How to use a hole saw to cut metal with a cordless drill
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ต.ค. 2024
- Using a hole saw to cut holes through metal can be difficult and dangerous if you do not know how to use the drill’s safety features. This video shows how to cut a 1 ¾” hole in some 6mm mild steel. Brought to you by www.ultimatehan...
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I’m so happy you told me it took a bit longer. I was going to say you are magic. I never get through steel that thick this quick.
Thanks for the comment 👍
For weeks I had been putting of drilling a hole through the housing of a heating unit. (I was a bit intimidated by the task.) Today I watched your video, picked up some lubricant and went to work on the housing. It went perfectly. Thanks for the video.
You are welcome.
Thanks for the comment and well done ;-)
I've been following you for years and always enjoy your videos. I bought (what looks like), that same Dewalt 3-speed hammer drill about 20 years ago and still use it sometimes - that was a quality machine! Mine came with a side handle which I highly recommend when using a hole saw to spare your wrist in case of a jam. I also find that if you run the drill at too low of a speed it can over heat the motor. The motor is designed to run at 18 volts so running it at too low of a speed can cause it to work harder, plus since the motor is fan cooled, the fan needs to be spinning at a good rate to move enough air to keep the temperature down. For long jobs, every once in awhile, remove the drill from the work and run it at full speed to cool it down.
Yes, this is one of the best drills that I have ever owned.
Thanks for the tips and the comment 👍
Motor will be running at usual speed, the gearbox slows down the chuck.
This video helped me so much. I had ordered a metal media console from ETSY. They were supposed to drill holes but they did not. So I watched your video over and over and over again. Especially the torque. My drill was not as good as yours and I upped the torque and there was blow back on my hand so I put it back to the number that you stated. I ordered a Klein tool for the punch (did not work that well and danced on the 3rd hole that I drilled. I also purchased 2 in. Xtreme Tri-Cut Tungsten Carbide Hole Cutter and so glad I did. And some cutting oil. I have never did anything like this before and am so Thankful for your video. I watched it again just before I started and caught something that I would have done wrong. The Klein tip did not work as well your your punch too. This was the time when I wished I would have purchased a better drill. By the 3rd hole that I was working on, I was toast but I drilled slow and steady. :)
Very nice instructional. My dad taught me basic things while I was growing up. He never taught me that, but your teaching method is just like his was. Thanks!
You are welcome.
Thanks for the comment ;-)
He is forgetting the most important part of drilling with a hole saw. Every so often disengage the pressure and pull it out. Use a brush to remove the chunks of steel clogging the teeth of the saw.
Absolutely critical when drilling deep metal holes, a little jet of air or liquid helps get the debris out of the groove as well.
Good tip
While I regard myself as a better than average amateur mechanic, there is always room to learn. Following your method I was able to open up a clean 1 and 1/2" hole in the bottom of a steel, elevated fire pit. This will allow enhanced burning characteristics. Many thanks for your tutorial!
You are welcome
Thanks for the comment 👍
Great tips. broken many bits and hurt my wrist plenty of times. Thank you for the tips.
You are welcome.
Thanks for the comment
After your pilot hole is drilled and you’re ready to drill through, gently lower the teeth of the hole saw until they cut into the piece just enough to define the circle. Now drill a 3/8” hole inside your target diameter but right up to the outer rim of the hole you will be drilling. That will allow chips to drop down and lessen both the heat created from friction and the wear on the the teeth of the hole saw. Hope that makes sense.
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Great video! You answered so many questions i didnt even knew i had!
I’m glad you found the video useful
Thanks for the comment 👍
Nice demo chez, i do exactly the same with the torque control when drilling large holes in wood with holesaws, and auger bits, it's better the twisting your wrists up if they jam.
StyXSISoriginal
Thanks, Yes the torque control is very handy. In the past I have only used torque control when screwing but it's much easier using hole saws with it ;-)
Great tip to use the torque settings for drilling, I never thought of that. Cheers. N.
