Hole cutters - backboxes

happyhero

Hi Has anybody tried one of those backbox hole cutters (for socket outlets) and can tell me if they are any good at all, especially where brick is concerned. I was thinking of getting one but they are not cheap. Do they do a good job. Also is there particular makes to get and ones to avoid.

The ones I mean claim to cut a square hole for the backboxes to fit straight in.

I am a retired electrician and so would have use for one.

Any help or guidance appreciated

Weymouth_Man

I was wondering the same question my self, you’re probably from the old school like me when it was a bolster chisel & lump hammer
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/sea/searchresults.jsp?_dyncharset=UTF-8&howMany=5&searchText=square+cutter&x=10&y=3
Hope this helps if you are considering buying ?
:beer:

mercurystar999

I think the armeg ones are the best. You really do need a very good sds drill though.

weekendwarrior

They are expensive and only work well on soft materials. They are useless on hard brick!

They also create a hell of a lot of dust, when you are using the circular cutter!

If you are wiring a new house from scratch and the walls are thermalite then I suppose they could be useful but you are better off saving the money in all honesty.

Better off with the bolster, pepper pot the hole first- http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/SINKING_A_BACK_BOX.htm

That link is not for the benefit of the retired sparks, who will obviously know how to fit a back box, it is for everyone else!

Mr_Proctalgia

I live in a Victorian House they are crap with brick, OK with blocks, but in the long run use an SDS with rotastop and cut the back box holes in with a chisel and pepperpot technique - its quicker and usually neater. That being said sometimes all the plaster comes off in a bloody great sheet!!!!!!!

Ain't life fun???

happyhero

Ok Thanks guys thats decided it for me then. You just think that as time moves on something easy will come along that take away the brutal old fashioned methods. I shall wait for the new Startrek laser gun that will burn out a square hole in seconds, just hope I am still around to afford it.

For now its back to bruised knuckles

weekendwarrior

happyhero wrote:

Ok Thanks guys thats decided it for me then. You just think that as time moves on something easy will come along that take away the brutal old fashioned methods. I shall wait for the new Startrek laser gun that will burn out a square hole in seconds, just hope I am still around to afford it.

For now its back to bruised knuckles

Send me a link and a PM when the new Startrek laser gun becomes available, i'll get one for sure lol.

matto

I found one excellent on Victorian brick. You need a good drill mind.

I made a shroud for mine out of the top of a 2 litre bottle (Blue Peter style) so that the dust created didn't fly everywhere.

happyhero

matto wrote:

I found one excellent on Victorian brick. You need a good drill mind.

I made a shroud for mine out of the top of a 2 litre bottle (Blue Peter style) so that the dust created didn't fly everywhere.

Hi matto, what make is yours then?

And when you say a good drill what do you actually mean, I have one of those cheap chisel drills you get for about £50 from Macro or such like and I have used it on drill stop to chisel out some driveway to run a cable and it did that ok. Does that tell me anything about my drill or does need to be better somehow to do the backbox work. I have other good drills but this one is the only one I have with the drill stop feature.

matto

The box cutter is the Screwfix one.
My SDS drill is a mid-range Bosch. Cost abou £150 5 years ago. Prices have fallen a bit since then.

You need a reasonably powerful drill because of the size of hole that's being drilled. The chisseling bit isn't so much of a problem. If you have more than one SDS drill you could have one with the rotary cutter on and the chisseling bit on the rotary stop drill.

Weymouth_Man

matto wrote:

The box cutter is the Screwfix one.
My SDS drill is a mid-range Bosch. Cost abou £150 5 years ago. Prices have fallen a bit since then.

You need a reasonably powerful drill because of the size of hole that's being drilled. The chisseling bit isn't so much of a problem. If you have more than one SDS drill you could have one with the rotary cutter on and the chisseling bit on the rotary stop drill.

And we are back to Screwfix, they can't be two bad then :rolleyes:
http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/SI...A_BACK_BOX.htm
:beer: