Is this normal???

[Hituro]

So, I was making some modifications to my cab, but I first was doing some tests.  I wanted to put some holes in the side of my cab for the wires for my aimtrak guns to go through.  My cab is made of Melamine, and I had a spare piece laying around, and I got a new hole-saw bit I wanted to try out.  So I was making holes on a spare piece, and while I was making a hole, I noticed a lot of smoke coming out from where the pilot hole bit was drilling.  I immediately stopped thinking "Holy crap!  I'm rubbin two sticks together! FIRE!"  Nothing caught on fire, but I did notice the shavings were singed.  Now, I was drilling a bit slow, because I got a tip that if you don't drill too fast, the laminate on the melamine wouldn't crack as bad, and I was finding it to be true.  But is it normal for smoke to show up like that?  Or am I doing something wrong.  I'm new at this wood working stuff, so just wanted to know.  Noobs have to get educated some time right?

[orchidius]

You're sure the holesaw was going in the right direction? The same thing happened to me once, but as it turns out I was trying to drill it counterclockwise... That just creates a lot of friction (and thus heat).

[Hituro]

Yes I was drilling clockwise.  It wasn't the blades of the hole saw that created the smoke though, it was the pilot bit, the tip of the bit that creates the initial hole to keep the holesaw bit centered.

[drventure]

Only thing I can think of is sometimes the pilot bit has to be tightened in the saw. If it's loose, it could just be spinning and catching intermittently, causing alot of friction to start the smoke.

[Hituro]

Thanks DrVenture, I think you were right.  I went and checked the pilot bit, and it was slightly loose.  Learned something new