Neil George
You are welcome Neil. I have been doing a few holes in stainless on site and got sick of nearly breaking my wrists so started to use the torque control- it worked well ;-)
In stainless??? Rather you than me mate. Are you a fitter in a Steelworks? the reason I ask is although you have a Lancashire accent (I know there isn't a strong steelworking area around there) alot of the tools you use are similar to the ones I see the fitters using around the mill. N.
Neil George
I subcontract as a maintenance engineer at two local chemical plants, one of the plants has had a new production line installed and I have done quite a bit of installation/remedial work on it. Most of the machines are stainless including the wall partitions and control panels, so I have had to get the hole saws out a few times!
Thanks for the comments ;-)
I reckon you really are an asset to them, your knowledge seems endless. I have learnt more from your channel than 13 years in education. Thanks alot mate. N.
Neil George
Thanks Neil, I have learnt a lot from the people I work with when I am on site ;-)
You are welcome and thanks for the comments
A hole saw blade may grab when it first engages the material being cut often breaking the pilot bit. I dill the pilot hole first then engage slow and careful. But the most helpful tip is to install a 1/4" rod in place of the pilot bit. Drill pilot hole with a separate 1/4" bit, then use the hole saw with the rod as a pilot. It's alot cheaper than buying a buch of pilot bits.
very good tip
Big man, i could watch these videos all day mate.
Thanks for the comment ;-)
I'd like to comment that the torque selector, when driving in Phillips head screws, is also a great feature to prevent the slots in the screw head, as well as the tip of the Phillips driver bit (over time) from getting stripped once that screw is all the way in and not needing anymore applied power twist for the finish, as it will be indicated by the "you can stop now, in far enough" clickity clack clack sound of the drill.
Thanks I had forgotten some of these tips from the past and learned some new ones.
You are welcome
Thanks for the comment 👍
You're welcome
I do this quiet often, but never on a vise. I put a plywood underneath the sheet, and firmly clamp it down on a table horizontally. Its way more safe, way more efficient, and the lubricant also stay as it suppose to lube. On the half way down i flip the metal, and start form the other side. So i don't let the friction slowing down the process, i give less torture to the saw-bit and the drill as well.
Yes i know there will be a tiny rim in but thats not a big to get rid of it if its really wished.
Its a Bosch Bi-metal holesaw.
They can be used on metal or wood, but wood tends to make them blunt.
Good point
Helpful- thank you- gives me confidence to have a go on a project tomorrow . all the best. Lee
Good luck with it Lee.
Thanks for the comment
great job with the oil on the hole saw .. Lots of folks think they don't need oil with hole saws , But they need lots of cooling !!
Absolutely, it's critical if you want the hole saws to last. I have had my set for about ten years and they still work well ;-)
Thanks for the comment
ShawnMrFixitlee This is exactly the info I came here for. I have some serious holes to drill tomorrow and was wondering about speed and oil use. Perfect lesson.
low feed, high speed and cooling, nice work old man.
Thanks for the comment ;-)
impressive. Although it took alot longer than the video shows.Lubricant and proper torque seem to do the trick.Well done.
Thanks for the comment
All round a good practical demo of how to do it - Thanks
You are welcome.
Thanks for the comment
Very helpful, I drilled two holes successfully
Excellent!
Thank you so much for this video. I need to drill a hole in metal exactly like this. I never knew about putting the drill into torque mode when using hole saws. Luckily, the metal I'm drilling into is only about 2-3 mm thick, so I'll have an easier go at. Cheers!
Thanks for the comment 👍
Have done 6" holes in metal that thick using a cordless drill with/ handle. Exhausting work ,hurt my wrist a couple times before I figured out the torque control trick. Highly recommend using the trick shown here if you can.
I can imagine that being difficult!
Thanks for the comment
Down to earth chap, no hype, wonderful.
