holesaws

[pgrbff]

I need to cut around 20 90mm diam discs out of 18-25mm ply. I tried with a relatively new HSS bimetal holesaw yesterday and it really struggled, only managed one and it took forever. The ply is hardwood and WBP but I'm not sure exactly what type. Is this normal?

 

[pgrbff]

I think I'm going to have to get the circle cutting jig out, for the bandsaw.

 

[Bingy man]

What make of hole saw are you using? If you struggled on the 1st hole then this could be a quality issue. Starett are imo the best you can buy , Bosch are also pretty decent . It’s also quite difficult for holesaws to clear the waste effectively which can cause the saw to bind and overheat. Hope this helps you out.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You'll always have trouble cutting wood with a holesaw (no matter how good it is), the sawdust has no escape route and clogs the teeth. You need to clear it every few seconds.

 

[pgrbff]

Bosch as Starret is difficult to find in Italy.

You'll always have trouble cutting wood with a holesaw (no matter how good it is), the sawdust has no escape route and clogs the teeth. You need to clear it every few seconds.

I have been. I continually lift the hole saw, which is in a drill press, to clear the dust.

 

[Bingy man]

A different approach is needed as you say in your 1st post-your band saw or even a jigsaw with suitable blade for small circles.

 

[MikeK]

Bosch as Starret is difficult to find in Italy.

I have been. I continually lift the hole saw, which is in a drill press, to clear the dust.

When I drill holes with my hole saws, I make two or three smaller holes (about 10mm diameter) along the circumference of the cut line to give the sawdust a place to exit. The placement of the holes on the circumference depends on if I am saving the disk.

 

[Spectric]

You need to clear it every few seconds.

the woodpecker motion as mr Parfitt would say.

Have you tried a fly cutter, something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/QWORK-Adju...-4-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1


and there are many brands of this tool but it works fine.

 

[recipio]

Hole saws need a lot of power and even then are prone to overheating. It is far more efficient to rout a hole using a router bushing or a bearing guided pattern bit. Having burnt out a Ryobi drill press I learned this the hard way.

 

[Cordy]

Recently I cut several holes with various hole-saws using a Bosch drill press.
I found that raising the cutter every 4 or 5 seconds and clearing the sawdust from cutter with a wire brush did the trick; no wear noticed on any of my cutters
Some Bosch, Sharrat, & various bi-metal bought from eBay
edit -- Slowest speed of course
2nd edit -- the larger holes are 120 mm

 

[pgrbff]

the woodpecker motion as mr Parfitt would say.

Have you tried a fly cutter, something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/QWORK-Adju...-4-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1


and there are many brands of this tool but it works fine.

I have one of these but there isn't enough headroom on my small Scheppach pillar drill.

 

[pgrbff]

A different approach is needed as you say in your 1st post-your band saw or even a jigsaw with suitable blade for small circles.

The circle cutter on my Basa1 was working perfectly but the blade went bang at end of the first cut. It will be about a month before I get a replacement blade from Tuffsaws.