Hole Saws for Plywood?
Doug White
time I did this, I use a plain carbon steel hole saw, and it was a
pretty miserable experience. The saw teeth clogged quickly, it
overheated a lot, the plugs were hard to remove, etc.
I was planning on using a bi-metal saw this time, but I don't see that
they've done much to improve the basic design. None of the ones I've
seen appear to have changed anything to keep the teeth from clogging,
for example. I have seen some that have a plug-ejection device that
works by reversing the drill, but the drill I will be using isn't
reversable.
I've searched the archives & the last threads that had much on the
topic are a couple years old. I'm hoping someone has discovered
something useful in the meantime.
Thanks!
Doug White
Doug Miller
>I need to drill about fifty 1 1/2" holes in 5/8" plywood. The last
>time I did this, I use a plain carbon steel hole saw, and it was a
>pretty miserable experience. The saw teeth clogged quickly, it
>overheated a lot, the plugs were hard to remove, etc.
>
--
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)
How come we choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?
Secret Squirrel
news:7ed17d18.03120...@posting.google.com:
Perhaps a Fortner or Sawtooth drill bit would be easier?
Jerry Gilreath
the *wheels* that come from them. My question is, what would be a safe way
to round over the edges of the said *wheels*?
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Jerry© The Phoneman®
<Secret> wrote in message
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B a r r y B u r k e J r .
>I need to drill about fifty 1 1/2" holes in 5/8" plywood. The last
>time I did this, I use a plain carbon steel hole saw, and it was a
>pretty miserable experience.
Why not use a forstner bit or one of it's clones?
Barry
Chris Merrill
> I need to drill about fifty 1 1/2" holes in 5/8" plywood. The last
> time I did this, I use a plain carbon steel hole saw, and it was a
> pretty miserable experience. The saw teeth clogged quickly, it
> overheated a lot, the plugs were hard to remove, etc.
I've heard a recommendation to drill a hole with a regular drill
bit (maybe 1/4"?) _just_ inside the perimeter of the circle you will
be drilling with the holesaw. This will give a 'dust relief' area
where dust can be ejected from the teeth. Maybe more than one
hole would help more?
disclaimer: I've never tried this myself...
--
************************************
Chris Merrill
st....@christophermerrillZZZ.net
(remove the ZZZ to contact me)
************************************
Henry E Schaffer
Jerry Gilreath <jfo...@inNOSPAMsightbb.com> wrote:
>Along those same lines, I too need to drill some 1 1/2 in holes but I need
>the *wheels* that come from them. My question is, what would be a safe way
>to round over the edges of the said *wheels*?
Must the center of the circle be solid - or can there be a small hole
in the center?
--
--henry schaffer
h...@ncsu.edu
Joe Gorman
Chris Merrill wrote:
> Doug White wrote:
>
>> I need to drill about fifty 1 1/2" holes in 5/8" plywood. The last
>> time I did this, I use a plain carbon steel hole saw, and it was a
>> pretty miserable experience. The saw teeth clogged quickly, it
>> overheated a lot, the plugs were hard to remove, etc.
>
>
> I've heard a recommendation to drill a hole with a regular drill
> bit (maybe 1/4"?) _just_ inside the perimeter of the circle you will
> be drilling with the holesaw. This will give a 'dust relief' area
> where dust can be ejected from the teeth. Maybe more than one
> hole would help more?
>
> disclaimer: I've never tried this myself...
>
I've done this, but with relatively green live oak. It took several holes
around the circle to allow me to cut 1" thick disks. Having the edge of
the disk on an edge also helped. Still a PITA so I haven't tried lately.
kind of wonder if trying to fill the notches between the teeth with chalk
or baby powder would help clear the sawdust.
Joe
Jerry Gilreath
them out. It's just that 1 1/2" isn't much to hold on to that close to a
fast spinning bit like that. If it matters, they will be cut from 3/4
cherry, walnut and maple. Thanks
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"Henry E Schaffer" <h...@unity.ncsu.edu> wrote in message
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nos...@cox.net
is no problem, and you need to drill a bunch of them quickly- the hole
saw is probably a good way to go. you will need a drill with plenty of
power and a high quality hole saw. to keep from clogging with sawdust
back the hole saw out and blow off the dust frequently. if the hole
saw is sharp it'll make more like shavings than dust anyway.
if you don't care what the backside of the sheet looks like, or you
can back it up with a block of 2x4 or something, you can use a spade
bit. the hole quality will be ok, as long as you keep the bit (and
especially the spurs) sharp. these bits are easy to sharpen with a
file.
if you want a nice smooth wall cut, use a forstner bit. backing it up
with something is a good idea here too. these bits are more
complicated to sharpen, but not too bad.
if you need a real clean accurate hole, try a template and plunge
router.
