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need a good to great hole saw

GM Guy

GM Guy

Manual Trans. 2WD Enthusiast
Messages
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NW Kansas and SC Idaho
hey all,

I am wanting to buy a quality hole saw, and dont know where to start.

Obviously I will need to start with an arbor, and the first (and only for a while) hole saw I will be buying is a 4 incher for cutting through sheet metal to install a few B&W turnover balls.

any made in USA anymore?

any input appreciated, thanks!
 
You'll need a heavy duty drill. Something like a Milwaukee MAgnetic drill press would be the cat's ass for that. Lenox and several others make good hole saws. Go slow and keep it lubed.

With a hand drill, triggering the drill seems to cut the best. The starting and stopping keeps the tool cool.

I've used some carbide tipped hole saws that cut pretty good.

The run of the mill Lenox hole saws seemed better than the run of the mill Milwaukee.

http://www.bandsawbladesdirect.com/...ampaign=8672&gclid=CNjX_5vZ_bsCFWTZQgodqycA8g
 
There are hole saws still made in the USA. They'll hold an edge longer than the jap and Chinese versions. A mag-drill would be expensive, unless you're planning to do this as a business - then it might be justified. Aside from that, the most important part of making the hole is holding the drill steady. Jarring it around will quickly result in broken teeth on your saw. The holes I've drilled have always been on a center rib that is on the high side (not in the valley of the rib), so that helps. Mine have all been GM. I think I bought my saws at a Slowe's or Menard's
 
Iirc Lenox makes them for Mac tools, who believe it or not, has a lifetime warranty on almost all drill bits including hole saws. Warranties for breakage also. Not all the tool guys even know it, check with corporate or if your distributor is an idiot, buy online. You can warranty direct also. Yes they are more expensive to buy, but after replacing a broken bit or two they are cheaper.

Now the problem is idk if Mac has a 4" available or not. 1 800 Mac tool
 
Its amazing what you can cut wit a holesaw.with a mag drill I cut a 2 1/2" hole 2" deep. Lots of lube and slow cutting speed. Bit was still sharp when finished.

Sent from my Studio 5.0s using Tapatalk
 
I'd get 2 of whatever size you are using unless it's not a problem if you have a problem in the middle of the project

I've gotten a lot of longevity out of my hole saws. Mostly on steel and stainless steel. My favorite lube is Anchor lube. Orange hand cleaner isn't bad either. Lots of lube and don't let your bit get hot.

A problem many people make on stainless is to pull the trigger and go. Triggering on stainless keeps your your cutting edge cool and cutting for a long time
 
explain triggering to me please.

the drill will likely be the dependable old corded craftsman. its a beefy old brute, IDK the exact specs, but I think its a variable speed unit with a 1/2 inch chuck, and we have bored through some pretty thick stuff with it before.

while a mag drill sounds cool, (never seen one in person) I will be sticking with the old school unit.

high speed, light load ok? (aka wind out the variable speed drill, and cut lightly? )

would regular cutting oil work, or do I need something a little more application specific?

thanks for all the advice guys. I left my laptop at a buddies place, so once I get it back I will surf around and check out the ideas above.
 
the larger the diameter the slower you need to cut. it's all about the feet per minute of the outer diameter, too fast and you'll melt the teeth tips. cutting oil does 2 things it reduces friction (less heat made) and cools (to a degree). Triggering as it been termed is merely hitting the trigger on the tool so as to keep the speed down ( on off on off on off......)
 
Any thing used for coolant is better than nothing.
Any cutting fluid, oil, hand cleaner, cooking oil will work. Anything that adds lubricity and takes heat away.
Triggering as it been termed is merely hitting the trigger on the tool so as to keep the speed down ( on off on off on off.. You would think this would take it's tool on equipment. My newest tool is at least 10 years old and most all were bought prior to 1995

I'm not sure what Craftsman drill you are using, but hang on to that sucker if it's anything like the drills we used in the 70's and 80's. They had crap chucks but if you got them tight, they'd spin you in a circle. The trigger was all on or all off and it went right to full speed.

I had one bind up on me and it broke the handles off. Luckily I had tied the cord in a knot and pushed the trigger lock. It stayed going til it wound up enough that it pulled a wire loose in the handle. God, I hated those drills. With everything you do, keep an eye out for a deal on a mag drill. I never got one, but I missed a few. So I know they are out there
 
That is a 3/8" drill you will need a heavy duty 1/2" drill. I've burned up a couple of Milwaukee Magnum 1/2" drills with 4" and 4 3/8" hole saws. If you take it slow you might be OK. But it takes a lot of power to push 12" of blade around in a circle

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...i_sku=334760&gclid=CJ6zrvKcgLwCFcKDQgodJBgAuA

Something like this 11 amp stud drill http://www.ebay.com/itm/JJL-DEWALT-...l-/251421241486?pt=Drills&hash=item3a89dfb08e

or http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006AGPX/?tag=jhuntlink-20

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trk....Xmag+drill&_nkw=mag+drill&_sacat=0&_from=R40
 
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Something I have done before is to get a hunk of shaft and make your drill press portable.

If you have a hunk of plate around or something heavy you could make a base for a drill press and slide it in the back of the trucks.

Don't know that you have a drill press or not. I did something like this while working on a combine. Worked great. Got done about 2 or 3 in the morning and a friend was not allowed to come over and play anymore.
 
I would think that used oil would be better than water. I would think that used hydraulic oil would be better than used engine oil. Just guessing here. I really do not have a clue. Try something different and report back on your findings.

Maybe even used anti-freeze. Just remembered 37 years ago we used to use that on the power hack saw.


GM Guy said:
so flooding the area with a garden hose wouldn't be a bad idea? is used oil worse than water? got plenty of used hydraulic oil I can slather on. (trans/ hydraulic, not straight hydraulic, so its a little thicker)

the old craftsman is variable speed, so I should be able to keep it pretty slow.

here is a similar model. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Craftsman-3...0-/271355631550?pt=Drills&hash=item3f2e0e57be
Click to expand...
 
I did a weeks worth of milling on stainless steel machine bases several years ago and used a garden hose on trickle as coolant through the entire job and it worked great. If it was regular steel though, rust can be the result afterward pretty quick.
 
I was just wondering about the used antifreeze. I was just a pup at the time and do not know the hows and why's. The saw lasted long after I was gone and was there long before me too.

I wonder if used anti-freeze was USED SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO worry about it freezing in the winter? Not sure who to ask on that one. The decision makers from the time are long gone
 
ok, found three in my budget,

two have a built in arbor:

Century Drill and Tool says right on it made in USA: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM7344217303

M.K. Morse, no idea where they are made: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM246726975

Then there is Lenox, gotta buy it seperately.
arbor: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM7074584107
hole saw: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM2228434821

IDK where Lenox is made. after touring their website, I get the drift they are USA made. but they are a Newell Rubbermaid company, so I am thinking of boycotting them because of the way they ****ed up Irwin Vice Grips.

the good thing is the arbor is changeable and the saw is cheaper in case I need another size.

what do you guys think?
 
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