6 Easy Steps of How to Use a Hole Saw [ Hole Saw Hacks ]

Do you know how to use a hole saw? This process is also not difficult at all. It is all the same as the use of hole saw drill bit. The drill bits of the hole saw are parts that you will encounter and must install appropriately.

Generally, the drill bits are the ones that dig through materials like walls or wood surfaces.

6 Easy Steps of How To Use A Hole Saw kit

To use it, simply choose the best hole saw kit, along with a suitable arbor. You will have to insert the arbor into the power drill, attach the hole saw, and tighten the attachment.

 After that, simply insert the arbor into the chuck and tighten it properly. You can then drill the pilot hole as you wish.

Here are other steps to help you when using a hole saw;

Step 1: Preventing a Blow Out

As you pull out the hole saw from a cut, it can blow out the back of the workpiece. This will then leave a ragged, splintered surface. However, that shouldn’t be a bother if you are blasting holes through wall studs or floor joists. But, if you are sawing through surfaces that are more finished, like a door, there can be an issue with the blowout.

Luckily, a blowout can be avoided in two approaches. First, you can clamp a scrap board to the back of the workpiece and drill into it. Alternatively, you can drill halfway through from either side of the workpiece and wrap it up by drilling through the opposite side of the workpiece.

Step 2: Enlarging Existing Holes

A hole saw features a center pivot bit, which will drive the saw in and through a workpiece. The center pilot bit will not be useful when you are trying to enlarge an existing hole. This is because the pilot bit is not involved in the drilling part.

So, if you want to enlarge an existing hole with your hole saw, kick it off with some horizontal and vertical lines. Marking the horizontal and vertical lines will represent the exact center of the existing hole. After you have marked the lines, you can proceed to clamp a scrap piece of plywood over the existing hole.

From there, you can transfer the centerlines of the hole onto the plywood. Once the plywood is in place, place the pilot bit of the hole saw on the intersection of the two centerlines. From here, you can drill through the plywood and the specific workpiece as you like.

However, there is another alternative.

In this case, start by mounting two hole saws onto the arbor. One should be inside the other. The smaller inner hole saw, which should be placed inside, must have the same diameter as that of the existing hole. On the other hand, the larger outer saw must be the same diameter as the new hole that you will be expanding.

When you start drilling the new hole, the inner hole saw will easily slide through the existing hole. Also, it will help to guide the large hole saw through the cut. Don’t forget that not all arbors will accept two hole saws. That is why you must check if the arbor easily accepts two hole saws.

Step 3: Handling Tough Situations

When you are drilling large-diameter holes, it can be very daunting. This will usually put pressure on the wrists, hole saw, and drill motor. But there is a way to solve this.

What you need to do is drill a series of stress-relief holes around the cut’s perimeter. You can start this by making a 1/8-inch deep circular groove with the hole saw. This groove should be made on the workpiece. Once you make that groove, change the drill bit to 3/16-inch diameter. Use the new drill bit to bore several closely holes that are closely spaced.

These tiny holes should be drilled around the perimeter of the circular groove. Once you are done, return to the hole saw and complete the hole drilling as needed. By the way, you will notice that the 3/16-inch diameter relief holes will relieve the stress and strain when drilling out a hole with the hole saw.

Step 4: Drilling Metal

Just as hole saws are incredible at drilling holes in wood, they can also do the same with metals. However, the approach when using a hole saw on metal is different. Ideally, you should always use cutting oil when using hole saws on metal. This helps to offer the needed lubrication and reduce friction as well.

When friction is reduced, the hole saw will run cooler as it cuts the metal. Plus, cutting oil helps to eliminate the flush metal chips from the kerf. As a result, this will allow the teeth of the saw to slide through the metal effortlessly.

To apply oil onto the surface when drilling out the hole, place a kitchen sponge between two pieces of scrap plywood. From here, you can use the hole saw to drill through the sponge sandwich. After that, simply remove the circular plug sponge between the plywood and put it in the hole saw.

Pour some cutting oil on the sponge for it to absorb. This way, you can drill any metal material while the sponge supplies enough cutting oil for the process. Normally, cast iron will be drilled dry, so you should not use any lubricant on it.

Step 5: Sawing Other Materials

Besides metal, a naturally tough material, you can use the hole saw to drill other materials like a fiber-cement board, tile, cement backer board, and even some abrasive materials. In this case, you must use a hole saw that is rimmed with razor-sharp carbide or diamond grits.

Step 6: The last steps is Removing Plugs

Too many people have a challenge when it comes to extracting wood plugs from the hole saw. There might be some plugs stuck inside the hole saw after you drill a hole. Some hole saws will come with a plug ejecting feature, which makes work easier.

But for those that don’t have, you can use a slotted screwdriver to help you with that. Nevertheless, you should know that the slotted screwdriver can be tedious when removing the plugs out of the hole saw. Alternatively, you can drill halfway in from each side of the material. Here, you will be left with a plug that is protruding from the hole saw. You can then pull it out easily and continue drilling out another hole.

Final Verdict

On how to use a hole saw without a pilot bit, you simply have to remove the pilot bit from it. Do everything as you’d do when using the hole saw, just make sure the pilot bit is not connected. It is not a complex thing to do.