by Dave Northup
Fein Power Tools
800/441-9878
www.feinus.com
Although the Fein MultiMaster has been around for 20-plus
years, I just started using one last year. Long known for its
abilities as a detail sander, this tool — with the right
attachments — can also scrape, cut, and grind a variety
of materials. It resembles a small angle grinder, but instead
of spinning, the shaft turns back and forth a couple of degrees
at speeds of up to 21,000 times per minute.
There are several models of the MultiMaster on the market. I
own an older variable-speed corded version that came with a
case and multiple accessories. Fein just introduced two new
models, but there wasn't time to test them for this article. No
matter: With this tool, it's the accessories that matter most,
which is why I'll be concentrating primarily on them in this
article.
Sanding
The MultiMaster is great for sanding hard-to-reach areas like
inside corners — but for large areas it's no substitute
for an orbital or random orbital sander. The tool offers
several sanding options. The most familiar uses triangle-shaped
pads that come in two types, PSA (peel-and-stick) and
hook-and-loop. Fein also makes a longer, narrower pad —
called a finger sanding pad — that slips into spaces the
standard pad won't fit.
I have the hook-and-loop version of the triangular pad. It
allows you to remove and reinstall the same piece of paper,
which is convenient when you want to switch grits before the
sandpaper is completely worn out. However, if you plan to do a
lot of sanding without switching grits, you may want to go with
the PSA pad and paper; the pads on the hook-and-loop system
seem to wear out pretty quickly. I've had loops peel off the
pads while I was removing the paper.
Vacuum attachment. One of the first accessories I
purchased for my MultiMaster was the vacuum attachment, which
lets you sand virtually without dust but works only with the
perforated triangular pad and perforated paper.
The dust-collection attachment ($95) is very effective but
works only with perforated hook-and-loop sanding
sheets.
Profiles. Fein's profile sanding kit consists of a
spring-loaded clamp and six different rubber profiles. To use
it, you fasten the clamp to the MultiMaster's shaft, wrap
sandpaper around a rubber profile, and then grasp the profile
and paper with the clamp. It's an ingenious design that can
sand a variety of shapes. My only gripe is that it doesn't work
with the vacuum attachment.
The profile sanding kit includes a clamp fitting and six
interchangeable rubber profiles.
Sawing
I bought this tool primarily because I often install flooring
and needed a way to cut off the bottoms of jambs. (I've used
specialized jamb saws but hate to spend money on a tool that
does only one thing.) Fein makes blades for the MultiMaster
that cut a variety of materials, including wood, drywall,
plaster, plastic, and light-gauge metal.
Jambs. To cut jambs I use something called an E-Cut
blade, a newer style of blade that cuts deeper than the round
and segmented blades traditionally used with this tool. Like
the older-style blades, E-cut blades will cut flush into
corners. With practice, I've gotten to where I can cut jambs
almost as quickly with a MultiMaster as I could with a jamb
saw.
Because the MultiMaster's blades are offset from the arbor,
it's possible to cut flush into corners. Here an E-Cut blade is
used to trim the bottom of a jamb flush to the top of a piece
of tile.
The tool came in very handy on a couple of recent jobs where I
had to replace flooring without disturbing the kitchen
cabinets. I set the E-Cut blade at a 90-degree angle to the
tool and cut the old flooring material flush to the face of the
toekick — without damaging the cabinets or the
kick.
Hardwood. The kit I bought came with a high-speed
steel (HSS) segmented blade designed for cutting hardwood. I
used this blade to cut hardwood flooring in place at
transitional areas and during board replacement. It's round
with one flat edge, which makes it possible to cut through the
flooring all the way up to the wall. Thanks to the tool's
oscillating motion, the cuts are fairly smooth and the blade
doesn't wander.
Unlike some of the other MultiMaster blades, which are bimetal,
the HSS blades are easily damaged if they hit nails. They're
expensive, too — about $50 apiece — so it pays to
locate fasteners before cutting into floors.
Metal. On a couple of occasions I've used the
MultiMaster's metal cutting blade to trim back the existing
metal corner bead from windows wrapped with drywall so that I
could tuck in a new wood stool. This approach makes for an
easier and better-looking installation than scribing the stool
to the bead.
Drywall. There are many ways to cut holes in drywall,
but except for using a knife — which is slow — they
all generate a lot of dust. When I want to minimize dust while
cutting holes to pull wires or enlarging an opening for a new
window, I use the MultiMaster. The oscillating blade doesn't
throw dust all over the place, and I can catch most the dust it
does produce by holding a shop vac's hose next to the
blade.
Since the oscillating action doesn't kick up a lot of dust,
the author uses a vacuum hose held next to the blade to collect
the little it does produce.
Tile Accessories
Fein makes a number of accessories for doing tile work; most
are for removing grout. Using them is easier than removing
grout by hand and creates less dust than a rotary tool. Since
the MultiMaster is easy to control, there's little chance of
damaging a tile.
A scraper removes the stubborn remnants of particleboard
underlayment. The MultiMaster's scraping blades can remove
caulk, paint, vinyl flooring, and adhesives.