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I drill a lot of holes in steel with a cordless. Thickest I’ve done is half an inch - i prefer a hole saw over a twist bit as it means moving less material. I found this video while looking for tips on keeping teeth from breaking on my carbide hole saw. (It cuts faster but is more expensive)
For lubricant i use gear oil or soap. Yes, soap. It sounds weird but it’ll work better than most oils for tapping small things.
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An Amazing experienced skill...! welldone
Thanks for the comment 👍
Thanks. Was trying to cut holes into my boat hatches and on the struggle bus....added some general purpose spray lube and that did it.
You are welcome
Thanks for the comment 👍
This has just saved me £100 ,cheers,👌
I'm glad the video helped
Thanks for the comment 👍
Hi nice review please let me know what is the spray u used on the metal what is the meterial
Using the side handle may have been a good option too here,to help you keep control of the drill,should it twist violently.
Bosch has a 36v combi,with rotation control that senses the twisting action of the drill should it bind,shutting it down immediately.Very pricey though,so no thanks,lol.
Great advice about using the torque control,i would never have thought of it...youve saved some strained wrists with this!
PS...just bought the new DCD995 Brushless combi...its a brute,lol!
animal79thecat
Thanks for the comment ;-)
Some Bosch drills are very expensive, but I do believe Bosch make the best SDS drills (apart from Hilti)
I keep looking at that Dewalt drill, but can't buy it yet as all my Dewalt gear is still going strong!
Small tip: drill a through hole right on the inside of the ring you are cutting. That way the chips get pushed out on the backside rather than clogging the saw.
Thanks for the comment 👍
Any tips on cutting with a hole saw in brass? I feel like cutting fluid doesn't work on non-ferrous metal
Excellent. I wouldn't have thought that could be done like that. Thanks
Bruce Dobson
You are welcome
Thanks for the comment ;-)
One thing I thought of afterwards is, what's the condition of the blade once the hole is cut?
Bruce Dobson
Absolutely fine. I have had this set of hole saws for probably 15 years, possibly longer than that!
Thank you! So helpful
This video is amazing. Thank you so much!!
You're so welcome!
Thanks for the comment 👍
Your way, the right way. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for watching!
Great video! Right on!👍👌👊👍👌👊👍👌👊
great video and helpful. thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the comment 👍
Cheers pal, saved my life again. Is there somewhere we can donate to you ?
Hi Gary,
I'm glad the video helped.
I don't accept donations, as I started both my website and TH-cam channel to help people out, unlike some other TH-camrs that do it for financial gain.
Thanks for the offer though, it is much appreciated 👍
@@ultimatehandyman Hi, well respect to you, that's great. I don't monetise my channel either, only 14K subs but i never will. Adverts are for the telly :)
@@GaryMcKinnonUFO My channel is monetised by adverts, as is my website (without the monetisation, I would not be able to pay for the server (£500 per month), but I don't accept donations from viewers or do the patreon etc. ) 👍
You took approx 8 mins for the task.. Damn.. I was making a pilot hole yesterday for the same on a 3mm sheet, took half an hour.. Another half an hour later I was left with a pilot hole, a hard to see circular scratch and a bruised back..🙂🤗
You ned a really good quality hole saw, some of the cheaper ones are not up to the job. Also make sure you use plenty of coolant/lubricant, to get the best life from the hole saw.
Thanks for the comment
Some nice tips. Thank you!
You are welcome
Thanks for the comment 👍
Thanks for sharing very helpful video . ...greeting from algeria...
+Momo Chouiheb
You are welcome, I'm glad the video helps ;-)
Thanks for the comment
Thanks, I learnt a lot from this.
You are welcome
Thanks for the comment
good job. I like ur precision
Thanks for the comment ;-)
Ideally you want to drill your pilot hole out to 1/4" and replace the drill in the hole saw with a 1/4" rod. This is stronger and keeps the flutes of the drill from enlarging the hole which will widen the hole saw path and make your drilling time longer.
