To help keep a hole saw cooler and cutting effectively, it’s important to keep the gullets of the serrated teeth clear of sawdust. For years, I would stop the drill motor, pull the hole saw out of the object I was drilling, and attempt to clear the sawdust from the teeth using a gloved hand or a wire brush. As it turned out, the solution had been right under my fingertips the whole time. Now, I merely reverse the rotation of the hole saw while it’s still positioned inside the groove; this action clears all the packed sawdust from the teeth. If I do this often during a cut, I can keep the blade temperature low and prevent the sawdust from sticking to the sidewalls of the hole-saw blade. My cuts are now faster, and there is little hole-saw cleanup to do when I’m finished.
—David White, Cupertino, CA
Edited by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #234
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Good tip.
What I have also found to be effective is to blow compressed air into the cut. No wood chips will get caught, and the blade will be cool after the cut.
yes, good tip on a drill with reverse which my drill press doesn't have. If I'm making a large hole I drill a smaller hole that intersects the perimeter kerf of the hole saw which collects the saw dust from the hole saw. If I'm making a plug I make the smaller hole on the outside of the kerf. The smaller hole needs to be big enough to collect the saw dust, may need blowing out the saw dust during the cut.