If you drill a hole with a normal drill bit touching the inside edge of kerf of your hole saw, you can drill through really thick wood fairly easily. It gives the saw dust a way out
Thanks! This is what I was hoping to find down here, got 26 or so deck light holes to cut in 2 by 4's, got sick of it after the first 6. Chip evacuation seems to be my biggest problem, the teeth just gum up. Got a slightly better (way more expensive) hole saw, but same problem. I was eyeing one of those open tooth ones, as I figure that might help in really deep holes, but now I'll try this instead. Just have to muster some patience first...
@@wegtennis8740 - You don't. So, imagine the circle you're going to cut (or, cut 1/16" deep just to mark it for you). Then throw in a 1/4" ordinary drillbit, and line it up so that the outer edge of it is in line with the holesaw circle. You just punch 1 or 3 holes right through the material with that 1/4" bit, then switch back to the holesaw. This way, the bottom end of the cut doesn't fill up with sawdust and burn up the teeth or make you start/stop/start/stop to clear the dust. The dust will get dragged around the circumference of the circle, and fall through the material where you had the holes.
If your having trouble holding the drill bit in place,you can whole saw out a template ( like in the video 1:26)-only the size of the inside diameter and use this as a perimeter guide with the small drill bit,also if spin the drill bit in reverse when you start drilling the hole, it makes a nice controlled countersink to keep the bit in position when your drill
"Beat you to death with the part of your body it riped off", truer words have never been spoken when dealing with a Milwaukee Hole Hawg and a large bit or any sized bit for that matter! I remember twisting myself into a shape that a contortionist would be jealous of with one of those. Oh the memories, priceless.
I have a years-old piece of pine in my garage (my wife claims I am a pack-rat, I simply reply "I might need that sometime") that has a hole in it made for solution 1 in this video. And the "drill from both sides" tip is one that everyone should know, even for non OSB projects. It eliminates blow out. (Well, reduces it at least. Not an issue with OSB in most cases.) In any event, I am in the process of redoing a bathroom on my daughter's house, and today is the day where I have to use a hole saw to fit drywall and cement board over plumbing fixtures in a bathroom, so bravo for reminding me of so of these techniques! No metal cutting for me today, though!
You can also "stack" hole saws on most arbors! Put the bigger hole saw on first, then thread the smaller hole saw on after. I still haven't figured out to drill a smaller hole, after drilling to big a hole though....
you can also take the smaller cut hole and simply place it over the drill bit of the bigger size. you have to pull that piece of wood out of the bit anyways, why not put it back to work?
for drilling a smaller hole after you drilled too big of hole, use the repair trick shown, glue in the plug, after the glue is set come back and drill the smaller hole.
If I might suggest; when drilling (sawing too) metal, the use of cutting oil (or sometimes the closest oil even WD) helps the cut and also extends the life of the pilot bit, and hole saw teeth. There are wax stick type of cutting lubricants meant for circular blade, kind of like a giant lip balm. Of course this is for cutting metal, not wood or OSB. Hole saws are expensive and extending the life is a good thing. Love the videos, long time subscriber. Have a great New Year.
I found regular household olive oil for cooking to work well for metal tapping/drilling. Kinda smells nice too. One of those use what you have on hand moments that stuck.
Great presentation, Wadsworth! Electrician here. Retired now. Removing the holesaw from the arbor. You got what you got. You are not spending another dime. The nearest supplier is an hour away. Time is money. You are not leaving that job by golly! You need only two things you probably already have. A washer with the same size hole as the drill bit. A very little bit of anti seize. Apply the anti seize to both sides of the washer. Now, place said washer over the bit, resting on the arbor. Now attach the holesaw. Wah-la! Now you have a holesaw that can be removed rather easily compared to before. Remember, anti seize is friendly. It likes to go and make itself known to everyone and everything. So make sure you wash it off in earnest. Cause the next thing you know, it will be all over you. All over your vehicle. Your wife's new table cloth and the kitchen drapes she is so proud of.
If you drilled a hole inside a cabinet, say for a light, but the hole is too small, save the small plug and tape it back in, and you now have a centered hole for your pilot on the new larger sized hole saw.
Thank you for editing the noise my friend. Nobody is ever that thoughtful and well done. You left just enough noise to relay the ozone to our nose and not so much we wake the dragon in the next room.
When using these to punch through vinyl siding and the barrier paper , using them in reverse is a must to prevent damage to it. Once through, then you can go forward into the wood.
