sawzall blade for drywall?

[Sh40674]

never used a reciprocating saw for drywall before.. always used the utility knife method. hanging some drywall in the basement and have to cut a bunch the same length, figured it would be easier to leave them taped together by 2's and get the job done quicker.. what type of blade should i use? just making straight cuts. looking for something cheap and available at lowes, menards, etc...

 

[dogdog]

utility knife would be easier and faster...... score , flip, snap then cut away. most important less dust.

 

[ADSR]

utility knife would be easier and faster...... score , flip, snap then cut away. most important less dust.

This is the correct way to do it. It's very easy. I'm sure you'll find a video on youtube on it.

 

[Sh40674]

i know how to cut with a utility knife, but like i said if i can cut 2 or 3 at a time would be nice

 

[southalabama]

I've done my share of sheet rocking.

Do it like the pros. Score it with a blade.

With a saw your line won't be straight and will be jagged. Cutting several at a time won't save you any time.

I don't see a saw being any faster. Sheet rock guys get paid by how many sheets they can put up in a day. They don't use a sawzall.

 

[derosa]

I've used a jig saw for some of the small openings like electrical boxes and window cut outs. It can create a lot of dust though. Knife is still easier for straight lines

 

[gungatim]

sawzall is overkill...I'd use a circular saw before a sawzall but still, better off to get a rock ripper T-square and a good knife and do it right.

 

[KnurledNut]

If you are using a t square, scoring and breaking will be much faster and cleaner.
I see no advantage in leaving them together and cutting two at a time.
But to answer your question, a coarse wood recip blade works best IMO.

 

[xela456]

For a sawzall just about any blade would work well.
For multiple sheets at once a circular saw cuts nice and clean with any blade on it however you should run a shop vac right next to it while cutting as it kicks up ALOT of dust and spreads it around the room

 

[Finky198]

Totally agree^^ when speed or reps are nessacery. I find a circular saw to be much more clean and effective. Fine or Finish blade works best. Also ^^absolute must on the vaccum)... I've used a sawzall before and they sometime cause tearout on the underside (they're fine for demo work but I would not install new Sheetrock at the risk of messing edges....) If you need a straight edge clamp a level and run the saw along it. Best of luck


One other small tip if you have to cut holes for unplanned items they make very short medium tooth sawzall blades that will cut one side without hitting the other. They have saved my **** cutting holes on a few installation jobs. But used caution keep the saw foot controlled and flat to the material for clean results.

 

[DMAR]

i know how to cut with a utility knife, but like i said if i can cut 2 or 3 at a time would be nice

You sound pretty determined to use that Sawzall! That said, it will be quicker, easier, and much less mess to just do it right by scoring it with a utility knife and snapping it...

Sawzalls are a great tool, just not a great idea for that job.

 

[LXCam]

It's not faster and will also leave you with a ****** edge to deal with. That's fine for box openings and such, but if these are for taped **** edges, you're gonna regret it. And any type of cut with the exception of scoring and snapping will make one hell of a mess.

I see no one offered up a suggestion for a blade, demo blades will cut about the quickest and not load up on you if you're deadset on going this route.

Have fun.

 

[bcradio]

Almost everyone here knows what they're talking about for this. Don't use a sawzall for the cuts you are talking about. Stick with a razor blade and then do then cutouts with a saw

 

[RichWentFishing]

I tried cutting a small piece of drywall once with a table saw.

it was like a cartoon ninja came and threw a smoke bomb by my feet. I saw nothing but a wall of white and coughed for 5 minutes straight.


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[Rarified27]

Another vote for the cut + crack method.

However- when I'm cutting for outlets, or anything inside the edges, I use (like mentioned above) a coarse wood recip blade. For me, it moves fwd smoother than an actual jab saw.

I hate power saws near drywall because the dust is tremendous. If I ever have to, I use my M12 jig saw and a "clean wood" blade- zips right through and I have good control, but not for long cuts.

 

[Crusarius]

my M12 multi tool is great for cutouts. can even cut openings in place with ease. does create a good amount of dust but most of it just drops to the floor.

 

[Roberts210]

Cutting drywall with a Sawzall is not so good an idea. Not only will dust go everywhere, but more importantly the dust will get sucked into the Sawzall and cause premature failure at some point down the road.

 

[Sticky Grips]

Keep in mind that the dust can be abrasive on the tools..make sure you clean them.

You can also use a drywall cutout tool and a straight edge as a guide.

 

[gungatim]

Cutting drywall with a Sawzall is not so good an idea. Not only will dust go everywhere, but more importantly the dust will get sucked into the Sawzall and cause premature failure at some point down the road.

good point. had that happen to me using a dremel with the drywall bits cutting out boxes. destroyed the bearings in short order...then I used a new exhaust fan to **** the dust out and that wore out after a year...could see the build up of fine white dust inside, it ***** the oil right outta there...drywall dust would probably be a great oil-dry substitute if you could get your hands on enough of it...

 

[TomB19]

But to answer your question, a coarse wood recip blade works best IMO.

Agreed. I make sure to get a blade with a knife tip, so I can stab it through the drywall. I do this all the time but I use a Hackzall so it's easy one handed.

For straight cuts, get a drywall t-square and use a knife.

