Template for "oldwork" fixture box?

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TomtheElder

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Moving the wall light in bathroom (60 yo house with drywall) up about 10 inches. Everything I read & see online says, using the box, draw its outline on the wall as a guide to cutting the hole. That works fine for the rectangular outlet and switch boxes, but a lot more difficult with a circular fixture box. That box has a circular outer edge that rests on the drywall but the outline that needs to be cut is smaller and complex. Any tips? Thanks.

Tom
 
Thanks for responding Old/New but the tool is the problem. I have a drywall saw the works well for complex shapes. The problem is how can I trace the complex outline of the back of a round fixture box onto the drywall? Lacking better suggestions, my plan is to cut a circle slightly larger than the box inside diameter, set the box in as far as it will go, mark whatever protrusion is hitting, remove the box and cut that small bit out, then repeat that process until it is all the way in. I am hoping that someone has a more elegant alternative to that brute force approach. I am surprised the manufacturer does not provide a template to go with the box.
 
What about taking a piece of paper and a pair of scissors. Laying the paper on the back, use the sides of the box as a guide to make a pattern? Then you could place the pattern on the wall and trace the outline.
 
The box was ment to go in before the drywall, I would cut the nice hole to fit just what would fit the face of the box and cut a square hole below or in the drywall behind to put the box in and patch the extra hole. This makes it easyer to work with the wires too.
 
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