Hole-Saw Cuts Without a Pilot Bit

Keeping a hole saw centered when the pilot bit has nothing to bite.

2 takes from different creators

Cut a Half-Circle Off a Board's Edge by Giving the Hole Saw Screws to Ride On

When the notch you want is a half-circle at the edge of a board, the pilot bit's centre falls in mid-air. Drive two screws into the edge, leave the heads proud, and let the hole saw's barrel run against them until the teeth take over.

notch a stud for a pipe, hole saw wanders off center, cut a curve in the side of a board, drill a semicircle in wood

beginner Tools: hole saw, drill, screws Added Jul 29, 2026
Watch the instagram video by @nailedittavi (opens in new tab)

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.

  1. Mark the notch on the edge of the board.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
Watch the instagram video by @nailedittavi (opens in new tab)

Use a Hole Saw When There's No Material for the Pilot Bit

When your hole saw's pilot bit has nothing to grab — like cutting near an edge or into a thin panel — drive four screws just inside the cut line to act as guide pins that keep the saw on track.

enlarge an existing hole, hole saw won't stay put, drill a bigger hole over a smaller one, hole saw skips around

beginner Tools: hole saw, drill, screws, marker Added Feb 12, 2026
Watch the instagram video by @facavocemesmoofficial (opens in new tab)

The Problem

A hole saw's pilot bit is what keeps it centered while the teeth bite in. But sometimes the pilot bit has nothing to grab — you're cutting near an edge where the center has already been removed, cutting an overlapping hole, or working with a thin panel. Without that center anchor, the saw wanders all over the workpiece.

The Technique

  1. Place the hole saw (without the drill) against the workpiece where you want the hole
  2. Trace around the outside of the saw with a marker to draw your cut line
  3. Drive four screws just inside the traced circle — one in each quadrant (12 o'clock, 3, 6, and 9 positions), leaving the heads sticking up about 1/4"
  4. Set the hole saw over the screws — they act as guide rails that keep the saw centered as the teeth start to bite
  5. Start cutting at low speed with light pressure until the teeth establish a kerf
  6. Once the kerf is deep enough to guide the saw on its own (about 1/8"), stop and back the screws out if they're in the way
  7. Finish the cut
Pro tip: Don't drive the screws in too far — you just need enough to keep the saw from walking. If they're too deep, they'll interfere with the cut or be hard to remove once the kerf is started.
Pro tip: This is one of several methods for the same problem. You can also clamp a scrap piece of wood on top as a sacrificial guide for the pilot bit, or use a hole saw arbor with a removable pilot. The screw method is handy when you don't have scrap or clamps available.
Watch the instagram video by @facavocemesmoofficial (opens in new tab)

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