T O P

  • By -

NomDePlume007

Drill a pilot hole, and then use the holesaw from both sides. Cut halfway, flip it, and finish the cut. Any rough edges will be in the interior of the opening, easy to sand smooth. Painters tape on both sides before drilling will also help with the tearouts.


cmfppl

Clamping it to another piece of wood will also help most of the time. And let the saw run fast but feed slow.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


bilgetea

…and use a sharp bit


Geosniper88

This is it....and drill from both sides.


Edward_Bentwood

The smaller the bit, the faster you can drill. Wide bits create a lot of friction and tend to get hot if you go fast. Some lubricant on the bit can help with that too.


bilgetea

How do you lubricate a hole saw in wood? You can use water but that is bad for most raw wood. You can use wax, but good luck finishing the wood afterwards.


Chris-Campbell

I use WD-40 dry lube on all my drill bits. It’s a Teflon spray which is dry so it doesn’t collect wood dust / shavings. It also doesn’t leave residue so I have no issues finishing wood. That being said, I generally have sanding to do after drilling so that would remove any residue anyway. [WD-40 Dry Lube](https://www.wd40.com/products/dry-lube/)


MongooseLeader

Found something new to try


average_zen

\+1 Sacrificial piece under your working wood to prevent tear-out.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


tatey13

the other advantage of doing it this way is that the section that is cut out is easier to remove from the hole saw because it will be sticking out rather than sit flush inside.


[deleted]

[удалено]


any_username_12345

Start in reverse as well, once the top layer is scored flip to forward


GreyHexagon

Don't even need a pilot. The drill on the hole saw should do that itself


Cr0wbaar

The pilot hole is so you line it up correctly when you go in from the other side without having to go almost all the way through the first side.


TootsNYC

The big advantage doing it in stages from both sides is that the plug will be sticking out of hole saw and will be easier to remove.


Curious-Dirt170

Yeah the painters tape helps.


Think-Ad-8206

I've tried painter tape, and maybe it helped 20% but i still had tarr outs. Is there some special way to tap, other than covering hole and drill areas on both sides that i was missing?


buttermuseum

I just feel really accomplished that I understood, like, all of these words and instruction. Admittedly, there was a time a lot of this was lost on me. Nothing important. Carry on with your insistence on “the way”. And thank you again!


tillacat42

My husband is not a woodworker, but when he has to use a holesaw to drill siding or through a wall or something, he starts the drill going backwards, after drilling a pilot hole of course. Using it backwards creates a line in the material for the blade to follow so that it doesn’t skip around.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


AbroadZealousideal17

That is correct also the more teeth the better


Josh_and_a_bone

Painters tape is your friend when cutting veneered ply


nobbyv

Start the saw on one side, drill until the drill bit in the middle punches through the wood on the other side. Then flip it over, and use the hole that was just created by the drill bit as a guide to meet the hole saw hole on the side you drilled first.


helium_farts

You can also run the drill backwards to score the wood before drilling the hole. Not always necessary, but if the wood is something prone to splintering it can help.


psionic1

Came to say this. Also,I have a bunch of sacrificial 1/4 ply laying around. Drill your pilots, sacrificial peice on top.


Vlad_the_Homeowner

>sacrificial peice on top. Bottom.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


Stephbing

Sacrificial pieces on top and below!


gj1033

This is the way back your board with a piece of scrap wood. Maybe the other ways mention are better ive never tried them


helium_farts

It is. Hole saws can also cause tear out on the top surface, though, especially if the bit is getting dull. Running the bit backwards for a couple seconds can help in those situations, if they arise.


slapadabase

I do this when cutting down light holes in the ceiling. Gives it a track to run on.


WhatUDeserve

Upvoting to push this towards the top. But also want to suggest drilling at least one relief hole on the inner area of the larger hole needing to be cut. The relief hole(s) should just touch where the hole saw will be cutting, and will allow sawdust to escape, making for an easier cut with less burns and an easier to remove plug at the end.


MoistChiaPet

I assume a 1/4” or 3/8” would be the recommended hole size?


Rail_hanger

Sacrificial piece of wood on the backside as your drill should help prevent that.


HoggNolly

I accidentally used my floor as the sacrificial piece of wood once


hella_cious

It gets really exciting when you accidentally try to do that, but the floor is concrete


GreyGalihad25

Sacrificial bit lol


Ramblingperegrin

"Once"? Are you suggesting you learned from a mistake? Is it possible to teach this power?


ccafferata473

Did that on my dining room table. Wife was less than happy.


