Recessed cans in plaster

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I like the rotozip idea personally but still, the one above from RiteElec is what I always had to do..lol... shows my age... but used a coat hanger to make sure of the joists... tape around the doubled and bent section so I knew exactly how much space I needed above the ceiling. The new rotozips and changing blades would sure have made it handy...
 
Electromatic said:
Anyone have suggestions on cutting in 6" cans in a plaster and lath ceiling? I've cut in plenty of devices and a few cans before, but I need to do a couple dozen in a historical renovation.

I know a regular hole saw will get eaten up after a couple. A few brands have a continuous carbide grit version, but I'm doubtful how well it will actually go through the plaster or lath. There are also some that only have a few heavy carbide teeth (eg. Milwaukee Big Hawg) that seem like they'd do well with the plaster but I can see them being too rough on the lath and/or getting caught in the gaps between the lath strips. Our shop doesn't have a heavy-duty rotozip, and all I have is a little Dremel. Maybe it's time to get one since a 6" Big Hawg is about $90 anyway.

Thanks for any suggestions!
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if you use a hole saw, run it in reverse.(it saves the teeth) then spiral saw out the lathe in the back. in a lot of old ceilings in San Francisco there was chicken wire in the ceiling plaster too... but running the saw in forward direction could cause a lot of damage. in the end I got a spiral saw with a tile bit...
as clean a cut as you could hope for.

drywall over plaster for a historical remod?! :) anyhow,,, note- a fresh hole saw will cut through the wood in reverse too... in some super high quality situations I would take the time to counter sink drywall screws through to the plaster and screwed into the lathe. once the lathe blows out its all over, the integrity of the plaster is done... make an admendment with the general to address this (he could have it done on his dollar) that seems to be a good idea with such a large number of installs...
 
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Score and chip the plaster.


Also, use a drill with a clutch. I have an old hitachi that’s pretty similar to a Milwaukee hole hawg but it has a clutch.


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Thanks for all the suggestions.

I think I'll try the carbide grit hole saw with maybe a regular hole saw for the wood lath. Again, there's plenty of other patching and/or drywall laminating that will be done, so the neatness of my hole is more so the can has at least a chance to sit well. I want to be fairly quick, too, since I've put a lot of time finding cans that will work--The ones spec'd were from older plans that were new-construction only, too tall for the joists, and were triple-tube CFLs, some with battery packs. Those would NOT have worked.

When doing old work, I almost always drill a hole, bend a piece of wire, and probe to see what I might hit. We'll see if the layout goes according to plans.
 
For hole-saw dust-catching, I use the clear plastic "bowls" that are made to go under potted plants. They come in shallow and deep versions. The shallow ones are shaped like pie pans, but the deep ones are perfect for hole saws. They come in diameters like 4", 6", 8", and 10". A small hole in the bottom for the chuck, and they catch everything.
 
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