How To Use A Hole Saw Set

How to Properly Utilise a Pigsty Saw

Updated: Jan. 28, 2022

Techniques for drilling big holes, deep holes and enlarging existing holes.

FH01SEP_HOLSAW_01-2 holesaw Family Handyman

Cutting make clean holes with hole saws requires a piffling skill and exercise. Here are the key techniques that will make the task safer and give you the best results.

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Hole saw nuts

Photo 1: Starting time bore a pilot hole

Marker the eye of the hole and drill a 1/eight-in. pilot pigsty completely through the door to transfer the center to the other side. Keep fleck level and square to door.

Photograph 2: Align scrap for full contact

Align the center bit with the pilot hole. Grab the drill firmly with both easily and printing direct in. Run the drill slowly and adjust the angle until the pigsty saw teeth are contacting the wood evenly.

Photo 3: Start boring and increase the speed

Increase the drill speed and push in with moderate pressure after the teeth of the pigsty saw have cut a 1/8-in.-deep groove. Run your drill at almost top speed for drilling in woods and tiresome speed for metallic. Slow the drill speed and dorsum out the pigsty saw occasionally to articulate the sawdust out of the groove and continue the hole saw cool. Drill about halfway through.

Photo 4: Finish the pigsty from the other side

Marshal the eye bit with the airplane pilot hole on the reverse side of the door and consummate the hole. Brace the drill confronting your hip for extra power and better control. The woods plug will stick in the saw and pop out the other side.

Spade bits are the tool of choice for drilling holes upwardly to about one-1/iv in. in bore for running electrical wiring and other uses. Just when it comes to drilling actually big holes for locksets or plumbing pipes, achieve for a hole saw. A hole saw is a steel cylinder with saw teeth cut into the top border. Pigsty saws don't cut every bit apace every bit large irksome $.25 driven by a pro'southward powerful 1/two-in. drill. Simply boring bits are expensive ($30 plus drill rental). Hole saws, on the other hand, are readily available at hardware stores and home centers for as little every bit $5 and work with a standard 3/8-in. drill. Cutting clean holes with hole saws requires a picayune skill and practise. Here are the central techniques that volition make the task safer and requite y'all the best results.

Proper setup is of import
Mount the correct-size hole saw in the arbor. If your holesaw has an adjustable centre bit, make sure information technology protrudes by the toothed edge of the saw near 3/8 in. (Photo two). If the center bit has a flat spot on its shank, align this with the setscrew. And then tighten the setscrew to secure the fleck. Finally, tighten the holesaw in the chuck of a corded 3/8-in. variable speed drill. Cordless drills won't have plenty power unless they're 18 volts or larger.

Offset slowly and hold on tight
Photos i – 4 show how to drill a pigsty in a woods door for a lock or door handle, but the aforementioned techniques apply for drilling other holes. When you need a clean, splinter-free hole, drill in from both sides (Photos one and 4). The key to getting a perfectly straight hole is to ensure even contact at the first. That will put your drill at a right angle to the door (Photograph three).

Tip:

Nearly locks and door latch sets require a two-1/8-in. hole, then if you buy a set of hole saws, make sure it contains this size.

Buying Pigsty Saws

For as trivial as $15, you can buy a set of carbon-steel hole saws for drilling wood. For about $45, you can purchase a set up of bimetal pigsty saws that will cut wood and metal and last a lot longer. You can also buy specialty hole saws coated with Carborundum or diamond grit to cut difficult materials similar tile and stone. These saws, however, won't cut wood. Nearly pigsty saws mount to a separate centering guide called an arbor. Others are ane slice. Amend arbors (about $12) accept two pins that slide into holes in the bottom of the hole saw to lock the saw in place. Lucifer the arbor to your saw and check that it volition fit in your drill. Some arbors require a ane/2-in. chuck and drill.

Overstate existing holes

Photo v: Clamp a bit slice over the hole

To enlarge an existing hole, first clamp a chip of 1/4-in. plywood over it to provide a solid surface for the eye scrap.

Photo half-dozen: Mark a new eye on the scrap

Mark the centre of the new hole on the plywood and drill a pilot hole through the plywood. Align the center flake of the hole saw with the pilot hole and bore the pigsty.

There's just one problem when you need to enlarge an existing hole. The center bit on your hole saw must exist engaged in woods before you can start a hole; otherwise, the saw will just spin and gnaw its way across the surface, leaving a mess backside. Clamping a 1/4-in. slice of plywood over the existing hole is the easiest solution (Photos v and half dozen). Some other method is to jam a forest plug into the existing hole.

Chisel out the cadre for deep holes

Photo 7: Utilise a side handle for deep or large holes

Drill until the hole saw reaches its full depth. Call back to withdraw the hole saw every five seconds or so to clear the sawdust from the groove. If your drill has a side handle like the one shown, use it to provide a firmer grip and amend control.

Photograph viii: Remove the wood so the saw can get deeper

Chisel out as much of the wood plug as possible

Photo ix: Finish the hole

Repeat the drilling and chiseling process until you're all the way through.

You tin drill deep holes with a hole saw if you chisel out the forest plug as yous go (Photo 8). This is useful when you simply have access to one side of thick cloth and your pigsty saw isn't long enough to go all the manner through. If y'all don't have a chisel handy, intermission out the plug with a standard screwdriver.

Caution!

Hole saws are surprisingly hazardous
Tilting the drill or hitting a nail with the hole saw while y'all're drilling can crusade the saw to demark and the drill motor to twist violently in your easily. The powerful torque can slam the drill into your face or strain your wrist. Since binding is hard to predict, your best defence is to brace the drill handle against your hip or leg if possible and maintain a house, ii handed grip. If your drill has a side handle (Photo 7), employ information technology.

In addition, accept the following precautions for safe hole cutting:

Go along the drill going straight to avert bounden the hole saw.
Don't wear loose clothing or jewelry that could get entangled in the pigsty saw.
Locate the trigger speed lock-on button (if your drill has one) and avoid pressing it as you're drilling. (I like to disable these locks by filing or sawing off the button then it'south affluent to the handle.)
Clamp loose projects or small pieces securely with at least two clamps to proceed them from spinning.

Required Tools for this Project

Take the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you start—yous'll save fourth dimension and frustration.

Required Materials for this Projection

Avoid concluding-infinitesimal shopping trips past having all your materials ready alee of fourth dimension. Here's a listing.

Originally Published: February 20, 2022