# Tiny Hole Saw



## North40 (Oct 17, 2007)

Imagine the shape a hole saw without a pilot bit would cut - a round slot. I need to cut a round slot .25" outside diameter and leave about a .222" post in the center.

I've been searching for tiny hole saws, with no luck. Does anyone know where to find tiny hole saws?

Alternately, I've been thinking about getting 1/4" thin-wall tube and cutting saw teeth in the end. Any thoughts?


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## hObOmOnk (Feb 6, 2007)

Something like the following might work:

Lee Valley


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## ptweedy (Feb 9, 2009)

I think that makeing a hole saw with a piece of tubing is the right way to get the tool. Next, to position the saw, overlay a piece of material with a hole the correct dia. and clamp it down. Then drill.


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

Ptweedy :
I have used a simular way of duing it , thow instead of a saw made of tube 
I used a normale holesaw for drills and did take the center drill out of the holesaw

I have seen a tubesaw used in a brace , he make the first copple of rounds backward 
simular to when when you start anyother sawcuting 
but how accurate it was I don´t know , I did looked at some distance

well get us updated with your little project there 
maybee you will come up with another solution

Dennis


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## MrsN (Sep 29, 2008)

Would a plug cutter like Hobomonk suggested work?


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

In theory, you could do this with a router and a circular template that router sets in. You would "walk" the router around the circular template. This would work a lot easier if you had a round bottom on your router.


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## North40 (Oct 17, 2007)

Thanks for the feedback, everyone.

I must not have explained it very well. Plug cutters leave about a .125" gap. The smallest router bit I have is .125", too. The slot I need is very narrow - about .014" (a .222" post in a .25" hole). I haven't tried it, but a drinking straw might fit tightly in the round slot I'm trying to cut.

Maybe I should have started out by saying what was going in the slot: inking nibs.


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## DaddyZ (Jan 28, 2010)

Why not drill the Hole, then fill in with a dowel (Sanded down of course)

You could even leave a half moon shape if you wanted

Sorry Bentlyj Great minds etc


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## North40 (Oct 17, 2007)

I had thought of gluing in a dowel, and it may come to that. But I'd prefer to saw the hole because I want to make several of these, so fewer steps is better (hole saw vs. drill, turn, glue). Also, it seems like it would be hard to avoid getting glue on the walls of the slot when inserting the dowel.


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## scottb (Jul 21, 2006)

could try to "modify" a plug cutter. either by grinding down each leg one at a time, or possibly with diamond files while it's spinning slowly on the drill press or lathe. might be a dremel tool thin enough too?


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## Edziu (Jan 17, 2010)

I'm not positive, but I think this would work. The slot it leaves might be a tad big, but it wouldn't be awful sloppy like a plug maker http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=2354&filter=screw%20remover


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## boboswin (May 23, 2007)

These might work. 
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2000983/2010/Screw-Extractor-516.aspx


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## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

Maybe silver-solder an older inking nib to a 0.222" metal dowel, nib pointing up. Leave the butt end sticking out past the metal dowel. Shape the butt end into a cutter like:










Run it in a drill press real fast and take light cuts.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Dependiing on what you are trying to cut and how hard it is, a .223 Remington case chucked up in a drill press with teeth filed on it should cut about what you want. The cheap ammo even has steel casings.


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## North40 (Oct 17, 2007)

Great ideas, everyone! I'm going to give a few of them a try and I'll let you know how it works out.


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