remember back in 2008-ish when these
tools started appearing all over the
place it seemed like every brand was
releasing their own version of the
oscillating multi-tool all at once
that's because 2008 was when the patents
expired for the original oscillating
multi-tool which was an idea that was so
good that all the other brands had that
date marked on their calendars years in
advance so they could release their own
you probably have one of these in your
shop or garage now but do you know how
to properly use it a lot of folks think
they know all there is to know about
this too I used to think so myself
but I was using it wrong for years it
wasn't until I took the time to learn
more about how this tool functions and
about the different types of blades and
cutting techniques that I was able to
fully unlock all of its capabilities and
dramatically change the way I use my
tool I'm going to share some of what
I've learned over the years with you in
this video some of this some of you may
already know a little bit about but I
guarantee if you stick with me you're
going to find some tips that are just
going to make you smack yourself in the
forehead and you will never look at your
oscillating multi-tool the same way
again I don't care how long you've been
using it let's start with one of the
biggest game changers about this type of
tool the ability to make plunge Cuts I
see a lot of folks just sticking the end
of the tool on something like they're
stabbing it with a knife that's fine
especially if you need a really small
cut but I suggest you give yourself a
little more control by starting with
just the corner of the blade this will
help you penetrate the surface more
cleanly and precisely without this
skipping around that could potentially
Mar the surface of your material you may
even use the corner to First create a
shallow scoring cut especially if you're
just trying to follow a line because
you'll be able to make small adjustments
that way as you cut deeper the kerf
itself will help guide your blade and
the ankle blade can better eject the
dust from the kerf this will speed up
the cut and it'll keep the teeth cooler
so they won't dull as quickly
another way to better control the cut is
to use a block of wood as a guide this
will not only serve as a straight edge
but it will also help keep the tool
plump a little sandpaper on the
underside of the block will also make it
easier for you to hold it in place as
you work
of course just because you're holding
your tool perpendicular to a surface
doesn't mean it's going to cut straight
into the wood if it's dull or if you try
to force the cut faster than it wants to
the blade May flex and drift let the
tool do the work especially when you're
plunging into thick materials where it's
difficult for the dust to come out of
the cut dust clogged teeth are naturally
going to want to cut more slowly you
have to let them if you try to force the
tool forward it's going to drift inside
the cut
of course not every cut has to be
perfect but chances are you do want to
hit your mark with at least some
accuracy notice how I'm putting my
fingers on the tool and on the surface
of the wood to help guide the blade into
its starting position don't be afraid to
touch the oscillating head it's not
going to hurt you as long as you don't
put your fingers directly between the
teeth and the wood
of course controlling your tool is
easier if you can actually see what
you're trying to cut turning the tool
upside down can sometimes get the bulk
of the body out of your line of sight
and make your work a lot easier and
don't be afraid to change the angle of
the blade if that makes the cut more
comfortable or if it helps you to get up
in a tight space they're adjustable for
a reason
now you may notice that some plunge
blades have scales on them to gauge the
depth of your cut these are handy at
first but they're difficult to see and
they wear off quickly I find that a
piece of tape works better because it
lasts longer and it's easier to see than
the marks on the blade
some plunge blades have extended Wings
these are designed to reduce heat and
they can also give you some extra
clearance to maneuver in the hole but
they may also be used to make curved
cuts and thin materials if you turn it
sideways and use it much like a jigsaw
you can even grind away some more
material behind one of the Wings and cut
slightly tighter Curves in slightly
thicker materials while narrow blades
are great for plunge Cuts wide blades
will help you track a straight line
better my favorite straight cutting
blades are the half circles they just
track straight with little effort and
they work especially well for making
large cutouts in wood or drywall they're
also a great choice for cutting round
objects like pipe because they're less
likely to slip off like a narrow
straight blade might
cutting metal with an oscillating
multi-tool does require a little
different technique for one thing speed
is not your friend because harder
materials generate more friction and
heat and heats what kills your blades so
always turn down the speed of the tool
when you're cutting metal and use less
Force again let the tool do the work
don't rush it
incidentally the same is true for wood
use slower tools speeds and less
pressure for hardwood than you would for
soft wood like Pine
and use the right blade for the job I'll
put a link below this video to a
