A Curtain, Please (Porter Cable Oscillating Tool Review & Giveaway)

CONGRATULATIONS Rhonda Grisham!  Best of luck with your master bath renovations!

One in particular that I’d like to cover is not a window at all; it’s actually the sliding glass doors that lead to the back yard from the kitchen.  Even though my back yard is enclosed, I still get paranoid about strolling in front of this thing late at night in my pjs.  That is to say, my absent-minded strolling late at night when I’m searching for pajama bottoms in the clean laundry and walk to the sliding door to let the dog in.  So basically, if there were someone in my back yard, they’d get an eyeful of me in about half of my pjs.

And of course, I’d freak the hell out, because there really shouldn’t be anyone in my back yard, anyway.

Anywho, I get paranoid about walking around my house, and I’ve had enough.  With a little help and test drive of an oscillating tool from Porter-Cable, this problem is on its way to being solved.

Unlike most blades that rotate or spin, oscillating blades move from side to side.  The smaller movement allows for more precise and steady cutting.  And when you’re about to try what I did, steady is definitely needed.

This oscillating multi-tool has several attachments that can (depending on the blade you choose) sand, cut through wood/drywall/metal, grind hard to reach spots, remove grout (something I might have to do in the master bathroom very soon), and slice through baseboards (something else I’ll likely have to do soon).

While there are other multi-tools on the market, what sets the Porter-Cable tool apart is its Tool Free System - you don’t need an Allen wrench to remove and switch between blades.  You simply press a lever to pop the blade off the end, and snap another in its place.  For someone like me, tools that allow me to skip non-essential steps are made of win.  I did my best to take a shot of it, but you need a good amount of pressure on the lever to get it to open, which didn’t lend itself well to staying steady for a camera shot.  It’s considerably easier when you turn the blade the right way though (I didn’t read the directions and tried putting it on upside down).

Okay, so let’s move on to the actual project, shall we?  Allison from House of Hepworths found an ingenious way of making her own curtain rods from electrical conduit, and I wanted to try my hand at it with a thicker pipe (she used a 1/2″ but I wanted something beefier).  The only problem was finding a tool to cut the conduit pipe.  I looked all over the improvement store by my house and couldn’t find the $6  pipe cutter that Allison referenced; everything that would fit the 3/4″ pipe I picked width was $30 and up.  My inexpensive solution (only $4 for a 3/4″ conduit pipe at 10 feet long) was threatening to turn pricey fast (Don’t you hate it when that happens?).

But with the metal attachment of the oscillating tool, cutting the pipe was a snap.  Even when it’s turned on, the tool is steady and comfortable in one hand, so I simply clamped the pipe down onto my work table in the garage and cut the tool to the length I needed (about 62 inches).  From there, it was pretty much the same directions as you can find here.

Mark…

Slice through…

And done.

The cut wasn’t perfectly even, but I was quite impressed that it cut through so well.  I really expected that I’d destroy the blade by the end, but aside from removing the paint, the teeth stayed intact.

The only gripe I have about the tool after this project so far is that the cord is a little too short in my opinion.  Getting into those hard to reach places (what this tool is made to do) might be a little difficult if an electrical cord isn’t close by.  When I use it in the bathrooms where the electrical socket is as far away from the tub as possible, I may need an extension cord to really make it work (Sheesh, Builders of My House, it’s like you think using a power tool in the tub is a bad idea).  Cordless is also an option (and cheaper), but I wonder if it might compromise power.

I like that it’s a really powerful little tool right in my hand, and that I can adjust the speed for different projects.  I’m still planning on using it for the bathroom (grout and caulk removal/repair) and a few more small tasks around the house, so you’ll definitely be seeing this tool  in UDH projects again.

I still haven’t found finials I like or curtains I’d really like to use, but I’m considering painting it with a little of this:

That’s the benefit of a $4 version; you don’t have to be afraid of trying out something different just because.  And now I’m also one step closer to having privacy at last.  And speaking of at last, we’re finally at the end of this post.  Which means it’s time for the Porter-Cable giveaway!  Here we go…

• WHAT YOU WIN:  One Porter-Cable 2.5 Amp 36-Piece Corded Oscillating Multi-Tool Kit (a $149 value)
• GIVEAWAY CLOSES:  Friday, January 13th (FRIDAY THE 13TH!) at 8 PM.
• NUMBER OF WINNERS:  1
• SHIPS:  U.S. and Canada only.
• Winner will be chosen at random and will be announced on this post.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

• Follow this blog however you choose (Facebook, Twitter, GFC, etc.).  These giveaways are made possible thanks to loyal readership.
• Leave a comment on this post and let me know what your top project is for 2012 (don’t forget to include your contact info!)
• For up to two additional entries, you can retweet this giveaway on Twitter (please mention @uglyducklingDIY and @PorterCable when you do) or like Porter Cable on Facebook and leave a comment to let them know that The Ugly Duckling House sent ya.  Leave a separate comment for each activity you did on this post.

Good luck!

This giveaway is sponsored by Porter-Cable.  All opinions and reviews are 100% my own.  A Porter-Cable oscillating tool was given in return for hosting of this review and giveaway, but this post (and others) may also contain sponsored links.   Please also see my Disclaimer page for additional details on giveaway and advertising policies.