Cutting wax works great on hole saws ! if you need to drill into carpet - use a sharp Razor blade and cut a few lines N/S and E/W across the size of the hole before drilling ! and Always use a drill bit to pre drill the starter hole for your hole saw - its no fun to just start drilling and have the holesaws drill bit break off
This is great information. Can't tell you how many times I've drilled and undersized hole with a hole saw and didn't know what to do next other than scream!!! Great info, only wish I had your video ten years ago. Your instructional videos with various tools are most helpful. I imagine the hard drive in your brain must need to be resized every decade with all the information you store!! Thanks.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! The template for drilling a larger diameter hole atop an existing one...wish I'd known a year ago, poor ol' door didn't survive😂 Lessons learned by way of the experienced are oftentimes invaluable. So many tricks of the trade that one will never find in a guide or manual.
"...it's going to beat you to death with the part of the body that it tears off!" Laughed my a** off on that one. So very true. Thanks for this tutorial Scott. Awesome information!
Grinders TOO!! I’ve had a grinder in my paws since I could lift one up. When I was a kid, like many little swines, I wanted to be all grown up. Anyway my dad’s friend was helping him with the car and he said something along the lines of “Now, a grinder is a proper man’s tool!”. He wasn’t showing off, just meaning that they can be dangerous, more than anything. Naturally, being one of the many kids that wanted to be an adult at the age of six, I just HAD to have a go. Eventually (at 8 I think) they let me have a go under very well-supervised conditions and I obviously loved it and have never looked back. After 30 years of using a grinder I had my first ‘accident’ that could have been a good deal worse. I wasn’t being complacent, it as only a 4.5” (115mm) grinder but I was using the cup type of wire wheel to polish up some catwalk brackets of a huge piling rig, easily over 12lbs each. The wire cup found a hole, and threw the bracket a good few feet to my left side while Newton’s Third Law Of Motion got to work throwing both me to the right and the grinder (still grinding) into my right leg. Thankfully I had two pairs of jeans and my overalls on at the time so no harm was done. I looked down at the grinder at the time thinking it strange that the wires were glowing orange. That just could not be right for the amount of time/pressure/mass of the wire/cooling from the air etc etc - it turns out that it’d taken a good chunk out of my insanely orange 🍊 overalls :) :) It can happen at any time to any of us, no matter the experience we have or how good we think we are!! Just be mindful of that and protect yourself while using such things. It amazed me just how much power one of these tiny grinders has under its belt. Anyway, I apologise for the essay but if it serves to prevent one person losing a chunk of right leg/eyeball/jugular vein etc, then it was very much worth my time writing it. Be safe folks, because unfortunately, it CAN happen to YOU. Brilliant video Scott, as ever. Some of these top tips were really tip top (all, actually - but though some made me grumpy with myself for not having thought of them myself - easy when you know how, eh?). Anyway, apologies again for cluttering up your otherwise pristine comment section. :) :)
Alternate method: @0:28 reinstall the too-small donut on the end of the larger hole saw's arbor. It keeps the tool centered on the original hole until it bites into the wood.
I don't know if anyone else mentioned it, but removing the pilot bit and arbor, then using that as a tool to push the plug out of the holesaw from the rear, that is the method I use.
This video makes me think of a former boss I had, working as an electrician. He didn't think you ever needed to pull a hole saw out to clean/ clear the teeth. As if the teeth never get gummed up when using a hole saw going through pine studs, joists, etc... Thinking about that made me remember another former boss who wanted his hacksaw blades installed so that they cut on the pull stroke instead of the push stroke.
Great video. I like that you keep the drill close to your body. I think that’s important especially with big hole saw bit and a powerful piece of equipment. Don’t hold it out in front of you, if it catches you’ll have less control over stopping it from spinning and hurting yourself.
Great tips and tricks. I made the switch to Rotabroach cutters instead of hole saws for making holes in metal. It's made a huge difference in the accuracy of the holes and the longevity of the tools.
This segment in hole saws and the one on how to use ratchet straps are so useful! Everybody knows how to drill holes and use a ratchet strap except almost everybody - until they pull up the Essential Craftsman and watch him do it right. One last tip - hole saw teeth are sharp! Ask me how I know. On second thought, don’t ask!
You could combine the fist two tips; and then your patch won't have a hole in the middle from the pilot drill: drill a template (of the larger size, with sacrificial wood). then remove the pilot drill bit, and drill the next hole in the material for the patch, using the template.
The Bosch arbor system is the best IMO, when you pull the sleeve to partially eject the holesaw and material plug you can use it at a slight angle to knock out the material plug by hand, no tools required. You can also eject the pilot drill using the sleeve, when I use a guide template as you do I always remove the pilot drill, then you have a full plug without centre hole if you want to refit it using expanded foam. Oscillating the cordless drill also gives more clearance so the holesaw will not bind.
I have used that exact same trick. Sometimes I use a piece of sheet metal for the template. For the tearout your trick works or screw backing to the back side or just use high rpm and less push for a slower cut at the end.