multi-pack of blades they're not from a
sponsor it's just what I use because I
like to have a variety on hand and it's
a good price for decent quality we can
make a whole video about the different
types of blades and how to use them but
today I'm just going to give you a quick
rundown so you can make more sense of
them wood cutting blades feature larger
teeth and more space between them than a
metal cutting blade this clears the
sawdust from the kerf more efficiently
which allows you to make faster Cuts
with less heat built up many Plastics
can also be cut with wood cutting blades
some wood blades have extra long teeth
featuring what's called a triple grind
these are also sometimes called Japanese
style blades and they help clear the
dust even more efficiently so they'll
cut even more quickly than standard wood
teeth the points are also ground at a
shallower angle for greater durability
and for a cleaner cut in fact this is my
favorite type of blade for wood cutting
metal cutting blades feature shorter
teeth and more of them for taking tiny
bits from harder materials they also
have a slightly different shape to them
which stands up better to metal
bi-metal blades are perhaps the most
confusing for a lot of folks and some
manufacturers aren't all that consistent
with how they use the term but the name
usually means they're made from two
types of metal
the body is sometimes spring steel which
can Flex without developing cracks while
the thin strip Along The Cutting Edge is
often a harder high speed steel for
greater durability keep in mind like I
said some manufacturers are inconsistent
so not all two piece blades like this
are bi-metal look for a label to be sure
now if you're just cutting soft
non-ferrous metals like aluminum or
copper pretty much any metal cutting
blade with fine teeth is going to do the
job but bi-metal blades will also cut
Iron and Steel so while they're more
expensive they can cut more materials
bi-metal blades are also often used for
cutting wood that's likely to contain
metal such as nails now this isn't a
perfect solution because bi-metal blades
usually have fine metal cutting teeth so
they're going to cut slowly and build up
more heat and thick wood but that
compromise in speed may be worth it if
you think there's metal in the wood
keep in mind that while a bi-metal blade
will cut through a nail drywall on
construction screws can wreck them
pretty quickly because those are much
harder
perhaps an even better hybrid blade then
is one with carbide teeth not only will
carbide stay sharp much longer but it
won't get wrecked if you cut through a
screw in fact because of their greater
durability and heat resistance I think
carbide tooth blades are the best
all-purpose blade out there not just for
metal but also for Plastics and even
some wood of course the downside is that
carbide tooth blades are not really
designed for the most efficient Cuts in
Wood they have fine teeth and that
sacrifices speed so if you have a lot of
wood to cut especially thick boards I
still prefer the speed and efficiency of
a proper wood cutting blade
now to be clear I'm speaking about
blades with carbide teeth like this one
not about those that are coated with
carbide chips like these
this abrasive style blade which also
comes with diamond chips are for tile
and concrete and that's a rabbit hole we
just don't have time to go down in this
video but I do want to briefly touch on
scrapers these are super handy for all
sorts of things especially removing
glues and adhesives but you don't really
need to buy them you could just use your
regular blades when they get dull you
can even file a sharp edge on them
I also know some will ask me about the
sander attachments I think the tight
range of motion that are common to these
tools really make them poor power
Sanders they're just slow and
inefficient but for some really tight
spots the little sanding heads could get
you out of a bind just be careful if
your finish sanding wood because these
tools are notorious for leaving those
little pigtail swirls that don't show up
until after you put the finish on
really I think the sanding attachments
are best suited for rougher work like
paint removal or removing rust and other
bursts from metal that sort of thing if
you do use a sander attachment keep in
mind that your random orbit sander discs
usually wear out along the outside
faster than in the center so if you have
a disc that's still got some grit in the
middle you can trim it and use it on
your oscillating tools sander pad this
works especially well with the smaller
finger Sanders which can fit between the
hole patterns
one more tip when you're done with your
tool turn the blade backwards for
storage this may seem obvious to some
but it actually took me a while to
figure that out and I've seen a lot of
these tools tossed around in toolboxes
and drawers with the blade forward where
it can cause damage or be damaged
in the future I may make a follow-up
video about what to look for in a good
oscillating multi-tool mine's a cordless
Makita but there are other good ones out
there now one more thing Rich carbide is
the best kept secret in woodworking I
kid you not their saw blades are second
to none both in quality and performance
and they're less expensive than the
other Ultra Premium brands do yourself a
favor use the link in the discount code
below this video you will never go back
to cheap blades again