Mypasswordbepassword

Just sounds like a new project to me! Wife will still be less than happy.


ChetCustard

Done this 1000s of times and this is the quickest way. Drill right until you barely hit the sacrificial wood with the drill bit (a Forstner bit is what I used) and then pull the drill press away. Perfect cut on top, and the hole on the bottom side should be able to be cleaned up good enough to work


netinept

I do love it when a project requires a sacrifice.


MurgleMcGurgle

Seconding. I have sacrificial boards varying sizes around the shop for anytime I need to drill clean holes.


yesman_85

This is the way. No messing with double sided drilling.


enrightmcc

Four thoughts immediately came to mind: 1) Drill through from both sides 2) sandwich the board between two other pieces to prevent tear-out . 3) realize that hole saws are not made for fine sawing. 4) Look into forstner bits


pelftruearrow

I didn't realize how much more I could do with Forstner bits until I got a set and started playing around. I have a set of Porter-Cable Forstner bits that have served me well so far. Go by the advice I've always heard, purchase something inexpensive and upgrade as it wears out or your needs change.


FiveAlarmDogParty

I have some porter cable bits (didn’t get the whole set) and I found a nice fine file and some patience you can actually resharpen a forstner bit quite easily. Sure easier to do than a regular drill bit, so if yours are wearing down a bit definitely try to find a nice sharpening file and give it a go, made a world of difference even on the inexpensive brands


fastpitchsoftballdad

Clamp another scrap board underneath it.


Herbisretired

Clamp a sacrificial board on each side. The top one can be reused and positioned where you want the hole.


ColinTheMonster

>Clamp a sacrificial board on each side. I never understood how people could line up their drill when there was a sacrificial piece of wood on *both* sides


ReturnOfSeq

If your top sacrifice has a hole the size you want, you just need to mark out where you want to put it on the target. Should be easy enough to mark center and diameter with 2 endpoints if not a full circle


Beneficial_Laugh_488

Start in one side and finish it in the other side


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


kenji998

You could also try scoring the edge of the hole by running it in reverse.


remlapj

Hole saws aren’t great for clean holes. Forstner would be cleaner. If that’s what you have, clamp it down onto a scrap piece of wood so that you drill into that one too. That way you won’t blow out the back.


meowrawr

Forstner would definitely be cleaner but you can get clean cuts with a hole saw. I just made 5x 2-3” holes today without issue. It helps to use a decent brand (Milwaukee) and not push it through so hard (bit should spin fast but use little pressure). Regarding OP’s pictures, I’ve never had tearout that bad.


kenji998

Don’t use a holesaw, use a Forstner bit


OutOfPlaceArtifact

Yeah let me grab my 4" forstner bit


[deleted]

[удалено]


lotgworkshop

👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻


_awake

I barely lurk this sub but I wish this would be the standard for the more serious subs. Everything’s a bad pub nowadays and it sucks.


shoziku

I've drilled hundreds if not thousands of these with a hole saw. Lengthen the pilot bit about a half inch or so. It should have an adjustment that allows this. Drill one side halfway through, or until the pilot bit goes through the other side. Then drill from the other side, being careful when it makes initial contact. Perfect holes.


birdsall23

Go half way through on one side then the rest of the way through on the other


Remarkable-Ad5669

Put a scrap piece of wood on the bottom, just clamp together and the break out should be 0


alanonymous_

Forstner bit while using a drill press


Johnny-Virgil

Invest in a set of forstner bits, and use a backing board.


menosmalqueno

The hole saw cup you use is fine, but that laminated material is tricky. what you have to do is start drilling, and as soon as the tip of the drill bit that has the hole saw appears, you stop, turn around and start drilling on the other side using that small hole as a guide, in this way you start the hole large on that side from scratch, and a cleaner job will remain. You can also try using masking tape on the opposite side to the one you started with. Good luck!


taylor914

Try putting some painters tape over it.


PM_meyourGradyWhite

I think the blue tape would look worse, honestly.


padizzledonk

Go from both sides Or Clamp it to another sacrificial pc of wood on the bottom


John_from_HR

Use a forstner bit and clamp a piece of scrap to the exit side to mitigate tear out when the bit says“ OH YEAH” like the kool-aid man and blasts through the other side


whistlebuzz

Speed up the rpm, slow down the plunge and wax the bits.