Couple of tips I’ve learned as an electrician. When using a hole saw on metal it’s easy to bend or snap your pilot bit when the pilot bit goes through and the hole saw slams down into the metal. The force can cause the teeth on the hole saw to grab, twist, and deform or break your pilot bit. To mitigate this, I always drill my pilot first with the holesaw off, then put the holesaw back on once the pilot is drilled. Second tip is for drilling new knockouts in existing panels/junction boxes. The fear is that when your hole saw blows through, you can nick a live wire (or several) and that’s a bad time. What I do is wrap a butt ton of electrical tape around the circumference of the outside of the hole saw. Right on the edge near the teeth making a kind of stop. That way when the saw blows through, the tape wrapped around it (being larger in circumference than the hole saw, and thus the hole just drilled) stops it.
When doing metal with any thickness, after you have put the pilot hole through then run the hole saw in reverse, this prevents the saw from biting too much. Also use cutting oil when doing metal if you want the saw to last. When cutting wood one might put some paste wax on to reduce the likely hood of the bit binding in the wood as it goes through.
A principle that I learned while playing pool definitely applies in regard to drills like the Hole Hog or other ol' wrist breaker; using just enough power to do what you need to do often leaves you in a much better position afterwards.
A friend handed me a big old drill (hole hawg or similar) to drill through a steel truck frame. What I wasn't expecting is that the old drills lock into the on position - when you release the trigger they don't stop. When it caught hard in the work, the resulting spinning drill handle was way too exciting. Be very careful of unfamiliar tools, even if they seem the same as the ones you are used to.
A friend of mine had an old 3/4 inch drill to drill a hole from under his truck. He spun around & around on his creeper until he finally jerked the cord apart. He also left some skin & blood & tore his clothing enough to be embarrassing.😂
Spider has a set with quick release like you showed at the end but on a hex drive. They are the best way to remove a plug by far. Even subfloor and a 2x jammed all the way in slides out on the pilot bit!
The Diablo "innovation" you showed at about 11:20 has been available in Europe for at least 7 years, albeit from Bosch over here. I like them, but I the main problem I have with them is that they take up quite a lot more storage space than the traditional Starrett/Morse type bits because they can't be nested inside each other for storage. Not an issue if you only carry 4 or 5 sizes, but when you are carrying 15 or more hole saws it can be an issue, especially if you drive a small van (see Citroen Berlingo if you aren't sure what a small European van looks like)
the new style hole saws with carbide teeth (the big carbide cutters, and not an annular cutter) are amazing for cutting metal. I had a brand new Lenox bi metal hole saw and it lost all its teeth trying to barely cut some 22ga stainless steel. I got a cheap carbide hole saw on amazon for less than the Lenox and it cuts stainless easily
Nice. I'm usually lazy and use the hole saw I just used, doubled on the same arbor as a pilot with a fender washer or two if possible to give it a little riser.
Easiest way I've found to remove the plug from a conventional (not improved) hole saw is a blast of compressed air. My compressed air header is 175 PSI. Air tools that absolutely require lower pressure (a paint gun, for example) get point-of-use regulators. My air gun is a 30+ year old Milton, the one with the long nose and without OSHA or some other 'crat mandated maximum air velocity, I've drilled out all the air passages so maximum air pressure is available. Current government-gimped-up blow guns can also be modified, though with a little more effort. Aim the saw opening in a safe direction, for the plug usually comes blasting out at high velocity.
When I am drilling a hole with a hole saw, I often drill the pilot hole first without the hole saw. That way, the hole saw doesn't catch the work when the pilot bit breaks through.
I knocked myself out using a 1" hole saw in an aluminum plate, close quarters under a swim platform on a boat. My hand on the control handle spun with the tool and played sweet chin music.
Plumber here....Tell Phil to get rid of the forstner bits and wired RA drill? we use the milwaukee hole hawg and 3 tooth bits and the drill never binds up on us...its great!
Hole Hawgs. Like mine for very specific uses, but long ago, most of the plumbing and electrical contractors I knew prohibited their guys from even having Hole Hawgs at all. Too many broken bones. I bring long pipes and brace the machine against something first. Back in my shortline railroad days, we had a couple of them in the shop and only the boss and a couple others of us were allowed to use them. But they were absolutely necessary for some cuts and holes on railcars- you don't drill a 1 1/4" hole in a frame with a battery drill, after all.
To help drilling with a hole saw once you get the ring cut drill a 1/4 hole just inside the ring this will give the cuttings somewhere to escape and stop the burn and makes it a bit better to remove the plug
My worst experience with a hole saw; about 40 years ago trying to make a hole for a dryer vent in a 6x6 chestnut sill. The house was a post and beam structure built in 1812. I had to work from the crawlspace using a Milwaukee 1/2” D-handle drill without an auxiliary handle. Lost count of how many times it tried to unscrew my hand from my arm.
