don't have a router either!

That's possibly one of the advantages with the basic board cutter - it cuts any thickness upto an inch.

Mathew

[Mathew Newton]

Here's a video of one in action for those not familiar:

[ARWadsworth]

I have used the Armeg cutter. I have to confess that I am not a big fan of it.

I no longer have it as a customer stole it otherwise I would have gladly given it to you.

I now just use a circular saw and replace the lifted chipboard with ply or floorboards.

[Mathew Newton]

Any particular aspects of it?

Grrr...

Yeah I guess there's always old-school...

Mathew

[John Rumm]

I've got various cable routing tasks to perform in our house and,

Yup - they pretty much do what it says on the tin. There are some TCT cutters around the periphery that rebate a ring into the board around the hole. That allows the plate to sit flush.

They are cheaper per hole than the other alternative which is the Trend routabout jig. However they also make smaller holes. So you pays your money and takes yours choice. Good for getting a hand under the floor - probably not as good for a more elaborate access hatch.

[ARWadsworth]

It's ability to find water is better than a diviner for one!

The biggest complaint is that it takes too many holes to do the job. In the end I have found it easier to rip up the chipboad in long floorboard wide lengths and replace the removed chipboard. Don't forget every hole could hit a pipe or cable that is just below the chipboard.

I got my own back:-)

I'll try anything once, but the Armeg cutter was not for me.

[Mathew Newton]

I think (hopefully) I'll be okay with that aspect - from what I've seen the pipes (and cables) and well routed. We've got I-beams so it's a fairly simple affair to drill through the centres.

I might give it a shot, particularly as I've found a Silverline one for only =A320 which should be good enough for the limited number of holes I am anticipating.

Thanks all for the input.

Mathew

[Frank Erskine]

Angle grinder.

[Andy Dingley]

I had the Trend (router and trammel jig) years ago. This made holes big enough to be useful, unlike the Armeg. Armeg is fine for access to a stop valve, but that's about it.

Last time I needed to do this, I used a home made jig (Ring guide for a router with a guide bush) and made new hatch covers from flooring chipboard, rather than trying to juggle filler rings etc. so that you can recycle the waste piece into a cover. Far easier, and chipboard's cheap. I make mine (and the guide) on a lathe, but neat jigsawing and routing would do too.

Cutting with a router instead of a hole saw lets you go slow and avoid hitting anything expensive. The ring guide is far, _far_ easier to use than the fecking horrible trammel. That was like sawing a branch off a tree whilst straddling the sawcut.

[Osprey]

The point of the Routabout is that it gives a decent size hole for plumbing .... I used them for each manifold position.

If you have to cut a number of holes ... having to create a trapdoor style supports to hold a replacement 'lid' takes time and is fiddly, Routabout is quick, and very neat. Individual rings are cheap, once you have the kit .... it was worth it for a new house build.