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Cast saws?

andrepew

Member
Just finished watching an Adam Savage YouTube video on his favourite tools mentioning how he likes to use the saws doctors use for removing casts for fibreglass work.

Does anyone here have experience with them for work on RVs? The pros sound pretty compelling…

Saw doesn’t cut skin and doesn’t sling dust at high velocity. Also, since it is an oscillating blade, not a spinning blade, you have much better control since the saw doesn’t try to walk away on you in the direction the blade spins.

Thoughts?

https://youtu.be/lDSylp8r4EY
 
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Multi-tool

Basically an Oscillating Multi-Tool. The Multi Tool works pretty well on Fiberglass. Much cheaper. Buy the fastest oscillating speed you can. Mine is cordless. Also pretty useful.
I prefer a Dremel Saw Max to remove the bulk then trim with a Dremel and cut off wheel just outside the lines. Agressive tools tend to rip the edge so I stay away from the finish line. If it's a precision cut like splitting something in half, I use the Dremel with cut off wheel. You want to cut as quickly as possible because the heat generated is bad for fiberglass.
Finish off with a Vixen File or sanding blocks for a clean edge. Sanding blocks are various grits of self stick paper on blocks or PVC. They are very useful sanding to the desired shape.
 
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You can get oscillating multi tools in a variety of price ranges, cordless or not cordless. The big advantage of an oscillating multitool over a cast saw, other than price, is that the blades will be readily available, and cheap. Not to mention several other useful attachments.
 
I found by far the best tool to be a Dremel with a 1-1/2" diamond cut off wheel. After breaking several standard cut off wheels including one hitting me in the face it went to the more expensive diamond wheel. It is very thin, allows you to have very precise control of where you are cutting, and doesn't seem to wear out. I used one for the remainder of my project. I also clamped my work when every possible and held a shop vacuum hose near the Dremel wheel to catch 90% of the dust. Really helps with seeing the cut lines.

https://www.amazon.ca/Dremel-EZ545-...ocphy=9047894&hvtargid=pla-381729610302&psc=1
 
The HF diamond wheels work great on well cured product, but the coarse carbine wheels are needed for fresh work. The HF fine diamond wheels will collect material and clog. YMMV

I really like the perm-grit tools. They are bonded carbide and last forever. The glass is a Rc 90+ hardness and will dull anything less, which is just about everything except diamond/carbides. Expensive, but if you do more than one job, they become cost effective.
 
The HF diamond wheels work great on well cured product, but the coarse carbine wheels are needed for fresh work. The HF fine diamond wheels will collect material and clog. YMMV

I never experienced any clogging issues even with freshly cured material.
 
+1 for Jetmart

I manufactured Orthopedic cast saws for a living. Two comments:
* the oscillation is best used in a progressive “plunge-]in/ withdraw type motion as opposed dragging like a rotary cutter. A round blade will facilitate a little dragging style of cutter progression. Diamond or carbide will be your friend.
* I use and recommend the little dremel diamond wheel. The curf is very thin. The small diameter will allow cutting some relatively tight radius curves. It will plunge cut to get started then rip like rotary saw. It can be sensitive to work piece thickness. Thin sections cut like butter with the blade fully submerged to the drive shaft. This helps make the blade self aligning for smooth cuts. In thick material, like any saw, keep a good grip or plunge cut and sand to finish. The blade is more inclined to walk back away from the cut if fed to aggressively into thick glass composite.
 
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