A missing concept from the video: *the bigger the hole saw, the slower the speed* . Think about the edge speed of the blade. The edge of a 1" drillbit moves 4x as fast as the edge of a 1/4" drill bit when spun at the same RPM. And the edge of a 4" holesaw moves 16x as fast as the edge of a 1/4" drillbit. Through a given material, you want the cutting speed that the cutting tooth drags, to be roughly consistent. So, if you double the diameter, you should be halving your speed. Otherwise you're going to smoke your saw, ruin the temper, and melt the teeth off. At these extreme cutting speeds, this even matters for wood, where, normally you'd only have to consider this stuff when cutting metal.
The best way, I have found to cut through the Knapp of carpet and the padding is to take the hole saw and grind the teeth off to make a knife edge to cut through the carpet with ease and make a perfect hole every time. Try it you'll see the light.
If your hole saw has heated up during your cut, be sure to remove the plug before the saw cools, or you'll get very frustrated later on. The cup expands as it cuts, so getting the plug out is easier when it's hot.
I've got in my tool shed the entire history of hole saws that your newer ones solve. I wonder how many dog years I've spent trying pry plugs out of hole saws. And I wonder how when I put them all in one place, the size I need is always somewhere else? But the one just close enough to completely screw up the job is always ready and eager to do just that. How is it always brighter and shinier than the rest?
Diablo is the way to go, especialy since they also have a line of carbide hole saws too (if you want...) For sheet metal it is hard to beat an electrician's knockout cutter set
To remove the plug from the holesaw particularly thicker stuff I'll just put a screw through it into the back of the holesaw and let the threads push it out. If it doesnt get it all then just use a longer screw
Put the drill in reverse when drilling through plastic siding or aluminum flashing and you can use the clutch setting on your cordless drill to keep you from breaking your wrist
When it comes to framing lumber in a house, I have always wondered when one would want to use a Forstner bit vs a hole saw vs an Auger bit for things like running electrical runs through the studs/plates. Obviously the hole saw comes into play with large holes like for plumbing, but when you don't need that diameter... what makes you choose one or the other?
Lot of guys at work burn the temper right out of there drills by overheating. If you douse your cutter in water or oil before its smoking hot, you'll keep it sharp a lot longer.
If you have a Hole Hawg or other high-powered drill, set it on HIGH speed for drilling holes---that gives you more mechanical advantage over the machine.
Check out the technique Sascha from U-tube channel "Spear it Animal" showed "Lauren Landers" on her episode "girl vs boatyard..." when she needed to open up the thru-hole holes in her 50' Beneteau sailboat. Sascha by initially tilting the hole saw, what looked like 45 Deg, starting slowly until the hole saw dug in and centered then rotated in-line with the hole to finish opening up the hole. Sascha remodeled and flipped houses before starting out on his, never sailed before, U-tube adventure. Granted this was solid fiberglass , great for dulling tools, and not wood but the thickness had to be greater than 1". The twenty somethings can occasionally tech us Boomers something.
If you drill a hole with a normal drill bit touching the inside edge of kerf of your hole saw, you can drill through really thick wood fairly easily. It gives the saw dust a way out
Comment of the Day. This is the top tip lacking in the video by far.
Thanks!
This is what I was hoping to find down here, got 26 or so deck light holes to cut in 2 by 4's, got sick of it after the first 6.
Chip evacuation seems to be my biggest problem, the teeth just gum up. Got a slightly better (way more expensive) hole saw, but same problem.
I was eyeing one of those open tooth ones, as I figure that might help in really deep holes, but now I'll try this instead.
Just have to muster some patience first...
Can you say more about how you keep that bit in place?
@@wegtennis8740 - You don't. So, imagine the circle you're going to cut (or, cut 1/16" deep just to mark it for you). Then throw in a 1/4" ordinary drillbit, and line it up so that the outer edge of it is in line with the holesaw circle. You just punch 1 or 3 holes right through the material with that 1/4" bit, then switch back to the holesaw. This way, the bottom end of the cut doesn't fill up with sawdust and burn up the teeth or make you start/stop/start/stop to clear the dust. The dust will get dragged around the circumference of the circle, and fall through the material where you had the holes.
If your having trouble holding the drill bit in place,you can whole saw out a template ( like in the video 1:26)-only the size of the inside diameter and use this as a perimeter guide with the small drill bit,also if spin the drill bit in reverse when you start drilling the hole, it makes a nice controlled countersink to keep the bit in position when your drill
This guy has forgotten more than I could ever learn. Thanks EC for being such a great teacher to us less experienced and knowledgeable.
"Beat you to death with the part of your body it riped off", truer words have never been spoken when dealing with a Milwaukee Hole Hawg and a large bit or any sized bit for that matter! I remember twisting myself into a shape that a contortionist would be jealous of with one of those. Oh the memories, priceless.
I have a years-old piece of pine in my garage (my wife claims I am a pack-rat, I simply reply "I might need that sometime") that has a hole in it made for solution 1 in this video. And the "drill from both sides" tip is one that everyone should know, even for non OSB projects. It eliminates blow out. (Well, reduces it at least. Not an issue with OSB in most cases.)