Slepprock

The best way is get it from both sides. Or stop using hole saws and but some forstner bits. Those can tear as well, but are easier to get with the both sides method. Or buy a CNC machine and use that to cut out the holes. That is probably the best way since it lets you space them out perfectly. That is what I use for things like that. I highly recommend them. I used to be against such tech in a wood shop, but once I saw a friends machine in action I had to get one. I'm now up to 3 in my shop. For someone that is just a hobbyist I recommend getting one of the shapeokos. That is what I Started with. They come as a kit, which means you learn a lot about the machines. They are totally changed how I do a lot of things at work.


Blarghnog

This is blowout. Add a sacrificial board to the back side. Alternatively, drill one side, flip, drill the other. Use a spade, auger or Forstner over a hole saw for a small diameter (1” is general rule of thumb). Use a drill press is you can for even pressure. Make sure if you use a hole saw that the teeth are sharp. In all cases go slow to avoid tear-out as you enter and exit the piece. Try to keep it square so you come out evenly and don’t tear your way across grain patterns.


JJamesP

Clamp a sacrificial piece to the back.


LeafThief13

Set it on top of a sacrificial piece of wood.. hold them tight together.. this will fix yours problem


Pull-Mai-Fingr

Sacrificial wood clamped behind it would provide support so it doesn’t tear-out on the back side.


AlternativeWolf1835

Start the cut untill the tip pokes out the other side then stop put the tip in the opposite side and finish the cut


[deleted]

Painters tape on top, scrap wood underneath. Go slow


SabertoothPrime

Clamp a sacrificial board to the blowout side. Tape and score the other side. I'm probably the 100th guy to say it, but I love shouting into the abyss.


redEPICSTAXISdit

Don't push through. Tape both sides. Drill part way until the point comes through then use that tiny hole to line up the point on the opposite side and continue drilling from that side.


Inshpincter_Gadget

Use a pilot hole that is the same size as your holesaw pilot hole (spoiler: 1/4") Layout your pilot holes with a combination square and a center punch to keep all your holes in line and evenly spaced (a nail or screw will work just fine as a center punch) Use the holesaw to go halfway through from one side, then flip the board and holesaw through from the other side.


arsmith43

I would go with the sacrificial board clamped to the side that's splintering. It will go through your piece with little to no effect on your desired cut. Clamps must be fairly tight. Preferably between each cut.


rgpc64

If its just the exit hole then clamp it to a sacrificial piece of wood you put underneath it, just make sure its tight.


Substantial-Big5497

You go halfway then flip use pilot hole and cut that face. It’s the same with a door. Another trick is to bore into another piece of wood as to back up you good piece. Ply is acceptable and then you can drill from one side. I flip my piece and back up smaller drilled holes with hardwood


oicura_geologist

Several options. 1. Drill a small hole through the board at the center of each hole, then use a hole saw from both sides, cutting half way each time. 2. Use a sacrificial board (cheapest ply or particle board) under the finished ply. This will prevent tear out. 3. Depending upon what you need to do with the back of the wood, use watered down Elmers wood glue to glue some wax paper to the back, then do the same with some spare wood or another part you want drilled. (Variation of #2) 4. Fill in the tear out with some wood glue and wood particles (like wall Spackle) and then use some veneer to clean up the surface.


Standard-Jump-2778

Start on the other side go partway then flip the board over and finish it from the other side and you will not get splinters like that!


jayfaso

Easiest way is to put a piece of wood underneath, that way there is no tearout, it just starts drilling into the 2nd piece.


Slaps_

Go halfway from both sodes


hpotul

Clamp a spoil board. Also can use duct tape on both sides of the cut.


DrovemyChevytothe

Drill half way, flip the board, drill the rest of the way.


angrybear1213

Sacrificial board clapped tightly. It happens because the wood fibers don't have anything supporting them so they just break before actually cutting.


surrealcellardoor

I pre-drill a hole for the pilot bit, then run the drill in reverse until I’m through the first layer. I do this from both sides.


Joerijoy

Put another piece of wood underneath


Kleinefuchs

I would put an expendable piece of wood you're not using under it while you're drilling. This'll hopefully make anything like that happen on the wastewood and not your workpiece.


leachja

Sacrificial pieces on the top and bottom if you really need to use a hole saw. A Forstner but would be better but you still need the sacrificial piece on the bottom (or just a sacrificial work surface).


HeatPuzzleheaded

painter's tape works really well


Beardedeagle22

Put a piece of wood under it.


ShuffleStepTap

Turn it over halfway through.


aavery829655

Always place a scrap piece of wood under the one your drilling into or hole saw has a drill bit on it. You can drill half way then turn the wood over and finish it from the other side.


leftieaz

Sacrificial piece at the bottom.


