To ensure that you choose the most effective hole saw for you and your projects, keep these factors in mind before purchasing. Blade Material Always use common sense, wear safety glasses, and make sure your mind (as well as your saw) is sharp before operating a hole saw. Spade Bit vs Hole Saw The first time I opened up the case of my cheap Harbor Freight hole saw set, I was totally confused! All the blades were covered in oil and there were nuts and bolts that fit on some parts and not others. How do you assemble this thing?!?

Switch your drill to a high torque setting, then place the point of the bit at the pilot hole mark. Carbide saws are more robust and can withstand higher temperatures, making them suitable for use on heavy-duty materials like stainless steel. Diamond-tipped hole saws are also available for use with ceramics, glass, and stone. Arbor After some cutting, pull out the saw to blow away the sawdust and let the blade cool.A hot blade can burn the wood inside the hole.Hole saws make both a hole and a round wooden disc using a thin serrated blade around a central drill bit. Doorknob and light fixture hardware -Door knobs and light fixtures require a precise hole for proper placement. Most other methods for cutting a circle won't work on a door or ceiling, so a hole saw will be a great help. Insert the arbor shaft and collar through the hole in the center of the saw. Match up the flat sides of the collar with the flat sides of the hole so it seats snugly. If your project requires precision, you may want an arbored hole saw. The pilot hole will help guide your cut and keep it centered.

The arbor connects the hole saw to your drill. This piece is either detachable or fixed to the saw itself. Also, an arbored hole saw is generally easier for a beginner to use because the saw blade won't skip over the surface of the wood.A non-arbored hole saw is harder to control, so I'd only use them in a drill press with the workpiece clamped down to the table. Okay, you've got your hole saw assembled and attached to your drill. Now what?Here are some tips to help you cut the hole flawlessly! An arbored hole saw has a pilot hole drill bit in the center, and a non-arbored hole saw doesn't. Choosing one over the other comes down to understanding what the pilot drill bit is and how it works.There are different types of hole saws and they generally range in size between 14mm and 210mm in diameter. Holes below this size can usually be achieved using a standard drill bit, while larger holes will generally require alternative cutting methods. The other safety concern is heat. Allow your drill to rest during large cuts to prevent overheating, and don't touch the saw blade until it's had a chance to cool down. I've made the mistake of trying to remove it too soon, and burned my fingers! CANADIAN TIRE® and the CANADIAN TIRE Triangle Design are registered trade-marks of Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited. Hole saws can be dangerous. You're dealing with a lot of torque. If the saw binds while cutting, it can yank your arm and injure your wrist. Don't go too fast, and keep a good grip on your drill. After you have your hole saw assembled, it's time to attach it to your drill.This is just like inserting any other kind of bit, but there are a few things you should know.

Next, place the collar onto the arbor shaft, and insert the pilot hole drill bit into the collar. Adjust the depth of the drill bit so that it protrudes past the teeth of the saw blade, then tighten the collar set screw with an Allen wrench. If you need the hole in a precise location, drill a smaller pilot hole in the center first. This gives the hole saw's pilot bit somewhere to start, so it doesn't wander.Collar -This is what holds the pilot hole bit and the saw in place on the arbor shaft. There's a nut that goes over it to hold tight against the underside of the saw. Before you start drilling, it's helpful to know what the different parts do and how they go together. Saw -The hole saw itself. The round saw usually has vents on the side to help prevent overheating and to allow the teeth to clear sawdust. If you want to save the cutout circle, then you may want to use a non-arbored hole saw. This way, you don't have a little hole in the middle.But if your circles will be painted, you can use wood filler to cover up the hole. First, the spade bit can be hard to use near the edge of a board. They also don't make the cleanest hole and tend to tear out.In general, this type of a bit is best for rough construction rather than a fine woodworking project. Forstner Bitvs Hole Saw

A clever tip for enlarging existing holes is to make a plug for it first. Choose a hole saw that's the same diameter as the smaller hole, and cut a disc out of scrap wood. Switch to the larger hole saw and slide the plug onto the drill bit. The plug will fit into the hole and guide the saw! Use a spade bitinstead of a hole saw to bore up to 1 ½" holes in wood when you don't need the plug and don't mind the rough cut edges. Spade bits have two sharp edges with a point in the center. As the bit spins, the edges shave out the wood. If you can't flip the board or access the other side, you can try drilling a relief hole with a spade bit on the edge of the inside of the circle. After maxing out the cut with the hole saw, chisel out the remaining material. How to Remove Wood from a Hole SawFirst, use a sharpsaw. If your hole saw's blade is dull, it will tend to tear instead ofcutting the wood.