In any event, I am in the process of redoing a bathroom on my daughter's house, and today is the day where I have to use a hole saw to fit drywall and cement board over plumbing fixtures in a bathroom, so bravo for reminding me of so of these techniques! No metal cutting for me today, though!
You can also "stack" hole saws on most arbors! Put the bigger hole saw on first, then thread the smaller hole saw on after.
I still haven't figured out to drill a smaller hole, after drilling to big a hole though....
you can also take the smaller cut hole and simply place it over the drill bit of the bigger size. you have to pull that piece of wood out of the bit anyways, why not put it back to work?
That's easy just use the board shrinker or a time machine 😂🍻
You get a smaller hole saw
for drilling a smaller hole after you drilled too big of hole, use the repair trick shown, glue in the plug, after the glue is set come back and drill the smaller hole.
That right there is a classic tip. Nice one mate.
The reverse trick works great on vinyl siding also.
If I might suggest; when drilling (sawing too) metal, the use of cutting oil (or sometimes the closest oil even WD) helps the cut and also extends the life of the pilot bit, and hole saw teeth. There are wax stick type of cutting lubricants meant for circular blade, kind of like a giant lip balm. Of course this is for cutting metal, not wood or OSB. Hole saws are expensive and extending the life is a good thing. Love the videos, long time subscriber. Have a great New Year.
I found regular household olive oil for cooking to work well for metal tapping/drilling. Kinda smells nice too. One of those use what you have on hand moments that stuck.
ESPECIALLY if you’re cutting or drilling stainless steel. Some sort of lubrication is absolutely required.
Great presentation, Wadsworth!
Electrician here. Retired now.
Removing the holesaw from the arbor. You got what you got. You are not spending another dime. The nearest supplier is an hour away.
Time is money. You are not leaving that job by golly!
You need only two things you probably already have.
A washer with the same size hole as the drill bit. A very little bit of anti seize. Apply the anti seize to both sides of the washer. Now, place said washer over the bit, resting on the arbor. Now attach the holesaw. Wah-la! Now you have a holesaw that can be removed rather easily compared to before.
Remember, anti seize is friendly. It likes to go and make itself known to everyone and everything. So make sure you wash it off in earnest. Cause the next thing you know, it will be all over you. All over your vehicle. Your wife's new table cloth and the kitchen drapes she is so proud of.
Your videos are therapeutical, friend! Thank you 👍👏👌
Your videos are always so informative and helpful - thank you sir so much for your content over the years
If you drilled a hole inside a cabinet, say for a light, but the hole is too small, save the small plug and tape it back in, and you now have a centered hole for your pilot on the new larger sized hole saw.
The dedication! EC drills a hole into his shop just to show us. Thank you!
I wasn't anxious at first.. I figured he was about run a pipe through it. But no!
Great content as always. The reverse trick works well for dry wall as well. Scores the cut nicely and makes a clean finish.
Thanks for making this video! I love the tip about making a template to resize / elongate a hole. That’s going to save me some headaches!
Thank you for editing the noise my friend. Nobody is ever that thoughtful and well done. You left just enough noise to relay the ozone to our nose and not so much we wake the dragon in the next room.
When using these to punch through vinyl siding and the barrier paper , using them in reverse is a must to prevent damage to it. Once through, then you can go forward into the wood.
Cutting wax works great on hole saws ! if you need to drill into carpet - use a sharp Razor blade and cut a few lines N/S and E/W across the size of the hole before drilling ! and Always use a drill bit to pre drill the starter hole for your hole saw - its no fun to just start drilling and have the holesaws drill bit break off
This is great information. Can't tell you how many times I've drilled and undersized hole with a hole saw and didn't know what to do next other than scream!!! Great info, only wish I had your video ten years ago. Your instructional videos with various tools are most helpful. I imagine the hard drive in your brain must need to be resized every decade with all the information you store!! Thanks.
Been watching this guy since I started my painting business 2 years ago.
Keep up The Good Work! ❤
Future use guaranteed for me. Thank you.
Thanks for all the amazing videos and epic content!!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! The template for drilling a larger diameter hole atop an existing one...wish I'd known a year ago, poor ol' door didn't survive😂
Lessons learned by way of the experienced are oftentimes invaluable. So many tricks of the trade that one will never find in a guide or manual.
"...it's going to beat you to death with the part of the body that it tears off!" Laughed my a** off on that one. So very true. Thanks for this tutorial Scott. Awesome information!
Some wonderful comedy sprinkled into this gem of a video don't ya think!