Bridger
On 9 Dec 2003 07:50:55 -0800, dwh...@draper.com (Doug White) wrote:
Jay
able to use a wood boring bit to drill 1 1/2" holes through 5/8"
Plywood. I have a crappy B&D steel wood boring set that has them from
1/4 to 1 1/2" With the quantities of holes you are drilling, you
should probably use a corded drill, and a drill guide is handy on bits
that wide to keep them straight. I use the Crapsman drill guide and it
works pretty well for its function.
Jay
Reply: Replace junk with jay
jo4hn
nut and tighten it up a bit. Chuck the bolt into the drill press and go
at it with a wood rasp and sand paper. If you don't mind one side of
the wheel having some marks around the hole, us a carriage bolt - holds
better.
mahalo,
jo4hn
Jerry Gilreath
I never thought about the drill press thing. I was going for the router
table, but your idea should work. I'll give it a try after while. They
aren't really a wheel, they're going to be feet for a couple cutting boards.
So, in that respect, the carriage bolt will work fine. Glue the hinky side
up and nobody'll ever know. You truly are akamai! Mahalo once again!
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"jo4hn" <jo...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
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Robert Bonomi
Jerry Gilreath <jfo...@inNOSPAMsightbb.com> wrote:
>the *wheels* that come from them. My question is, what would be a safe way
>to round over the edges of the said *wheels*?
Okay, you wanna be difficult, don't you? <grin>
Taking it as given that you're actually making _wheels_, you'll eventually
have something down the center for an axle.
Thus, a 'small' hole in the center of the piece isn't going to hurt anything.
Therefore, make a jig.
a simple flat piece of wood, with a screw-hole in the middle of it.
position the wheel-to-be with the center of the circle at the screw-hole,
and hold it down (temporarily) with double-sided masking tape.
Turn the jig over, and run a screw through the hole, into the wheel-to-be.
till the screw is _tightly_ holding the piece in place.
Turn the jig back right-side up, and use a bottom-bearing round-over bit.
Voila!
Ron Magen
If you are going to spin them on a DP, I've got a 'trick' that may help with
the hole saw cutting.
I had a number of large holes to cut, and my Radial Drill Press won't turn
slower than 500rpm . . . about twice what is 'recommended. I was cutting
3/4" ply - 'regular' and PT.
I had to make the 'bits' last and get out the 'plugs' so I couldn't just
'burn' my way through.
What I finally did was set-up to go just a hair LESS than HALF-WAY through
!!. First cut from one side, withdrawing the saw frequently to get rid of
chips and for cooling. Then the same on the other side. Most of the time the
'second pass' left slivers of wood holding the 'wheel' in place . . . you
can 'feel' what is happening. Sometimes they came out on the saw {but you
has something to grab on to}, and sometimes they had to be lightly 'tapped'
out.
Whatever . . . the job went fairly quick, a simple 'swirl' with some 60grit
paper cleaned up the hole . . . and the same could have cleaned up the
'center lip' on the 'plugs'.
Regards & Good Luck,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop
"Jerry Gilreath" <jfo...@inNOSPAMsightbb.com> wrote in message
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Sweet Sawdust
"Jerry Gilreath" <jfo...@inNOSPAMsightbb.com> wrote in message
> Along those same lines, I too need to drill some 1 1/2 in holes but I need
> the *wheels* that come from them. My question is, what would be a safe way
> to round over the edges of the said *wheels*?
After having cut a few thousand 2 1/4 inch "wheels" from 1/4 to 3/4 stock I
use the belt sander to smooth the edges. Take an old Philips screwdriver of
the right diameter and put it through the holes, (as many wheels as will
fit on the screwdriver) place the loaded screwdriver parallel to the belt of
the sander, apply LIGHT pressure to the wheels and turn the screwdriver to
the angle where the wheels start to turn slowly on their own. hold wheels on
screwdriver with fingers, its going to fast when fingers starts to burn.
When sides are clean take a trim router and round over edges using a router
mat to hold the wheels in place. It goes fast and gives a very clean edge.
oak...@woodworker.com
clogging and hard to remove from the inside of the bit... its all in
the set of the teeth which retains that cutout inside the hollow of a
hole saw.
On 9 Dec 2003 07:50:55 -0800, dwh...@draper.com (Doug White) wrote:
Jerry Gilreath
all the suggestions on different sets. Sweet sawdust, when them little
boogers get to spinning on the sander, it does generate some heat!!! Don't
have to worry about playing the piano for a while. Oh wait, never could to
begin with! Again, many thanks to you all, they kept my fingers out of the
spinning router bit on the router table.
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Jerry© The Phoneman®
"Sweet Sawdust" <sweets...@peoplepc.com> wrote in message
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