Hole Saw Terror

RuSsMaN

My router has disappeared, among other things. Helping the 8 year old with a school project - needed some 3 - 4 circles cut from ply. I didn't feel like jigsawing them, so I bought a 3 5/8 inch hole saw at Lowes for $16.

I put it on the end of my Dewalt and it was pure terror. Are hole saws only meant to be used on a press? The drill jumped around on the wood, so I set it down firm, put some weight on it, I got some circles cut, but the drill was trying to jump out of my hand constantly, it actually went off the wood and hit me in the leg once.

I should have payed more attention in shop class.

Rev. Hayes

Those things can be a beast.

It's best to use a drill with an auxiliary handle on the side and make very light contact at first and then slowly increase the pressure.

treitz3

Russman, did you pilot the hole first or does the hole saw not have a pilot drill?

RuSsMaN

It's got the pilot in the middle, and I'm not touching it again.

dorokusai

You need to stop using tools.

RuSsMaN

Ok, I will.

Will you stop acting like one?

(rimshot)

Polkersince85

RuSsMaN wrote: »

....but the drill was trying to jump out of my hand constantly, it actually went off the wood and hit me in the leg once.

What you do in your spare time is your business.

Do you have a drill bit in the center of the saw blade? Use slow rpm. I have had luck reversing the drill to crease the wood for a start. Then forward at a slow rpm to cut. Use a backer board also.

dorokusai

RuSsMaN wrote: »

Ok, I will.

Will you stop acting like one?

(rimshot)

Yes.

treitz3

RuSsMaN wrote: »

It's got the pilot in the middle, and I'm not touching it again.

Well, if you do...it's not that bad unless the tool is worn.

If you are interested at all....take a large or a blunt brad nailer and hammer it in exactly where the pilot goes. Making sure that the drill and the substrate is level, slowly apply enough pressure to let the pilot go through. Once that is done, check the drill levelness again and proceed slowly to make the hole saw make the initial ring. Once the ring is in about a 1/16th of an inch or more, just make certain that you keep the same [level] path and proceed. With hardwoods, go slow. With soft woods or cheap woods you can go a little quicker. Just make sure that you keep the same path.

This is all assuming you bought the right type of hole saw for the job. In other words, you don't want to buy a hole saw for drywall and attempt to use it on wood.

ben62670

Polkersince85 wrote: »

What you do in your spare time is your business.

Do you have a drill bit in the center of the saw blade? Use slow rpm. I have had luck reversing the drill to crease the wood for a start. Then forward at a slow rpm to cut. Use a backer board also.

Yep and lift the bit out ofter to clean the teeth so the blade doesn't bind. I have to use 4 1/8" hole saws when I do vents at work. In a tight spot sometimes! Yes it hurts when they stop! I like high speed (600-1200rpm) but be very cautious.
Ben

nadams

I tend to prefer having it spinning as fast as possible, too. Higher speed, and only a tiny bit of pressure until it gets started. Just watch it doesn't bite in when you hit the other side of the board.

Polkersince85

Invest in a Milwaukee Hole-Hawg. Life will be easier.

wz2p7j

"Hole Saw Terror?" - is it out on Blu Ray yet? :biggrin:

Chris

Face

That's a large hole saw to use with a drill.

RuSsMaN

Keep it level, what a GRAND idea. Just ripped through another dozen circles, without incident. Still scary, still think I'm better off with a press or at least the machine gun handle mentioned earlier.

Maybe it's just because I was sober earlier, and I've had a couple toddies now. Maybe it's like hanging the xmas lights, at 3pm, no one wants to climb the ladder to the peak of the roof, at 8, when everyone is loading up, you can't stay off the ladder.

treitz3

I guess you don't have the proper tools [or the tools on the tools] to let you do it easily. At least you are not drilling your leg anymore.

Here's to cutting a finger off! :eek:








I keed, I keed. Put the power tools down if you are on the beer. Not a good combo.

sucks2beme

I've got a large Bosch corded hammer/normal drill.
Only way to go. A big hole saw just tears up those wimpy
Dewalt gearboxes. Having a big side handle helps a lot, too.

dkg999

That's a pretty big hole saw to use free-handed. I drill press is always the ideal scenario for a hole saw. It sounds like your pilot drill bit might be dull or spinning on you. Are you sure you weren't running the drill backwards?

RuSsMaN

I actually ran it backwards at first, low rpm, out of pure fear, but the pilot (thingee in the middle with the drill bit) spun loose after a few revs. Brand new saw, says for 'Wood / Metal' on the package. F me, I have no idea. If I got anything out of this, I found out my Dewalt has a bubble level on the **** end.

Cheers,
Russ

ohskigod

I hand drilled a whole buncg of 4: holes for my DIY sub's bracing. Christ what a pain in the balls. I feel ya. takes some muscle to stop it from hopping.

the project literally fried my cordless drill, teaching me to not use a cordless drill for drilling big holes.

Fongolio

I've used hole saws on drills quite extensivly when I was doing outdoor decking. I used it to install drains up to 6" diameter. All the above advice is good except I always prefered to go slow and a handle on the drill is essential. It's the only way to properly controll the torque on the drill body. Just like with knives a sharp saw goes a long way to doing the job right. Good luck.

Face

For a hole that size, why not just use a router?

Fongolio

Face wrote: »

For a hole that size, why not just use a router?

If you're directing this at me, the drains I installed always had to be counter sunk so after the hole is cut (I found the hole saw quicker than the router for the initial hole) I'd use a router to add the counter sink on the outside of the initial hole.

If this was directed at Russ, in his first sentance he stated his router went missing.

jimmydep

With a large holesaw low rpm high torque is what you need. They can be a bear to control at high speed. Using an angle drill or a variable speed with a handle would be the safest way to drill your holes.
New drill bits an be very aggressive and require a light touch, I usually will contact only a small portion of the edge, and rotate the bit around until you have a nice round groove, then hold the bit flat with the work surface to complete the hole.

Good luck, and don't cut your leg off.

jflail2

Holy illegible spam batman...

sucks2beme

Face wrote: »

For a hole that size, why not just use a router?

I do believe the thread started out " My router has disappeared".

But for that size hole, hole saw is just fine. If it was 4" or more, time to
go get a cheap router from a pawn shop. Or a trip over to Harbor freight.

Rivrrat

I've used hole saws to drill some 4 or 5" holes in sheet metal and it's never a pleasant experience.

Face

Fongolio wrote: »

If this was directed at Russ, in his first sentance he stated his router went missing.

It was actually both of you, I just got off of work when I posted that and was half asleep.

sucks2beme wrote: »

But for that size hole, hole saw is just fine. If it was 4" or more, time to
go get a cheap router from a pawn shop. Or a trip over to Harbor freight.

He'd probably do much better on Craigslist. How does one lose a router anyway?

Fongolio

Face wrote: »

How does one lose a router anyway?

Fell out of his pocket?

RuSsMaN

I have a sitting area in my garage, with a pond, a stereo, etc - where I smoke cigs during the winter, so I leave the garage cracked open, sometimes I used to leave it more than cracked - I've had a spare tire, and weedeater also disappear, so it doesn't suprise me that a router may have taken a walk also.

I'm more careful now, but I haven't used the thing in over a year, so I have no idea when it was last here.

disneyjoe7

If the hole saw bit had a drill in the middle, how did it jump around?