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Thats a good tip about the speed. I drilled a few holes, and didnt know that, so used the slowest speed on all bits. next time.....
+B Cook Thanks for the comment ;-)
+B Cook HSS into mild steel you want a peripheral speed of 100 surface feet per minute. You calculate that with this formula SFPM = (PI * DIA * RPM) / 12 So here that worked is 100.8 = (3.1415927 * 1.75 * 220) / 12 close enough.
I have always known these hole cutters as 'tank cutters'. They were once used to cut holes in metal water tanks. That's not a term they are known by nowadays as I found out when looking for a set.
Thanks for the comment
220 RPM would be the ideal speed for this particular diameter hole saw. That would put you at 100.8 surface feet per minute peripheral speed.
+Paul Frederick Thanks Paul ;-)
go on Paul!!! lol
That was very helpful sir.
Thanks for the comment 👍
never thought of this thanks
You are welcome
Thanks for the comment 👍
Thank you. A very useful video. I will need to use a hole saw to cut holes for some skin fittings in the side of my Narrowboat (6mm mild steel). One question though: When cutting or drilling holes - roughly how much forward pressure should you apply to the drill?
Not too much pressure, or the holesaw will bite. As long as the torque control is used, you should not have a problem. When cutting the hole you'll be able to tell if you are pressing too hard as the drill will slow down.
Thanks for the comment 👍
Great vid. Thanks. Learned tons :)
You are welcome.
Thanks for the comment
Awesome video thank you 👍
I’m glad you found the video useful
Thanks for the comment 👍
I would disagree with your comment about the coolant, it perhaps aided cooling a little but it’s more for lubrication to prevent friction etc ..
Tip to drill faster with a split point tip drill bit or chisel tip drill bit. Plenty of pressure and not too fast RPM. dont go crazy with the RPM. same for drill bits as well as hole saws. it'll cut faster when your making pencil shaving curly cues with your drill bit rather than metal dust and cut better too. make sure the piece your drilling is clamped or held down securely in some way. and set your drill torque to a reasonable level to not snap a drill bit!
Thanks for the comment
Great video! Do you need a hole saw specifically for metal or can you use any hole saw as long as you use the lubricant?
RobBurnsDrums
Most HSS hole saws will work, but I always tend to buy Bosch hole saws as they seem far superior to any others that I have used. A slow speed and lubricant/coolant ensures they will last a long time ;-)
Bi-metal hole saws are best, such as Bosch. They can be used on most materials including plastic, wood and nonferrous metals.
Is there any reason to drill horizontally like this? Just to get more pressure on the drill easier? Very helpful video btw, many thanks for doing it.
There is no reason for drilling it horizontally apart from it won't fit in the vice the other way around. It's much easier if you can lay the material flat as the coolant does not keep running off the same, you can also use your body weight if you can get above the work piece.
I'm glad the video has helped ;-)
Thanks for the comment
I notice you only spay the coolant on to the work piece but not the drill bit (hole cutter) most of the sprayed component just runs off, is there a reason you don’t spray the actual drill bit at the same time.
I have never done this type of work and only viewed the video as I really enjoy all that you post and learn lots.
Thanks
It's difficult when drilling a vertical piece as the coolant runs off, it's much easier if the work piece is horizontal. You can spray the cutter if you like but it might get thrown off when the drill rotates.
Great Video.
Thanks for the comment
How many watt of this drill machine?
helpful video thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
👍
Good work!
Thanks for the comment
This is great, thanks so much
Do you use the same method for drilling stainless steel?
Great video's, thanks for posting them!
Yes, but you have to watch stainless steel as it has a tendency to bind and grab the hole saw.
Stainless is tougher and you typically would run slower speed bigger diameters slower rpm. That's the simplistic method. Machinist use surface feet we use that to tell us what rpm to run on rotating cutters.
Useful and highlight your clips
✌🏻️🎩
Thanks for the video =)
My pleasure!
