Support Sheet-Cut Offcuts
Keeping the offcut side of a long sheet-goods cut from sagging and tearing out at the end of the cut.
Cut a Half-Circle Off a Board's Edge by Giving the Hole Saw Screws to Ride On
One of 2 takes on Hole-Saw Cuts Without a Pilot Bit
The Problem
A hole saw stays on target because its pilot bit drills first and pins the centre. Cut a half-circle notch into the edge of a stud or joist — for a pipe, a cable run, or a handle — and the centre of that circle sits above the timber, in open air. The pilot has nothing to enter, so the moment the teeth touch, the saw skates along the edge and marks up the face.
The Technique
Give the saw two points of contact to run against instead of one point to spin around.
- Mark the notch on the edge of the board.
- Drive two screws into the top edge, one just outside each end of the marked arc, and stop with the heads standing about a quarter inch proud.
- Set the hole saw down so its barrel bears against both screw heads. Between them, they hold the saw's diameter on the line and stop it walking along the edge.
- Start slow with light pressure. The screws only have to hold it for the first sixteenth of an inch — once the teeth have cut a kerf that deep, the kerf itself guides the saw.
- Back the screws out and finish the cut.
Pro tip: A jigsaw cuts the same notch and several people will tell you so. It's the right call on a bench with the board clamped down, but a hole saw gives you a true radius with no wander in the corners, and when the drill is already in your hand for the through-holes it's one tool instead of two. Clamping a scrap block alongside to carry the pilot bit is the third way — worth knowing all three, because which one is quickest depends entirely on what's already within reach.
Safety note: A hole saw that catches will spin the drill hard out of your grip, and it catches most readily on a partial cut where the teeth are only engaged on one side. Use the side handle, keep your wrist braced against the twist, and clamp the workpiece rather than holding it.
DIYsolvr helps you find the best DIY videos. Browse all 526 techniques