 

[dogdog]

seems OP is dead set on alternative methods.... go try it then report back if you like it.... as far as blades... they do made those fiber cement board cutting blades those might work better.... just be prepare to deal with dust storms.... it's just not desirable.

or something like these blades... when I was cutting the drywalls with a regular circular blade it made a mess everywhere .... and the time to clean up is not faster in the end not to mention the normal blades get dull real fast.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauke...ating-Saw-Blades-50-Pack-48-01-6430/203114911

 

[77Mini]

Use a knife!
Sawsall is just going to make a mess of the edge.

I watched a guy cut drywall on a tablesaw once. Lots and lots of dust.

 

[ruffryder]

For straight cuts, get a drywall t-square and use a knife.

Careful on trusting a t-square to be square... lol

 

[PelicanPines]

It's been a while but cutting drywall with a saw blade will make it difficult to tape smooth.

 

[UpNorther]

Another vote for scoring it with a drywall knife and snapping it.

Cutting with a sawzall is going to make a messy edge that your just going to end up cleaning up with a drywall knife anyways..

 

[dogdog]

you can use the drywall rasp to prep the edges. but still not less work or any faster (probably slower with the prep and after prep works) than just have a good rhythm with a blade and a T-square.... But op want to use sawzall or maybe circular blades.... power tools.

 

[ruffryder]

For cutting out electrical boxes, I have had good luck with a rotozip. Plung the tool to the center where you think the box is, find the edge, transfer to other side, then start going around the box. Seemed to be much more accurate than doing the measurement thing.

Granted this was using 4x12 sheets of 5/8" drywall and I had a guy holding each side up for me while I cut.

Regards,

 

[jd_1138]

Another vote for scoring it with a drywall knife and snapping it.

Cutting with a sawzall is going to make a messy edge that your just going to end up cleaning up with a drywall knife anyways..

I agree. Only power tool I'd even consider would be a jig saw/sabre saw. I'd just use a drywall knife and snap it.

Also, I'd use a multi-tool for any weird cuts. Ryobi makes a 2 amp corded one for $30 at Home Depot (ship to store only, unless they carry it in your local store).

 

[southalabama]

Several years ago had a sewage flood in my building.

Had to rip out all the lower Sheetrock. The quickest way was to remove the wainscot and cut a horizontal line there and replace the bottom. I bought a dewalt cordless circular saw just for that purpose. I chalked line. Set blade depth and used saw. Ripped out.

That is the one time I used a saw for long horizontal cuts.

 

[Pwaley]

sheet rock dust is very bad for the lungs. no bueno to sawzall!

 

[Finky198]

Several years ago had a sewage flood in my building.

Had to rip out all the lower Sheetrock. The quickest way was to remove the wainscot and cut a horizontal line there and replace the bottom. I bought a dewalt cordless circular saw just for that purpose. I chalked line. Set blade depth and used saw. Ripped out.

That is the one time I used a saw for long horizontal cuts.

Did that a few years back for a client but used a dewalt worm drive with a vacuum and had to cut all new sections outside. I used a 78" level as a guide with clamps and horses to rip em down. It was not fun but it came out nice...

 

[lbhsbz]

Careful on trusting a t-square to be square... lol

That one got you too huh? For a while I thought it was just my crooked house. I checked 1/2 the TEE squares at Home Depot and most weren't straight...some (mine) were out by about an inch at the end.

 

[gungatim]

That one got you too huh? For a while I thought it was just my crooked house. I checked 1/2 the TEE squares at Home Depot and most weren't straight...some (mine) were out by about an inch at the end.

lots of them are not square, nor are framing squares. the first thing you do is lay it out one way then the other and compare lines to see how out it is. then you adjust it by using a small punch and hammer. when you see little dimples on a framing square in the corner, that is why. the drywall ones are not critical so I wouldn't worry about it. the riveted all metal T-squares you have to put a bit more work into tapping and tightening rivets...like buying a chisel or hand plane, they are not perfectly setup out of the box...

 

[markbugno]

It's not faster and will also leave you with a ****** edge to deal with. That's fine for box openings and such, but if these are for taped **** edges, you're gonna regret it. And any type of cut with the exception of scoring and snapping will make one hell of a mess.

I see no one offered up a suggestion for a blade, demo blades will cut about the quickest and not load up on you if you're deadset on going this route.

Have fun.

^this.

Any time saved cutting will be lost cleaning up ragged edges. And like he says, if these are taped **** edges, it will make your job 5 times as difficult. Remember, jig and sawzall blades bend... It's impossible to keep them straight. If anything, use a circular saw. But be prepared for an ungodly mess and ragged edges still.

Use the score and snap method.

Mark



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[reader2580]

I have used an oscillating multi-tool to cut drywall on a wall recently. It made one heck of a mess and the blade got plugged with gypsum pretty quickly.

I would never use power tools to cut drywall to length or width if it isn't already on a wall.

 

[never enuf time]

I'll go against the grain & say it can be done. If you can get them all tight against each other, clamp them together. I would put a scrap of plywood on the cut side. Could do both sides, and run a screw through to hold tight.

That should produce a clean cut ( if everything is tight the paper will not fray).

As far as blade choice, I would use my most worn blade.