Thanks for the comment 👍
Odd mine didnt go anything like this neither did hole saw 2 or 3 and ended with my drill being chucked across the room. But I did end up with a nice new drill in the end
Was it a decent make of hole saw?
Some cheaper ones are rubbish!
0:26 Hello, could you please share a link for ebay or amazon with that SCREW FX Cutting Tapper & Drilling Fluid?
I can't see to find it...
Great video by the way! Thanks
I originally bought that from Screwfix years ago, it does not seem to be on their website anymore. I now tend to use HMT speedlube, here that is on eBay- bit.ly/3zFtTgk
I am trying to drill a hole for a bulkhead fitting in a galvanized water bucket ,it is corrugated
What kind of Dewalt drill is that??? Looks like it has a square plug in the bottom battery. I’ve only ever seen the oval shape plug in battery??? And what voltage is tha battery???
It was the DC988, the newer XRP Li-Ion batteries were a slightly different shape than the original Ni-cad batteries.
www.dewalt.com/products/accessories/batteries-and-chargers/batteries/18v-xrp-liion-battery/dc9180
That was a brilliant drill, but I sold it then I could upgrade to the newer XR battery tools.
The battery was 18v 2AH, if I remember rightly
Would I be better with a 14 cutting drill bit for 2 holes in 1mm thick sheet metal??
I have 7 PK of Holesaw on the way
For thin metals, a step drill is often best- th-cam.com/video/YD-WcAZ_ynI/w-d-xo.html&t
I got it in the ribs when I tried this without torque selector
Where 2 get ct 90 Without ordering?
thanks for the good video sir
Now i could customize my arcade stick
I’m trying to upgrade my boat compartment latches. The ones in there now are 1” diameter. I need a 2” hole. That means I need I wonder have a pilot to help guide the hole Saw. Any thoughts on how I can make this work?
This might help-
th-cam.com/video/jurSZR1Se6A/w-d-xo.html
Or you can get a special arbour for this purpose, called an oops arbour-
bit.ly/3vSnyNx
How would this work on an aluminum shed?
It will be much easier to cut a hole in aluminium, but you have to watch for the aluminium binding to the hole saw teeth.
thanks.
Good day! Could you tell me if there's a definite way to know if the hole saw i found is for wood or for metal? Still kind of a amateur here honestly
Does it have a manufacturers name on it or any markings?
If it says HSS on the side, it should be ok for use on metal.
Thanks for the comment 👍
Thank you for the help man
That is very good tips....Sir, going to take new hand drill machine like as in your video...Sir, can you send me some machine models/details set. I need upto 35mm hole on 2mm steel plate. Can you ask me witch one batter for that. Thank you.
The model looks to be a DeWalt drill......maybe a 14.4V or higher.
Even with the drill set to 17 this will damage it not eventually kill a 1/2 inch cordless drill.
Don't have cutting oil?
PB Blaster or chain saw bar oil works OK,.
+Bill Branning dipping the tool into water as you go works too.
No, never put lubricating oil on a cutting edge like a drill, you're better off rubbing candle wax on it.
Why no lube?
user12345 yeah why no lube??
Candle wax or can engine oil is fine.
1:10 other video show to put the machine on lower (not lowest) speed for smaller diameter holes, which is correct now ?
The larger diameter of the hole saw- the slower you need to go 👍
I want to drill about a 2 inch hole into a speaker grill on my motorcycle to mount 2 inch tweeters . Is this the same process? Steel mesh speaker grill.
No, you have to be really careful with mesh, the hole saw teeth can bite into it and rip it.
The only way to successfully cut holes in some mesh is to firmly clamp it between two pieces of timber etc. Then cut straight through one piece of timber and the mesh, until you get into the last piece of timber.
There are a lot of variables though with mesh size and teeth size on the hole saw, so sometimes it might be possible to cut right through it, without the timber.
@@ultimatehandyman thank you!
I’ve got 4 holes to drill through 10mm steel. Is it worth trying with a hole saw or should I buy a rotabroach?