Thank you Scott & team ❤
Grinders TOO!! I’ve had a grinder in my paws since I could lift one up. When I was a kid, like many little swines, I wanted to be all grown up. Anyway my dad’s friend was helping him with the car and he said something along the lines of “Now, a grinder is a proper man’s tool!”. He wasn’t showing off, just meaning that they can be dangerous, more than anything. Naturally, being one of the many kids that wanted to be an adult at the age of six, I just HAD to have a go. Eventually (at 8 I think) they let me have a go under very well-supervised conditions and I obviously loved it and have never looked back. After 30 years of using a grinder I had my first ‘accident’ that could have been a good deal worse. I wasn’t being complacent, it as only a 4.5” (115mm) grinder but I was using the cup type of wire wheel to polish up some catwalk brackets of a huge piling rig, easily over 12lbs each. The wire cup found a hole, and threw the bracket a good few feet to my left side while Newton’s Third Law Of Motion got to work throwing both me to the right and the grinder (still grinding) into my right leg. Thankfully I had two pairs of jeans and my overalls on at the time so no harm was done. I looked down at the grinder at the time thinking it strange that the wires were glowing orange. That just could not be right for the amount of time/pressure/mass of the wire/cooling from the air etc etc - it turns out that it’d taken a good chunk out of my insanely orange 🍊 overalls :) :) It can happen at any time to any of us, no matter the experience we have or how good we think we are!! Just be mindful of that and protect yourself while using such things. It amazed me just how much power one of these tiny grinders has under its belt. Anyway, I apologise for the essay but if it serves to prevent one person losing a chunk of right leg/eyeball/jugular vein etc, then it was very much worth my time writing it. Be safe folks, because unfortunately, it CAN happen to YOU.
Brilliant video Scott, as ever. Some of these top tips were really tip top (all, actually - but though some made me grumpy with myself for not having thought of them myself - easy when you know how, eh?). Anyway, apologies again for cluttering up your otherwise pristine comment section. :) :)
Alternate method: @0:28 reinstall the too-small donut on the end of the larger hole saw's arbor. It keeps the tool centered on the original hole until it bites into the wood.
And works better, but only if the old hole is centered correctly.
And doesn't work for all sets of hole saws.
"ugly but useful" and "desperate times call for desperate measures". Priceless wisdom.
So many great tips from this man.
Very good...especially with the carpet.
Remove the slug when the hole saw is hot. Always extra keep pilot bits on hand this will make your day go much smoother
You can unscrew the hole saw from the pilot bit and use it to punch the donut out of it. It’s faster than using a screw driver.
This. It also helps to keep the hole saw from binding/becoming stuck on the arbor, since you’re consistently taking it on and off.
I don't know if anyone else mentioned it, but removing the pilot bit and arbor, then using that as a tool to push the plug out of the holesaw from the rear, that is the method I use.
This video makes me think of a former boss I had, working as an electrician. He didn't think you ever needed to pull a hole saw out to clean/ clear the teeth. As if the teeth never get gummed up when using a hole saw going through pine studs, joists, etc...
Thinking about that made me remember another former boss who wanted his hacksaw blades installed so that they cut on the pull stroke instead of the push stroke.
Great video. I like that you keep the drill close to your body. I think that’s important especially with big hole saw bit and a powerful piece of equipment. Don’t hold it out in front of you, if it catches you’ll have less control over stopping it from spinning and hurting yourself.
Great tips and tricks. I made the switch to Rotabroach cutters instead of hole saws for making holes in metal. It's made a huge difference in the accuracy of the holes and the longevity of the tools.
When you have a hex head bit try using an impact driver, it takes away wrist breaking twist you get when the saw bites in, try it
Interesting!
Thank you
outstanding guidance. Keep up the good work!!!!
This segment in hole saws and the one on how to use ratchet straps are so useful! Everybody knows how to drill holes and use a ratchet strap except almost everybody - until they pull up the Essential Craftsman and watch him do it right.
One last tip - hole saw teeth are sharp! Ask me how I know. On second thought, don’t ask!
Great content as always!! 😊
You could combine the fist two tips; and then your patch won't have a hole in the middle from the pilot drill:
drill a template (of the larger size, with sacrificial wood). then remove the pilot drill bit, and drill the next hole in the material for the patch, using the template.
Scott, Yep, hole saws are one the must frustrating tools in the drawer! Some great tips! Thanks! Lee
And unplug the drill or remove the battery before handling the hole saw or ejecting a plug.
looking at your work shop amount of tools and your all round skill
its amazing . all ways learning from you .
all the best from London England
Ok so I wondered how you could possibly make a 19 minute video on hole saws. Shows you what I know. Great video.
The Bosch arbor system is the best IMO, when you pull the sleeve to partially eject the holesaw and material plug you can use it at a slight angle to knock out the material plug by hand, no tools required.
You can also eject the pilot drill using the sleeve, when I use a guide template as you do I always remove the pilot drill, then you have a full plug without centre hole if you want to refit it using expanded foam.
Oscillating the cordless drill also gives more clearance so the holesaw will not bind.
