# drill press/hole saw issue



## htank (Oct 25, 2010)

I am trying to use my drill press with a 4 1/2 inch hole saw with a centering bit. The hole saw is new, the drill press is a 12 inch table top Craftmans, 580-3600 RPM with a 6 amp motor. 

Every time I try to drill out a circle, the bit catches, pretty violently, and skips and tears the wood up. Ive tried it on every speed the drill press has. Twice, it knocked the chuck right off the press. Ive never had this happen before, but Ive also never used anything larger than a 3 1/2 inch hole saw either. 

Im at a loss for why this is happening. Im going really slow and it catches and skips. The only thing I can think of is that its too weak of a drill press, but other than that, I can't figure it out. Ive tried soft wood (pine) and hard wood (oak) and it happens on both.


Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

4 1/2" is pretty large for a table top drill press. I would think you would have to clamp the work down and drill it very very slow to make it work. Using a hand drill you need to rock the drill bit around quite a bit so you aren't drilling all of it at once. With a drill press you don't have that option.


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## htank (Oct 25, 2010)

i clamped it down also, but yeah I think I just exceeded the drill presses limitations. Thank you.


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## mmwood_1 (Oct 24, 2007)

I have a pretty wimpy drill press but it has never done that, EXCEPT in one instance. The centering bit was actually flush with the hole teeth instead of being deeper, which caused the teeth to catch before it was firmly centered. I had to readjust the depth. Check and make sure that's not happening.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Its also worth noting that just because a tool is 'new', doesnt mean its sharp. I bought a set of forestner bits where not a single one was actually sharpened. This wasnt a cheapo HF set either


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*RPMs to fast!*



htank said:


> I am trying to use my drill press with a *4 1/2 inch hole saw* with a centering bit. The hole saw is new, the drill press is a 12 inch table top Craftmans, *580-3600 RPM* with a 6 amp motor.
> 
> Every time I try to drill out a circle, the bit catches, pretty violently, and skips and tears the wood up. Ive tried it on every speed the drill press has. Twice, it knocked the chuck right off the press. Ive never had this happen before,* but Ive also never used anything larger than a 3 1/2 inch hole saw either. *
> 
> ...


As you increase the diameter, in this case by 1", you must reduce the RPMs by a least 100 or so maybe more. So, 300 to 500 RPMs would be better. You can't get there from here on that drill press!:frown2: On a faster speed, it will catch and throw the workpiece. On a slower speed it will just cut and keep spinning. 

The other issue is feed control.:surprise2: You will have very little control of the feed on that drill press, because of the inherent quality issues in the rack and gear. It's either too much or not enough. for a saw that large. You can't get there from here. :frown2:


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## Pineknot_86 (Feb 19, 2016)

Or........you could buy the holes and glue them on. :grin:


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## kwoodhands (May 1, 2020)

Bore a hole on the perimeter of the intended hole. 3/4" spade bit will work. This gives the saw dust a place to drop making the hole saw work without clogging. You did not say the thickness and if this is a thru cut. Dry coat or a similar product will keep the cutter cooler.
mike


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

What brand hole saw?I run a 3 3/4 Lenox on a Sanchin drill press all the time..

Does it seem the more pressure the more wobble till it comes out?


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

yeah, you want to be in the 150 - 200 rpm range for that.. maybe a router w/jig???


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Didn't catch the date....One of the many who aren't participating anymore....


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

I realize this is an old thread but for anyone new to hole saws this is a speed chart from Disston, many other suppliers offer similar information, which is not what has been recommended in some of the threads here:


https://disstontools.com/app/uploads/Hole_Saw_Operating_Speeds.pdf


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

Wow Frank - nice find. personally i would not have guessed the roms for that size to be that fast,


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## jozicrum (Feb 22, 2021)

I've been looking high and low for this same issue. I am using a Wen 10 inch table top drill press with variable speed. I am using a 4 inch hole saw on 1.4 inch ply. I want to keep the plug and not have a hole from the arbor in it. Sooo i've been trying this with no arbor and it's not working. I got lukcy a few times going painfully slow, have my pieced clamped in multiple points, and it bites like crazy. I've used both hole dozer and diablo hole saws and it seems like all the 4 inch hole saws have a wobble right at the seem in the metal. I actually think that my drill press is up for the challenge, but the hole saws seem to have too much wobble. My forstner bits are perfect in the press, so the issues isn't there. Anyone else had problems with hole saws this big having wobble? Or is the problem just because the hole saw is too big and I'm dreaming to think it will work without an arbor bit?


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

This is an old thread but to cut a hole without the pilot, bore a hole in a scrap piece of plywood using the pilot. Clamp that piece of plywood on top of the plywood you want the hole without the pilot. Also cut a little, then raise the cutter and brush the teeth off, continue until it is finished.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

Allow me to remind people that there are other ways to make large diameter holes or discs:

Those scary drill press hole cutters - the ones with a single sharp bevel point scraper/cutter, usually off balance. I think there may be some with a pair of cutters.
Router with a circle jig.
Router with a hardboard template.
Jigsaw or scroll saw with spindle sander cleanup.
Router table jig (discs)
Bandsaw with a circle jig (discs).
Etc.


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