Hole Saw FAIL

[Lupe]

Okay, finally have my battery pack and pumps installed and all was left is to drill my holes to install my thru hull ports. I even killed some more time by finishing my deck plates and installing those while I built up the nerve to tackle the bilge pump holes. All the advice I got was hole saw was way to go. I've never used one, but picked one up at Home Depot. Practiced several times on scrap material (not Royalex...I don't have scrap Royalex) and wasn't really thrilled with it, but everyone seemed to say this is the way to go for drilling a large hole in Royalex.

Well, don't know if I bought a lousy hole saw (it's Milwaukee brand) or user error, but I can't get the teeth to bite into the Royalex. So I've got a pilot hole now where I want my port to be, but can't get the hole saw to actually engage with the Royalex. As soon as that hole saw hits the Royalexi t stops the rotation.

What should I do? Buy another (better?) hole saw? Switch to a forstner bit?

I don't think I'm doomed as I haven't hurt the boat in anyway anyplace other than where the hole actually needs to go, but I'm stuck!

Dang this ww canoe business is too much work. I'm throwing the kayak in the wagon and going to Rockport to work off my frustration!!!!

[Owl]

If you're using a reversible drill, are you sure it's rotating in the correct direction? One of my drills has the reversing switch in a location where it's easy to inadvertently move it.

[Lupe]

Definitely not running the drill in reverse.

Never used a hole saw bit before, but I have used a drill!

Seriously, you never know, so good thing to check, but no, it's not in reverse (if I did, even the pilot hole drill bit wouldn't have gone in).

[Shark Attack]

Sounds like a conflict with the tooth size of the bit and the material, or the speed of the drill. When we used to drill door slabs, the material they were made of made a huge difference in the tooth size necessary. You didn't go wrong buying a Milwaukee drill bit. Just my 2c.

[sig]

My rechargeable drill didn't like the 4" hole saw I had to use to install a dryer vent once. Had to switch to the corded one.

[jredmond]

Does your Hole saw Bit have a guide bit in the center? It will look like a standard drill bit sticking out of the middle of the hole saw. Without a guide bit the hole saw will not bite. Your hole saw should go right through the canoe.

If it has the center bit slow down when you hit the canoe with the hole saw. Give it time to start to cut. ( dont slow the speed on the drill) . Just hold it steady and let the bit slowly cut. My cordless dewalt would go right through it. I have drilled holes through Brick with it using a hole saw.

I hope this helps

John

[wally]

Heather,
i have found with some material you can't let the total saw hit all at once. rock the saw a little to let it start cutting say on half of the circle and once it has cut into the material rock the saw to cut the other half. once it has bit into the material you should be able to go at it flat and shove it through. milwaukee is a good brand. the other half of the equation is having a drill with enough power to turn the saw without bogging down. a corded drill may be necessary.
wally

[Lupe]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions.

I stopped back by a Home Depot on the way home, and they don't carry a finer tooth bit than what I have, and based on the material chart, I believe I have the right hole saw. As I feared, this is operator error.

I have a corded drill, so I think I have enough power in the drill, but I think I'm probably just not giving it enough speed because I'm being tentative. Also, although what I can do with my arm vs. a year ago is startling, I maybe don't have enough umph in my right arm to apply the pressure needed. This makes me even more tentative because as the hole saw hits the material, I'm afraid I won't have enough strength in my arm to keep the drill still and not let it buck.

I do have a guide bit, and that's going into the Royalex no problem...it's just when the hole saw itself touches it's not digging in. I think I must be slowing down as the hole saw approaches, which I think is okay, but not in the sense of slowing down the speed of the drill rotation. Does that sound about right? So I can slow down how fast I'm nearing the Royalex, but NOT slow down the speed of the drill.

Well, let's face it, drilling a 1.5 inch hole in the side of your canoe is skeery.

UPDATE: just got a coaching session from a friend. I'm going to do some practice holes tomorrow morning and see if I can up my game. I'll report back!

[Tim Eubanks]

Run the outlet hose OVER the gunnel instead of thru the hull. Works just as well and no hole in your boat.

[Al Donaldson]

H:

If nothing else works, as Forstner bit or even a ship drill will (at some expense) work well.

BUT, with any kind of a piloted drill, make sure that the pilot drill (or point, in the case of the Forstner) doesn't get hot during the process. (A spray of water is not a bad idea.) Royalex components are all low melting point plastics, and if the pilot hole gets big, then the cutters will cut way oversize and/or wander off center.

Since I've been putting in lining tubes on my boats for a while now, I know just the feeling about "am I really going to drill a big freakin hole all the way through my canoe?"

Regards,

al

[Roger]

Make sure you have the bit guide that goes with hole saw set-up. When you get ready to drill that puppy, use your sense of feeling as it starts to bite and don't be afraid to cut that hole in the boat.

Put one in the Probe 12 and installed the plasticware to finish it out. Haven't used it since. And it never came into play while paddling.

[blb878]

Okay, fast drill slow push. Just git r done already. " you can do it"
one thing though, sadly nobody mentioned, put some duct tape on the inside of where the hole will come through. occasionally a hole saw can exit roughly

[Jim Krueger]

Heather,

I just now got home and read your post about the problem with your hole saw and started wondering about what could possibly be the problem. All the responses have been great ones and it makes me scratch my head even more about what the problem might be. I have had several sets of hole saws over the years, and to my way of thinking, even the worst, worn out set, I have that won't cut through a piece of thin plywood anymore should go through the side of your plastic canoe like a knife through hot butter. The only thing I can think of is that the set screw in the saw collar isn't tight and is letting the pilot bit turn but not the saw. That collar has a flat-head or hex-head screw that holds the saw to the bit. Check it see if it is just spinning on the pilot bit. I may be entirely wrong, but it was all I could think of.
If you have any further problems, I will be here around the shop some tomorrow and Monday and will gladly assist.

Worthlessly Yours
Jim

[Lupe]

Hmmm, Jim - thank you very much for your thoughts. I wonder if you might be onto something. Just from everything I've heard about how this bit should be working, I don't understand why I'm having such a problem. I will definitely check this out in the morning as well.

I can't wait to get up early tomorrow and try to tackle this again!

[Jim Krueger]

Do let us know Heather! If you take nut, washer, and hole saw off the bit, you will just be left with the collar on the pilot bit, and you'll be able to see that tiny set screw that holds the collar on the bit. If the collar rotates any at all on the bit, it isn't tight enough. If it has spun on the bit much in the past, it may have worn the screw down or created a grove in the shank of the bit. I'd just try first to tighten that little set screw and then go from there.

Best Regards
Jim