Great info. Gracias
You are my pastor scott!😅😅
Thanks for all the tips thank you again
Very good tips!
Great idea
I have used that exact same trick. Sometimes I use a piece of sheet metal for the template. For the tearout your trick works or screw backing to the back side or just use high rpm and less push for a slower cut at the end.
Couple of tips I’ve learned as an electrician. When using a hole saw on metal it’s easy to bend or snap your pilot bit when the pilot bit goes through and the hole saw slams down into the metal. The force can cause the teeth on the hole saw to grab, twist, and deform or break your pilot bit. To mitigate this, I always drill my pilot first with the holesaw off, then put the holesaw back on once the pilot is drilled. Second tip is for drilling new knockouts in existing panels/junction boxes. The fear is that when your hole saw blows through, you can nick a live wire (or several) and that’s a bad time. What I do is wrap a butt ton of electrical tape around the circumference of the outside of the hole saw. Right on the edge near the teeth making a kind of stop. That way when the saw blows through, the tape wrapped around it (being larger in circumference than the hole saw, and thus the hole just drilled) stops it.
That trick also makes wood donuts that you can feed to termites or beavers.
Some of the new cordless drills will stop immediately when the bit binds up. Saves your wrist
Thanks!
Love this.
Thank you.
run it in reverse to spin the plug out. if the tool has a break to stop spin when trigger released is great, just tap reverse several times
Thanks for the carpet trick!
I hope to never need to use it.
I feel like Im actually learning and retaining the information from your channel thanks.
I’ve got to find a set of moose antlers! Fun conversation piece.
a RELIEF hole for the sawdust is a neat trick .... yest its more time... however ... the blade gets bound with dust less AND it keeps the blade cooler
This channel has changed my life
lots of great tips !
Just put the smaller hole saw inside the larger one. It acts as a guide
That doesn’t always work with every setup
When doing metal with any thickness, after you have put the pilot hole through then run the hole saw in reverse, this prevents the saw from biting too much. Also use cutting oil when doing metal if you want the saw to last. When cutting wood one might put some paste wax on to reduce the likely hood of the bit binding in the wood as it goes through.
A principle that I learned while playing pool definitely applies in regard to drills like the Hole Hog or other ol' wrist breaker; using just enough power to do what you need to do often leaves you in a much better position afterwards.
A friend handed me a big old drill (hole hawg or similar) to drill through a steel truck frame. What I wasn't expecting is that the old drills lock into the on position - when you release the trigger they don't stop. When it caught hard in the work, the resulting spinning drill handle was way too exciting.
Be very careful of unfamiliar tools, even if they seem the same as the ones you are used to.
A friend of mine had an old 3/4 inch drill to drill a hole from under his truck. He spun around & around on his creeper until he finally jerked the cord apart. He also left some skin & blood & tore his clothing enough to be embarrassing.😂
Spider has a set with quick release like you showed at the end but on a hex drive. They are the best way to remove a plug by far. Even subfloor and a 2x jammed all the way in slides out on the pilot bit!
The Diablo "innovation" you showed at about 11:20 has been available in Europe for at least 7 years, albeit from Bosch over here. I like them, but I the main problem I have with them is that they take up quite a lot more storage space than the traditional Starrett/Morse type bits because they can't be nested inside each other for storage. Not an issue if you only carry 4 or 5 sizes, but when you are carrying 15 or more hole saws it can be an issue, especially if you drive a small van (see Citroen Berlingo if you aren't sure what a small European van looks like)
I know the video isn't about those Dozer hole saws but I have a set of those and they're real nice for metal.
the new style hole saws with carbide teeth (the big carbide cutters, and not an annular cutter) are amazing for cutting metal. I had a brand new Lenox bi metal hole saw and it lost all its teeth trying to barely cut some 22ga stainless steel. I got a cheap carbide hole saw on amazon for less than the Lenox and it cuts stainless easily
If you need a fast hole more than you need a neat hole, the Starret MPH holesaws are rapid. Especially for solid timber.
pot shop - top shelf purple stuff please , lmao thats the trick of the trade 😂
Nice. I'm usually lazy and use the hole saw I just used, doubled on the same arbor as a pilot with a fender washer or two if possible to give it a little riser.
Easiest way I've found to remove the plug from a conventional (not improved) hole saw is a blast of compressed air. My compressed air header is 175 PSI. Air tools that absolutely require lower pressure (a paint gun, for example) get point-of-use regulators.
My air gun is a 30+ year old Milton, the one with the long nose and without OSHA or some other 'crat mandated maximum air velocity, I've drilled out all the air passages so maximum air pressure is available. Current government-gimped-up blow guns can also be modified, though with a little more effort. Aim the saw opening in a safe direction, for the plug usually comes blasting out at high velocity.
When I am drilling a hole with a hole saw, I often drill the pilot hole first without the hole saw. That way, the hole saw doesn't catch the work when the pilot bit breaks through.