The grout blades come in various thicknesses, including a
1/16-inch-wide one (carbide or diamond) for narrow joints. Fein
also makes some scrapers and a rasp. I've used a scraper to
remove old adhesive from substrates that had been covered by
tile, carpet, or vinyl. The rasp works on a variety of masonry
materials; I remove old thinset with it when replacing
tiles.
Attachment System
The MultiMaster's accessories originally had circular mounting
holes and were held in place by friction from the mounting
washer and screw, a setup that sometimes allowed them to slip
around the shaft. A few years back Fein began to remedy this
problem by introducing accessories with star-shaped mounting
holes. The star-mount accessories work best with the older
tools if you use a star-mount adapter plate ($9).
One of Fein's new models (FMM 250Q) has a rapid-change toolless
clamp that takes accessories with round and star-shaped holes.
Another (FMM 250) requires the use of a mounting bolt and key.
Unlike previous models — which had 180-watt motors
— the new MultiMasters have 250-watt motors.
These tile accessories — a jamb-cutting blade, a
triangular rasp, and three abrasive grout-cutting blades
— have Fein's new star-shaped mounting holes.
Choosing a Kit
With a full complement of accessories, the MultiMaster can
perform more functions than any other tool I own, but its
versatility comes at a price. The least expensive MultiMaster
kit (Start) retails for about $200; it includes an FMM 250 tool
and a few accessories, but no case. (With all the accessories I
carry around, I can't imagine going without a case.) The next
kit up (Select) costs about $300; it includes an FMM 250Q tool
and a few more accessories than the Start — but still no
case.
If I were to buy a new MultiMaster, I'd go for the Top kit,
which costs about $400 and includes an FMM 250Q tool, more
accessories than the other options — including a profile
sander and a dust-extraction device — and a case.
That's a lot to spend on a single hand-held tool, but I think
it's worth it: With the MultiMaster, I can do a better job
faster — and I don't have to buy and keep track of all
the specialized tools I'd otherwise need to perform the same
functions.
Dave Northup is a contractor in Homer, Alaska.
Bits & Blades
by Patrick McCombeCut to the Chase. With their patented
hollow-ground tooth design, Hitachi's new VPR framing blades
are among the fastest-cutting available, the company claims.
They're sold in two 7 1/4-inch styles: the 725213 ($11), a
24-tooth ATB model, and the 725215 ($11), which has a design
that Hitachi says effectively doubles the number of teeth
without sacrificing cutting speed. Hitachi,
800/706-7337, www.hitachipowertools.com
Ride the Wave. According to Bosch, the
wave-shaped ridge on the SpeedWave diamond blade's cutting
surface reduces blade friction and improves dust clearing,
while its built-in "Cooling Disc" cools the surface and dampens
vibration. Both features are said to improve cutting and
increase blade life. SpeedWave blades come in 4 1/2-, 5-, 7-,
and 9-inch diameters. Prices start at $45 and go up to about
$90. Bosch, 877/267-2499,
www.boschtools.com
Hole-Saw Mandrel. DeWalt says its new
quick-change mandrel is the only one on the market for small
hole saws (9/16 inch to 13/16 inches) — and that it
greatly simplifies swapping sizes and clearing plugs. The
company makes a similar quick-change mandrel for larger saws
(11/4 to 6 inches). Both mandrels are allegedly compatible with
all brands of hole saws. A 14-piece Master Hole Saw Kit —
containing saws from 3/4 inch to 21/2 inches plus the two
mandrels — sells for about $100. DeWalt,
800/433-9258, www.dewalt.com
Cabinetmaking
Miter-Saw Hoodie. Controlling dust from a
miter saw is no easy task, but the ChopShop saw hood looks like
a promising effort. The adjustable fabric hood contains much of
the dust generated by a conventional or sliding miter saw and
doubles as a weather-resistant cover when the machine's set up
outside. The manufacturer is offering a special price of $99
until the end of September; after that the price climbs to
$150. FastCap, 888/443-3748,
www.fastcap.comLaminate Specialist. I've never met anyone who
regretted buying a Lamello biscuit joiner — despite a
price tag at least double that of any other biscuit tool. The
company's Lamina E laminate trimmer offers the same thoughtful
design and a similarly jaw-dropping price. Turning the tool's
28,000-rpm motor adjusts the 30mm bladed cutter for both depth
and chamfer width. The maker claims the unique design results
in a cut so smooth no additional sanding is necessary. The
trimmer costs about $600. Colonial Saw,
781/585-4364, www.csaw.com
Flat Bottom. Unlike a traditional dado set,
Forrest's Finger Joint Set cuts perfectly flat dadoes, rabbets,
and box joints without scoring or chipping their bottoms. The
8-inch 24-tooth blades can be arranged to make 1/4- and
3/8-inch-thick cuts. According to the maker, the
precision-sharpened carbide teeth stay sharp extra long and the
hand-tuned blade blank boasts a maximum of ±1/1,000-inch
runout. The set sells for $129. Forrest,
800/733-7111, www.forrestblades.com