# Have you used a hole saw without the arbor?



## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

Hey LJ's,

I need to make a burger press to speed up production. I'm going to cut down a polypropelene cutting board into a 5" width and then space 5 4" holes across it's length. What I'd like to do is cut a second strip and mount the discs cut out of the 1st blank to the 2nd, with SS screws from the top side creating a board to act as a press, and voila! 5 burgers at a shot. If I use the arbor bit the void in the pusher from the pilot bit would become an un-cleanable void. My thought is to set a fence and use heavy clamps with around 500rpm on the drill press to cut these but am starting to second guess the process, after all the bit is there for a reason, but is it just about using the hole saw in a hand drill???

Please let me know your opinion


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## JayT (May 6, 2012)

I've done it. The hole saw likes to walk around &/or move the board. The pilot bit is there to help with precise placement of the hole saw and to prevent the walking/kickback but if you clamped the material solidly, I don't see a real problem on that front.

The only possible issue I can imagine for what you want to do is that hole saw teeth generally have a lot of set and cut a wide kerf. That means the press discs would fit very loosely in the holes and you could have a lot of squeeze out.


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

I think no problem the way you plan to do it.

The arbor is really for 'freehand' drilling to keep the hole saw from walking around…. especially a hand drill with a 4 inch bit to cut a dryer vent hole in vinyl siding…..(don't know how I know that  )

With it anchored, should be no issue.

keep in mind you will have a good size gap around the edge where the kerf will leave a void, but for pressing burger…. no sweat!


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

The easiest way I have found to do that is to use a scrap piece attached to the face you want to cut out.
Set the drill bit back so it can only contact the scrap wood until you get the saw teeth into the main piece.
Once you are in to the main piece about 1/8" you can remove the scrap and the drill bit because the hole saw will then be automatically centered.


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## InstantSiv (Jan 12, 2014)

1. Cut a hole in a piece of scrap.
2. Use that scrap as a template/guide to where you want to drill in your final piece.
3. Take the drill bit off or use a mandrel without the drill bit.
4. Drill away.

I haven't done this but this was suggested to me by some who does a lot of hole saw work.


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

Thanks Y'all appreciate the affirmation that it's not going to be a foolish digit jeporadizing idea.

The gap shouldn't be an issue, the stock is 3/4" and it'll be used to form 8oz and 6 oz patties of our custom grind, kills me to watch a cook stand there doing them 1 at a time with a ring mold, way back before patties could be bought pre formed we would do something like this, but it was still one at a time… If I don't loose my day shoveling snow I'll try to get it done today and put up a pic!


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

If you use it in a drill a template wouldn't be necessary. Just cut lightly to start and then it'll guide itself. You wouldn't have to worry about walking much with a polyethylene like material.

If you're using an portable drill then you prob should use a template.

If I can do it in sheet metal then plastic should be easy easy.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

I remember as a young lad (of about 16) .. I was helping a neighbor add 6" speakers to the front doors of his Dad's *BRAND NEW *Cadillac. He wanted to try to save the cut-out and use the cloth from it to cover the speaker grills so they'd blend in with the door panels. He bought a 6" hole saw and was trying to figure out a way to do just what you're asking.

"No problem" I said. "Just take that drill bit out and we'll lay the drill sideways on this chair that's the right height. That way, the bit wont wander when we drill the hole"

"Joey, you SURE this will work? I'm doing this to surprise my Dad for his birthday. He'll be mad as hell if we screw up this door panel."

"Yeah. No problem. I can do this. Gimme that drill."
.
.


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## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

What I would do would be to leave the center bit in so that it drills the hole. Then you would drill the same sized hole into the backer board, and fill both with a peg when gluing. Sand/cut off flush and be done with it. That to me would be the easiest way to do it.


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

HAHAHAHAH

Joe what was the line in Fast times at Ridgmont High, Don't worry my dad's got an awesome set of tools… or something like that…

Martel , it's hard as hell to glue polypropelene and thats part of the reason I'm trying to avoid having the hole, there's prolly some uber glue that i don't have, but i have to design to the abuse it's going to recieve in the kitchen when I'm not looking. Having a customer bitch me out about an odd plastic plug in thier burger is the stuf that makes my hair fall out…


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

It's the same problem I had using a hole saw to enlarge an existing hole.
In your case you just want to not make a drill hole in the cutout, in my case the bit had nothing to drill.

Simple solution, use the hole saw with the pilot bit to make a hole in a piece of 3/4 plywood.
Clamp the plywood hole template on the poly and clamp it down.
Remove the pilot bit, then place the saw through the template and cut the hole(s) you need.

This works perfectly and is not hard to do at all.


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## ElChe (Sep 28, 2014)

I'm hungry for a burger now. Thx.


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## BlazerGator (Feb 22, 2015)

Maybe this is a long-shot … perhaps make a template and use a plunge router with bushing and 1/8" spiral-type bit to free the disc without a pilot hole?


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

Well, here it is, started at 350 rpm, and wound up cutting well at 600 rpm, but the plastic was coming off pretty hot. DP didn't really like spinning the big holes saw though, taper dropped out on the last one, but no damage or issues. 5 cut outs was leaving less than 1/2" between the holes so went to 4 to have stronger board, Now all that's left is to have the crew put it to work

ElChe, you want that medium? & I reccomend adding bacon


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

Will you have an issue with bacteria on the porous edges of your cut?


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## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

Ive used a hole saw without the arbour to tie copper wire around it, twist and solder the end, or use them as a template to draw a circle to scale

otherwise no


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

dhazelton,
the "board" is solid polypropelene and behaves simillarly the UMHW that can be used for jigs etc, cuts VERY cleanly on the TS, where it can clear chips, it's nearly glass smooth. On the DP though with the hole saw where the chips were getting trapped and building some heat, it was another story. In the first hole at 300 rpm there was a big mess with paint transfer and actually smoked the belts a bit. After going up to 600 rpm the issue was just feed rate and frequency of clearing the chips, which we're hot at the level simillar to grinding wheel sparks, hot enough to know you got hit with it but not hot enough to really burn. By the last hole, of course, i got a pretty clean cut but nothing like at the TS. Spindle sander inside the holes and stationary belt for the plugs cleaned up both to a satisfactory level. The "board" will be washed in a commercial dishwasher with a 190*f final rinse and permitted to air dry fully, which will deny bacteria the abillity to propogate.

Just watched it get put to use and it works very well, 75% labor reduction!!!


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