Don Stevenson’s tip on making a small-diameter hole saw for Removing reluctant fastenersis good advice. I’ve used a similar method for years, but instead of making the saw out of a push rod or a length of 1/4-in. pipe, I use the tapered metal shafts from old golf clubs. A single shaft from an old driver, for example, can provide as many as 12 different diameters of tubing, ranging from 5/16 in. to 9/16 in.
I’ve used such a saw to cut holes for bolts in gasket material and for perforating thick stacks of paper for binding. For cutting rubber, paper and some plastic, the hole saw doesn’t need any teeth. I just use a file to grind a smooth, chisel edge on the outside of the tube, or a reamer to make a similar edge on the inside. For wood cutting, however, you really need to cut teeth with a hacksaw and a triangular file. They should be cut on the smaller-diameter end of the tube. Giving the teeth a little set will provide clearance for the slightly larger diameter portion of the tube as it enters the work and will make it easy to remove the cuttings from the inside of the tube.
Lloyd E. Elliott, Houston, TX