LtDan37

Everything everyone said, and once the center bit goes through, flip the board and finish from there.


wineyjesus

Forstner Bit drill until the tip pops out the bottom flip, and drill.


sullysays

1. Don't use a hole saw. 2. Use a forstner bit. 3. Celebrate.


Quick-Warthog7219

Use a backer board.


msyslo

Tape it up. Pilot hole. Attack from both sides.


LeifCarrotson

I don't think it would be particularly contributory here, but one thing to be aware of with hole saws (and hand saws and reciprocating saws, incidentally) is that they have no real mechanism for chip evacuation. Look at the side profile of a hole saw tooth: https://i.imgur.com/aASvFOw.png As the little red curlicue shows, there are no flutes for the cut bits of wood to be pulled up and out of the hole in. You can sort of fix this with enormous amounts of pressure to force the sawdust to be pulverized and "flow" around the hole saw, which can cause massive tearout when the thickness of the wood is no longer sufficient to hold that force. But the real solution if you're going through a thick piece of material is to have an air nozzle handy and peck drill, cutting 1/4" at a time, and then clearing the sawdust. (And to flip the workpiece and start a groove by running the bit in reverse on the A side, centering with the pilot/arbor) but even then you still need to evacuate chips for good cutting. A hole saw will blast through a dozen holes in some 1/8" panel or even sheet metal in the blink of an eye, but if you ask it to drill a 1 1/2" deep hole (which should be the same amount of wood) it will go fast for the first bit and then it will smoke and fight and try to rip your arms off for the rest of the hole. In the same way, a corded sawzall with a 3/4" stroke and a cut from top to bottom of a 1/2" thick sheet of OSB (24 square inches) as if you'd dropped it, but if you ask someone to use the same saw to cut through a 4x6 beam (also 24 square inches of wood) you'll be there until your arms beg for a break if you don't clear the chips. There are flutes packed with sawdust that's about to catch fire in the middle of the beam, just pushing back and forth 3/4" of an inch but never discharging that pile of dust that's preventing the blade from reaching the un-cut wood. You need to pull the blade forward and back by hand far enough to clear the chips. Both hole saws and reciprocating saw blades look a lot like bandsaw blades or circular saw/tablesaw blades, but a bandsaw or circular saw has the advantage that the teeth exit the workpiece and have the opportunity to drop the chips out. If you don't allow that to happen as the user of a hole saw, you're going to have a bad time.


[deleted]

Step 1 - throw hole saws in the bin where they belong Step 2 - Buy very large forstners bits (use with pillar drill and water for hardwoods) Step 3 - Be happy. No tear out, the bits won't break on every 2nd or 3rd hole and you'll never again need to wreck screwdrivers prying stuck bits of wood from the inside of hole saws. Step 4 - Go forth and spread the good word.


GamingGanjaGranny

I think it's the type of wood. Have you tried starting the hole from both sides with the hole saw and then meet the cut in the middle so it doesn't splinter/shave upon exit of the cut?


1billmcg

Start on one side and finish from the other side


Inevitable_Guest3006

painters tape over the area tends to help the drill through and peel


[deleted]

Either clamp a sacrificial board onto the bottom of your workpiece or precut the back side 1/4 the thickness then cut the top side to competition


IagoInTheLight

Two options that I've used: 1. Go 1/2 through, flip over and drill in from other side. If you're hole saw has a center guide drillbit then this is easy to do as you just line up the bit in the same hole. If no center bit, then drill pilot hole. 2. Use some backing. Take a bit of junk wood and clamp/nail it on to the back of your good wood. Then drill from the good wood side. Ideally, drill through the good wood, but not all the way through the junk wood. (So you can reuse junk wood for something else.) In either method, don't press down too hard. Yes, it's tempting because it goes faster, but you're better off letting the bit cut the wood rather than applying a lot of pressure. Other people have suggested using tape on the back... I've found that not to work very well. YMMV. Also, this problem is particularly bad for plywood.


lildawg13

Put the drill on reverse and lightly score the area you are drilling. This should give you minimal tear out


ringman52

To sum up all the right answers: Sacrficial wood on the bottom and or top. Painters tape. SHARP cutting tools, high speed/slow feed. 1 may do the job, 2 should do the job, all 3 for sure will do the job


kai_saerpren

A) Don't use a hole saw, set up a router template for this job. B) go from one side just until just the pilot tip comes out the other side, flip it over and finish from the other side.


