Sometimes plugs are easy to remove from a hole saw, other times they’re one of the most frustrating parts of a job. When Mike Guertin reviewed hole saws in his article (Boring Into Hole Saws), he found that it’s sometimes a matter of the set of the teeth (how much they protrude into the inner circle of the saw), and even a function of the type of paint used to coat the blade.
Lenox just announced the release of a new hole saw that has a stepped channel to help give better leverage for removing a plug. What do you guys think? Good idea, or back to the drawing board?
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Looks good. Send me one I'll try7 it out
Next time I'm buyin, I'll be tryin' these out. Looks like a winner if the teeth stay sharp long enough.
I just saw the speed slot demo at the FW Webb show, pretty slick plug removal. Seems so simple after the fact, doesn't every good idea though.
Lennox has come up with a great idea with the stepped slot hole saw. With the standard vertical slot you often have initial difficulty getting under the plug and then with the single leverage point being the bottom end of the slot, the plug often tips and binds, slowing the ejection process. The added depth of the new Lennox hole saw allows you to get under the plug to start with and the stepped leverage points will produce much quicker plug ejection. Good idea Lennox!
I think that any hole saw is easier to use if you first bore a hole in the stock in the waste (i.e., plug) area at the perimeter of what will become the hole. (Easy to do. Hard to describe. Make a "kissing" cut with the hole saw, then use another drill-motor and spade bit to bore a hole which touches the kerf.) This gives relief for the cuttings, keeps the plug from being so tightly stuck, and gives a way to pry it out if necessary.
Seems to me that the thin kerf design may be more valuable than the "slot". Cutting back on waste (wasted power to get the job done) and keeping the blade from burning might well be worthwhile on the next purchase. Now to see what portion of first-born I have to give up to get one.