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Cutting a hole in gypsum plasterboard

Cutting a hole in Rigips plasterboard
Drywalling has become the norm. However, how do you proceed if you want to cut a hole in a completely fitted drywall made of gypsum plasterboard? If a light fixture with a small covering is also to be fitted, the cut-out must be executed precisely and cleanly. This application example explains just how simple the work can be.

    Description

    When fitting modern recessed light fixtures on plasterboard or other drywalls, exact cut-outs are often required. In order to cut a precise hole, it is recommended to use Festool's VECTURO oscillator. Its special sawing movement enables clean plunge cuts to be made in almost any material. In order to obtain a precise and angular cut-out, the OSC-AH positioning aid is used. This gives the saw blade a secure guide and allows it to be plunged directly into the scribe mark and cut an exact hole in the plasterboard.
    Cutting a precise hole

    Tools/accessories

    The following tools and accessories are recommended in this application example:

    Alternative tools

    The following tools and accessories are recommended as an alternative:

    Preparation/set-up

    • Before making any adjustments to the machine, the battery pack must be removed to prevent an accidental switch-on.  

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      Removing the battery

    • First of all, the positioning aid is attached to the machine and brought to the desired position. Furthermore, the mobile dust extractor is connected to the positioning aid, as plasterboard causes a lot of dust to build up during processing.

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      Attaching the positioning aid

    • The appropriate saw blade is then fitted. In this application example, it is a universal saw blade. This is particularly suitable for plunge cuts due to its special shape. This capability is important when you want to cut a hole in a plasterboard wall.

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      Fitting the saw blade

    • Tip: If necessary, the plunge depth can also be preset with the adjusting screw on the positioning aid. 

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      Presetting the plunge depth

    • By using the Bluetooth® battery packs listed above, the mobile dust extractor is automatically switched on and off again. To do this, the battery pack must still be connected to the extractor.  

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      Coupling the battery pack with the extractor

    • Depending on the light fixture used, the hole size is marked on the plasterboard or drywall before cutting. In this case, the housing serves as a template.

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      Marking the hole size

    Procedure

    • The VECTURO is aligned according to the scribe mark using the positioning aid. It is then slowly plunged into the plasterboard. Depending on the cut-out size, multiple plunges may be necessary. 

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      Aligning the VECTURO

    • This makes it easy to cut a precise hole in the gypsum plasterboard or drywall. The result is a perfectly fitted light fixture. 

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      Fitting the light fixture perfectly

    1. Our illustrated guides and work results are documented working steps that we have performed in practice. They are individual examples and do not guarantee or promise that users will obtain the same results. The results will depend on the user's experience and skill, as well as the material being used. Illustrated guides do not replace any Festool operating manuals and/or safety instructions. Liability for ensuring that the information, instructions and applications are free from content defects and defects of title, in particular with regard to the absence of defects, correctness, freedom from third party intellectual property rights and copyrights, completeness and fitness for purpose, is excluded. Claims for damages made by the user, regardless of their legal basis, are excluded. These liability exclusions are not applicable if the damage was intentional or caused by gross negligence, or in cases of statutory liability.

      We cannot accept liability for damage resulting from defects.↑