How To Use a Hole Saw

When you need to drill a hole wider than an inch in diameter or so, a hole saw is the right tool for the job. However, hole saws have a well-deserved reputation for being no fun to use. If the prospect of using one conjures memories of an ice pack on your wrist and the smell of burning wood, relax and read on.

There are a variety of hole saw kits on the market that can cost anywhere from $20 to $300, depending on the size, quality, and type of teeth (bi-metal, carbide, diamond, etc.; bi-metal teeth are sufficient for most tasks)the hole saws have. If you can’t afford to buy the whole kit at once, don’t worry. Most manufacturers sell individual hole saws and arbors. Build your kit one saw at a time as needed, sticking with one brand so you can use the dedicated arbor for new hole saws. A cheap kit might seem like a great deal, but you get what you pay for. The hole saw teeth dull very quickly and the saws are often shallow, limiting the thickness of the material you can drill through. Go for a higher-quality option if you can.

A hole saw proved to be the perfect solution when I purchased a door without a pre-drilled door knob hole. So, let’s walk through the step-by-step process of properly using a hole saw to cut through wood.

What is a hole saw?

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To use a hole saw, you need two pieces. First are the hole saws, which are the “saw blades” and come in various sizes and configurations of cutting teeth. The second is the arbor, also called a mandrel, which mounts the hole saw on a drill or drill press. Each hole saw and arbor differs slightly depending on the manufacturer, but most of them contain the following components:

Slots – Hole saws have two to four slots along their vertical walls. These straight or slanted slots help remove debris and sawdust while cutting and provide a space to insert a screwdriver to remove a cutout plug that is caught inside the hole saw.

Cutting teeth – Hole saws can have a single cutting tooth or a number of cutting teeth, varying in size and shape depending on the material they are intended to cut.

Pilot bit – Hole saw arbors have a removable pilot drill bit that serves as a center point for guiding the hole saw. The drill bits are generally secured to the arbor by set screws and should be adjusted to extend at least 3/8 of an inch past the bottom of the hole saws cutting teeth when in use.

Drive pins – Drive pins are designed to improve stability and carry most of the torque load applied to the hole saw so that the arbor’s threads are not overtightened onto it. Depending on the arbor manufacturer, drive pins are adjusted and utilized differently, but should always be used, especially with larger hole saws and denser materials.

Arbor shaft – Arbor shafts are hexagonal pieces of the arbor that are inserted and tightened into drill or drill press chucks.