Nifty idea for marking outlet cutouts in drywall

[rwhite692]

Anyone here have or use one of these? Seems like a pretty good idea.

http://www.handymark.net/


I have always used chalk or a paint pen to "wet" the edge of the box, but that doesn't work if you already have outlets/switches in place.

Would be pretty easy to replicate something similar.

 

[stok2]

I always "throw" it up and use a "Rotozip". Works as long as you know about where the outlet is.......

 

[jam022316]

I have used the one on the right. It did work well. Only problem was I had outlets installed and had to uninstall each time. I would defintely recommend the one on the right (would have been handy to have two of them though), so I imagine the new one works just as well.

 

[Cryptic1911]

****, thats pretty smart! I'm going to have to pick up a couple of those as I'm thinking that I will be doing my own drywalling in the addition

thanks!

 

[rwhite692]

I have used the one on the right....

They are actually the same tool...The middle section just breaks out.

 

[rwhite692]

I always "throw" it up and use a "Rotozip". Works as long as you know about where the outlet is.......

You know, I have always wondered how this works. Since the tool is following around the inside of the box, don't you wind up with a hole that is slightly smaller than the actual outer size of the box?

 

[travisd]

You know, I have always wondered how this works. Since the tool is following around the inside of the box, don't you wind up with a hole that is slightly smaller than the actual outer size of the box?

Find the edge, "hop" over to the outside and trace the outside of the box...

 

[uhcrandy]

You find the inside, to make sure you are IN the box, Then you roto-zip around the outside of the box. The only reason you go on the inside is so one can find the outside. I am sorry if that made no sense. I like to find one side of the box, then cross to the other, so I know I am truly IN the box, Then jump to the outside and zip around the outside. This was the hole is a drill-bit larger then the box.

 

[motofly196]

I have the one on the left...but haven't used it yet. Got it at the local Harbor Freight....

 

[rwhite692]

thanks travis and uhcrandy, I see what you mean.

 

[Costner]

I ballpark it to get the center point of the box which I mark on the drywall with a "X", then I put up the drywall and install a few screws to hold it in place and then I use a rotozip to cut out the boxes. It is way faster than using one of these little devices - especially when you have more than one box, and the rotozip is exponentially faster than cutting the holes with a keyhole saw.

The problem with devices like the one in the original post is that they require you to have the drywall in place in order to use them. That means you need to have it perfectly level and aligned, and it means you need to put the sheet in place - push it against the wall to engage those little devices, and then pull it away so you can cut your holes. Then you need to lift the sheet up again and install it - hoping you didn't have it misaligned the first time.

I fail to see how a device that requires you to lift the drywall three times instead of once is a time saver. Once you figure out how to use a rotozip (or dremel with the appropriate bit) - you'll never look back.

 

[rwhite692]

I was thinking the same thing as well. It would mean you would be lifting the sheet two times (instead of just one, if you are using the rotozip process).

 

[must8657]

i have a set of these http://www.blindmark.com/ and they work great, just make sure you put the arrows pointing up. you don't have to worry about lining up the drywall before pressing it onto the pins. also, same system works for dual and larger boxes.
jason

 

[brownbagg]

rotozip the way to go

 

[wyndycity]

Rotozip sounds like the way to go but I'm not sure how I'd feel using it if the outlet boxes are already wired. Even if the outlets or switches were off and the juice cut, I wouldn't want to be risking nicked or shredded wires.

 

[Costner]

You push the wires to the back of the box before you hang drywall - the rotozip bit can be adjusted so the depth of cut is only about an inch, so once you go through the drywall there is only about 1/2" on the other side. You also should never install switches or receptacles before you install drywall - that is a very bad idea and just makes things more difficult when it comes time to tape and texture.

If you have wires within 1/2" of the front of the box, you're just asking for trouble regardless.

 

[rwhite692]

Costner I completely agree with what you are saying.

Many of us with garages that are a "work in progress" have receptacles/switches already installed, long before getting to the point where we put up our drywall.

I think the handymark tool is probably the best solution for that situation, with the penalty being that you have to lift the drywall material two times, as previously noted.

If I did not have receptacles/outlets already installed...I'd do the rotozip process, for sure.

 

[Keep]

I think thats a pretty good idea.

I do not do hang drywall for a living so speed is not an issue. I would rather take a little more time with the prep/cuts then messing with mud after I screwed up the measurements.

Of course using these on the ceiling would be a huge PITA.

 

[FlameOut]

Costner I completely agree with what you are saying.

I think the handymark tool is probably the best solution for that situation, with the penalty being that you have to lift the drywall material two times, as previously noted.

That is why this tool would be useless to me. I can measure and cut much faster than putting the drywall in place, then removing to cut? Just doesn't make sense. I've hung thousands of sheets of drywall over the years and making the cutouts was never a big deal

 

[porschedude996TT]

I wish they would have used those when they did my drywall cut-outs. Some of them were oversized and other tore up the wiring inside the box with a roto-zip. Too deep...