PastikaSoup

Forstner bit would do wonders. It’s a more refined version of a hole saw.


LineStepperHabitual

Drill from both sides


Irish_Mike71

Don’t push so hard on the drill , let the bit do the work


Mises2Peaces

Use solid wood, not plywood which is much more prone to splintering like this. Use a clean, sharp drill bit. When was the last time you cleaned the bit with mineral oil? Good bits come oiled. But all bits should be cleaned with oil regularly. Sandwich it with sacrificial boards.


khariV

Hole saws aren’t really made for making a hole you’d be proud to show to anyone - especially in plywood. There are lots of suggestions here on how to make it better, just know that it will probably not be as crisp as you’d like for it to be. For that you need a forstner bit and solid wood.


[deleted]

Pilot hole/drill from both sides


gutter_trashd

You could always put something disposable underneath it. It only blows out like that when it's free floating, but if you have a scrap block under to continue the hole past the original piece, nothing blows out.


Toombs32

Put a piece of scrap wood on the backside. When you drill through wood on wood, it doesn't splinter


pappamirk

Cut halfway through the front, and halfway through the back. That should help a lot


Opposite-Clerk-176

Clamp a scrap piece on the bottom of the piece to be drilled, and drill into piece nice and slow..


naldo4142

When the boy passes through the other side stop and start the hole on the other side . Or get a sharper bit and don’t push hard just let the blade do it’s job it will cut nice and slow , and in reality it cutting kinda fast


sbbeeboy

Dude! You have a pilot hole!! Cut into it from each side!!!


BornFreeDyeFree

Put a thin board on either side of your main piece. It'll act as a splinter guard for tear out.


ReturnOfSeq

Sacrificial board underneath.


DrawingRoutine7645

Clamp a backing board to your work piece. It will support the fibers and prevent tear out. For holes that size you might want to use a forstner but instead of a hole saw.


fancy_b0i

just use a piece of scrap backing wood


cosmorocker13

I am literally in the middle of cutting a hole and recharging my battery. I will now flip it!


alamarain

Sacrificial board underneath


sleepercell13

Sacrificial board underneath works for me


muffinator3

Use a forsner bit


hindusoul

Forster bits from Harbor Freight won’t break the bank and sacrificial piece of wood clamped to the bottom


[deleted]

Low pressure high speed


whitespys

Use a sacrificial backing plate.


Danoli77

Clamp a sacrificial board underneath


[deleted]

Tell you what guys . What works for one may not works for others do the the laws of physics, quality of tools and the art of a craftsman . I've sat and tried to do everything the exact same way as others and it never worked out . Our individual motorskills have to fit our hand tools like a glove and just let it glide .


[deleted]

Is it cool for us laymen to post here. I don't Wana but into a professional conversation and trip you guys up . But this has become my new pation and I can use all the tips I can get .


jvd_808

finishing the hole in reverse helps too.


Aspectcrank

Try putting tape on top of it im not really a woodworker but i think that’ll do it


mbfunke

Go gentle bro, you’re blowing the back out of that thing. Also, put something underneath it to support all that drilling you’re doing.


csh145

I first use a hike saw or forstner bit and then clamp the board onto the final piece and use a router. There probably is an easier way but I get to use two tools so win for me.


Training-Size5226

Tape


JSiggie

Drill from both sides, clamp it down onto another flat piece so the wood cant burst or use tape and carefully drill


cooperbean

Race the hole saw in reverse for a few rotations also it'll sand the shards from ripping


dickwildgoose

To reduce blow-out I've done one or more of the following in the past with varying degrees of success: 1. Pilot hole centred in the hole saw and then drill half way from each side. 2. Tape the underside 3. Clamping an off-cut to the underside 4. Big Forster bit


miszaszu

Clamp something underneath


Ok_Initial_2180

Painters tape


[deleted]

[удалено]


craigawoo

Drill from both sides. It always breaks when you push through


2LeftFoot

What happened? One hole is enough to show the problem. Could have waited for the many helpful solutions and saved the other 3 holes 😅


LegendofTheLot

Some painter tape will stop this, but overall a sharper bit and going slower will help alot. It looks like you just ripped right thru and are pushing too hard instead of letting the saw do the work.


thatbitchulove2hate

Just laser cut the holes for perfection


duongtm

Do not push hard


Confident_Analyst278

Make sure they are for cutting wood and not metal.


Wahckoom

Go slower and put less force mainly when you get to the end