That’s a hole lot of information
There are anti-kickback drills now. Might save a broken finger, wrist or involuntary ladder dismount.
Love your videos.
I knocked myself out using a 1" hole saw in an aluminum plate, close quarters under a swim platform on a boat. My hand on the control handle spun with the tool and played sweet chin music.
Yikes 😮
Plumber here....Tell Phil to get rid of the forstner bits and wired RA drill? we use the milwaukee hole hawg and 3 tooth bits and the drill never binds up on us...its great!
Hole Hawgs. Like mine for very specific uses, but long ago, most of the plumbing and electrical contractors I knew prohibited their guys from even having Hole Hawgs at all.
Too many broken bones.
I bring long pipes and brace the machine against something first.
Back in my shortline railroad days, we had a couple of them in the shop and only the boss and a couple others of us were allowed to use them. But they were absolutely necessary for some cuts and holes on railcars- you don't drill a 1 1/4" hole in a frame with a battery drill, after all.
To help drilling with a hole saw once you get the ring cut drill a 1/4 hole just inside the ring this will give the cuttings somewhere to escape and stop the burn and makes it a bit better to remove the plug
If you take the drill bit out ( if you can) of the hole saw it's easier to get the plug out
My worst experience with a hole saw; about 40 years ago trying to make a hole for a dryer vent in a 6x6 chestnut sill. The house was a post and beam structure built in 1812. I had to work from the crawlspace using a Milwaukee 1/2” D-handle drill without an auxiliary handle. Lost count of how many times it tried to unscrew my hand from my arm.
A missing concept from the video: *the bigger the hole saw, the slower the speed* . Think about the edge speed of the blade. The edge of a 1" drillbit moves 4x as fast as the edge of a 1/4" drill bit when spun at the same RPM. And the edge of a 4" holesaw moves 16x as fast as the edge of a 1/4" drillbit. Through a given material, you want the cutting speed that the cutting tooth drags, to be roughly consistent. So, if you double the diameter, you should be halving your speed. Otherwise you're going to smoke your saw, ruin the temper, and melt the teeth off. At these extreme cutting speeds, this even matters for wood, where, normally you'd only have to consider this stuff when cutting metal.
The best way, I have found to cut through the Knapp of carpet and the padding is to take the hole saw and grind the teeth off to make a knife edge to cut through the carpet with ease and make a perfect hole every time. Try it you'll see the light.
If your hole saw has heated up during your cut, be sure to remove the plug before the saw cools, or you'll get very frustrated later on. The cup expands as it cuts, so getting the plug out is easier when it's hot.
I've got in my tool shed the entire history of hole saws that your newer ones solve. I wonder how many dog years I've spent trying pry plugs out of hole saws. And I wonder how when I put them all in one place, the size I need is always somewhere else? But the one just close enough to completely screw up the job is always ready and eager to do just that. How is it always brighter and shinier than the rest?
Diablo is the way to go, especialy since they also have a line of carbide hole saws too (if you want...)
For sheet metal it is hard to beat an electrician's knockout cutter set
To remove the plug from the holesaw particularly thicker stuff I'll just put a screw through it into the back of the holesaw and let the threads push it out. If it doesnt get it all then just use a longer screw
Use the clutch when holesawing
Put the drill in reverse when drilling through plastic siding or aluminum flashing and you can use the clutch setting on your cordless drill to keep you from breaking your wrist
When it comes to framing lumber in a house, I have always wondered when one would want to use a Forstner bit vs a hole saw vs an Auger bit for things like running electrical runs through the studs/plates. Obviously the hole saw comes into play with large holes like for plumbing, but when you don't need that diameter... what makes you choose one or the other?
Lot of guys at work burn the temper right out of there drills by overheating. If you douse your cutter in water or oil before its smoking hot, you'll keep it sharp a lot longer.
So, if at first you don't succeed, pry, pry again. 😊
You want pain?
Stick your screwdriver in the hole, then lean the trigger against the board. 14:02
If you have a Hole Hawg or other high-powered drill, set it on HIGH speed for drilling holes---that gives you more mechanical advantage over the machine.
Great, let's talk about how to make money with these skills 🙏
Check out the technique Sascha from U-tube channel "Spear it Animal" showed "Lauren Landers" on her episode "girl vs boatyard..." when she needed to open up the thru-hole holes in her 50' Beneteau sailboat. Sascha by initially tilting the hole saw, what looked like 45 Deg, starting slowly until the hole saw dug in and centered then rotated in-line with the hole to finish opening up the hole. Sascha remodeled and flipped houses before starting out on his, never sailed before, U-tube adventure. Granted this was solid fiberglass , great for dulling tools, and not wood but the thickness had to be greater than 1". The twenty somethings can occasionally tech us Boomers something.
Running the saw backwards makes using large diameter saws fairly easy.