A decent holesaw will do it, but if you have a mag base drill the rotabroach will be much easier and quicker.
@@ultimatehandyman My dad has a mag drill. But I’d have to buy the new bit. Whereas I have the holesaw already.
Thanks for your video, I’ll give the holesaw a go.
so much speed on that first hole, poor burned bit
It'll be fine ;-)
Thanks for another good video. Quick question: could I use wd40 or even water when drilling into metal? Or does it have to be a specific type of lubricant?
Faisal Y
Anything is better than nothing, water, WD40 or oil can be used but for best results a dedicated coolant/drilling/tapping fluid is best.
***** CT-90 fluid is good,you can also get it in a foam.
animal79thecat
Yes CT-90 is excellent, I often use that at work.
Thanks for the comment
Would one of these hole saws go through a 15mm thick piece of metal plate?
Yes, providing it is only mild steel or aluminium etc.
You would have to go slow and use plenty of lubricant.
Yeah it's mild steel, thanks for the quick reply!
I would also suggest removing the swarf (chips ) frequently by removing the hole saw clearing them from the hole, and use lots of lubricant. And go slow. High speed only heats up the hole saw. If you can find a carbide tipped hole that would cut much better.
What if you fix the plate horizontally? It's obvious that the lubricant is going away and not much is where it should be.. Clamps or grip pliers, lock it horizontally and the result would be more lubricant where it's meant to be..
This is a demonstration. If I had clamped the metal flat, I would have had hundreds of comments saying "it's easy when the metal is flat, try it on a vertical piece".
Thanks for the comment
@@ultimatehandyman Ok, but the point is to do job-make the hole, so the logic says do it the easiest possible way.. Cheers
Are you using hole saw for metal or for wood?
It's a HSS holesaw, which is suitable for metal cutting
Thanks for the comment 👍
cool now i know what my stanley fatmax pro can do but a hole that size i will not attempt it i think stanley drill and dewalt are the same companies now same build around the same price
+bucketrobbert It should be very similar.Thanks for the comment
Very interesting and knowledg full.
Saved my arse. Thank you!
You are welcome
Thanks for the comment
Can we use this drill for cutting circle by holesaw of 8inch in hchcr d3 tool steel annealed
No, I think you might have to take that to an engineering workshop.
Thanks for the comment 👍
How much volt is your cordless drill?
18V
Thanks for the comment 👍
I'm going to cut the end of my motorcycle exhaust with a circular hole saw as part of a KLR650 mod to make it bigger. I've never used one before though. I obviously can't drill a pilot hole since the exhaust has a hole in it already. I'm assuming I can leave the exhaust on the bike to do this? How can I keep the hole straight? Do I need to use WD40 or some cutting oil? Thanks!
You can get an arbor called an "oops arbor" , which allows you to use two holesaws on the same arbor, this means you can put a holesaw of the diameter of the original hole, then the larger diameter holesaw that you require on the same arbor for enlarging holes like this.
Thanks for your video man, really useful!!
I have a question.. do you think is possible to drill a 20mm hole in a 15mm thick piece of brass with a Dremel 4000? Thanks in advance!
I'm afraid I don't know much about Dremels, as I have never owned one!
Thanks for the comment 👍
Awesome video bro!!!!! I need to do this to the strut tower on my car, what dewalt drill is that???
It's a Dewalt XRP 18v drill (the one with the fully metal chuck), I can't remember the model number, sorry.
Thanks for the comment 👍
Ultimate Handyman Yw brother!!!!💪🏽💪🏽 and thanks!!!
It took you i min to drill one hole??? I need to drill two 1" and five 5/8" holes on a lowes steel plate. I think is 11g
Best of luck with it 👍
I have a regular black and decker drill set.
Can I find just those hole cutting pieces and snap them on my drill or do I have to buy a complete whole new set specifically for this capability?
(Working on wood projects so I need small holes done)
you need an arbor for the hole saws to connect to