What's your wall chaser of choice?

[amfisted]

Are you talking about fairly dense concrete blocks like these:

View attachment 390302

or those coarse black ones (can't find a photo) with big lumps of rock-hard slag in them which throw cutters off, or break out taking chunks of block with them?

They’re hidden by shower panels now, but pretty sure these were black. I know they create black dust when you drill into them.

 

[Murdochcat]

Is this just to do this house out are you planning on doing this again?

What’s your budget?

 

[EFLImpudence]

(around 55 full height chases for sockets and data points

 

[phatboy]

I got hold of a Hilti wall chaser, and connected it to my Henry hoover (Buying a 3m hose, and cutting the attachment end off).

It does create some dust, but sealing each room up as I worked on it was quite successful.

I then used an Armeg chasing chisel to quickly remove the channel, and used it to finish up to the ceiling or down to the floor, where the chaser didn't quite make it.

I got the Hilti chaser for £50, so bargain of the year. Hilti also do a very good vacuum that connects, and has a feature where it 'nags' the bag every few seconds so it doesn't clog. You would do well to hire both of these for a few days, and chase out everything. Buy 2x of the Armet chasing chisels, as I did manage to make one break after a lot of abuse. They can be re-sharpened with a metal grinding disc in a disc cutter,

I would never, ever go back to using a standard grinder with diamond disc, the dust is horrendous, and you are sneezing it out for 2 days. And it sticks to the wall, ceiling, everything. After 2 minutes of cutting you cannot see what you are doing anyway!

 

[ebee]

or those coarse black ones (can't find a photo) with big lumps of rock-hard slag in them which throw cutters off, or break out taking chunks of block with them?

Those "Nutty Slack" slabs that are made from clinkers from power stations? Well a good way to give a second use of a used product but can be a reet pain in the neck to chase and makes a reet mess aggghh!

 

[ebee]

(around 55 full height chases for sockets and data points

Although I favour vertical chases, in this case could those be reduced a bit by cunning planning?

 

[blup]

Metabo, with the extraction system, is well regarded

 

[ebee]

Must admit I tend to use hammer and chisel, scutch or combed scutch often in a hammer drill mainly because I did almost all occupied and/or furnished houses. on the odd occasion where dust was not relevant then angle grinders or diamond twin wheels can make it easier though.
Worst thing to get thru was thermolite building brick witch a sand and cement render finish, thermolite might be load bearing ok but you hit the render hard and it bounces and the render is untouched.
I remember a TV ad for a black and decker tool "will even cut thru Thermolite Building Block" and I thought "What would not cut it?" a blunt spoon or your finger nail could sctratch a chase down it

 

[morqthana]

Those "Nutty Slack" slabs that are made from clinkers from power stations? Well a good way to give a second use of a used product but can be a reet pain in the neck to chase and makes a reet mess aggghh!

Sounds like the culprits.

And yeah a reet pain in the neck to chase and makes a reet mess.

 

[opps]

I have a cheapo Titan wall chaser (twin blade). It is not a brilliant machine, but it was cheap. I don't like the ergo dynamics but when connected to one of my Festool dust extractors there is very little airborne dust. You will get a little bit when you start the cut but extremely little when running along.

If you then decide, after the first run, to go deeper, you will get dust spewing through the channels/grooves though.

I would say that my set up is over 90% effective dust wise. You cut the channels and use the supplied chisel to snap out the material.

I honestly do not not understand the suggestions about using a SDS chisel.

Downside with the wall chaser is that, if going from top to bottom, you will have a lead in and pull out that needs to be manually finished with an SDS chisel. In reality you are looking at about 120mm at the bottom and 60mm at the top (assuming a skirting to ceiling cut).

 

[morqthana]

Downside with the wall chaser is that, if going from top to bottom, you will have a lead in and pull out that needs to be manually finished with an SDS chisel. In reality you are looking at about 120mm at the bottom and 60mm at the top (assuming a skirting to ceiling cut).

And assuming a modern, commonplace skirting profile, not some 200mm high Victorian stuff with a fancy moulding, how many chases need to be involved before it's easier to rip & replace the skirting than do all that manual finishing?

 

[ebee]

Hoooh it can be a pain sometimes , who in their right minds would be a domestic electrician? not many, at least not many sane ones. LOL.

 

[opps]

And assuming a modern, commonplace skirting profile, not some 200mm high Victorian stuff with a fancy moulding, how many chases need to be involved before it's easier to rip & replace the skirting than do all that manual finishing?

Sorry, yeah, I wasn't taking into account skirting or cornices. I was referring to the overall size of the base plate and body of the tool.

I was think more of vertical chases.

 

[chris1roll]

I also bought a cheap Titan chaser when doing our house. We were living in it at the same time.
Aftwr the initial plunge it wasn't too dusty when hooked up to Basil.
As someone else said, the ergonomics of it weren't the best. I ended up marking the centre line of the chase on the front of it, as the joint between the two halves was not in the centre!
Using an SDS alone just ends up with massive chunks of plaster coming off, as happened at the top of each chase where the chaser couldn't reach.

The dust was nothing compared to when I decided to widen the cupboard door in our bedroom with a 9" grinder into the 3" cinder block wall (1960s ex council).
Taped up the door, opened the window and set to it.
I finished the cut, looked down and realised I couldn't see my feet. Turned round and there was just a dim glow from the direction of the window.
I stood there for 5 minutes waiting for the dust to clear and my wife came to check on me as I had stopped moving.
Pushed open the door, quickly closed it again and said "what the hell did you expect"

 

[morqthana]

Sorry, yeah, I wasn't taking into account skirting or cornices. I was referring to the overall size of the base plate and body of the tool.

I was think more of vertical chases.

So was I, and I (think?) I can visualise how skirting would stop the base plate from going any nearer to the floor, if that's what you meant.