Hole saw problem

[mariox2098]

So i recently got a 1-1/8" hole saw and i wanted to test it on a scrap piece of 3/4" MDF before I made the real cuts on my arcade stick. I started cutting and everything was going alright, until 1/4 of the way thru the wood. It just wouldnt cut any further. I tried again on the other side and and it stopped around the same depth. Its not even that the hole saw is getting clogged with dust, its just not drilling any deeper.  Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas? btw, im using a 12V cordless drill (which i think might be part of the problem)

[HaRuMaN]

im using a 12V cordless drill (which i think might be part of the problem)

ding ding ding!  we have a winnah!

[mariox2098]

lol thanks haruma, il try to borrow or buy a corded drill somewhere

[HaRuMaN]

 

[lordtodd75]

You might still have an issue with getting through, burning. Even with the corded drill. In my experience paddle bits work much better if you need to cut a hole.

[HaRuMaN]

Never had an issue with a hole saw & corded drill.

[javeryh]

Never had an issue with a hole saw & corded drill.

Same.   I drill out holes in steps making sure the bit is clean.  About every 1/8" I put the saw out and clean the hole with a vacuum.  It also helps if you apply pressure on the drill off and on in sort of an up and down motion to let it breathe in there.  Also, cordless drill suck.   

[Neverending Project]

This may be a stupid question, but what are you resting your 3/4" MDF on? If it is on a concrete floor, then maybe the pilot drill bit is hitting the concrete and stopping? It this is the case, rest the 3/4" MDF on another piece of scrap wood and resume cutting.

The way I read the OP, the drill was still spinning, just not cutting any deeper.

[ChadTower]

Maybe it's a 1/2" depth hole saw?  If he is hitting the back of the hole saw before he's through the piece it's not going to be able to go any further.

[fixedpigs]

Maybe it's a 1/2" depth hole saw?  If he is hitting the back of the hole saw before he's through the piece it's not going to be able to go any further.

a very good point...

how deep is the hole saw you got...?

[Haterot]

When i was cutting the round corners for my coin door I ran into the same trouble, using a 18v Cordless drill. It's a combination of the drill not having enough sustained power and the MDF getting caught in the teeth. If you drill enough and pull the hole saw out you will probably see a 'padding' of MDF inbetween the teeth. This bumper slows you down and wastes the juice. And worse if you try to just force your way through you will end up burning the MDF. For a 1 1/8" I would have used a forstner bit or a paddle blade. Otherwise you have to drill, clean out teeth, drill clean out teeth, rinse repeat. 

[lordtodd75]

Never had an issue with a hole saw & corded drill.

Same.   I drill out holes in steps making sure the bit is clean.  About every 1/8" I put the saw out and clean the hole with a vacuum.  It also helps if you apply pressure on the drill off and on in sort of an up and down motion to let it breathe in there.  Also, cordless drill suck.   

That sounds like a pain in the butt and a waste of time, which constitutes an issue for me. I used a hole saw for most of my cp and it was a nightmare compared to the paddle bit I used. So if you want an easier, less time consuming alternative to the hole saw I would go with the paddle bit.

Also make sure you use some kind of backing board to minimize breakage when you come through the other side of the mdf.

[mariox2098]

Im pretty sure the hole saw is deep enough, its almost 2 inches long. Ive been drilling on a propped platform with no bottom so im sure its not hitting the ground. The drill part of the saw (mandrel?) isnt even coming out of the other end of the mdf unless i drill for a while on and off and use alot of force.

Im still waiting on a corded drill lol

[Hogie1418]

the problem is the drill. I just recently did the same thing and was having the same issue of getting stuck halfway through the hole using a cordless drill. I called my pops up and he brought his corded drill over and it changed everything. Just gotta make sure you clean out the bit everyone in a while and once your drill bit goes through, I like to flip the board over and cut a little into the other side. This prevents it from messing up the underbelly of the wood as the hole saw goes through.

[miles2912]

The problem is a hole saw.  Get a Forstner Bit and all your problems go away.   Just make sure the saw is 90degrees and you will be fine. 

Hole saws gum up on MDF and make a huge mess.

[Epyx]

+1 for paddle bits. 1 1/8" paddle bit...drill one side just till the center breaks through...flip, centre, drill...nice clean hole every time

[Chris BEANS]

I'm a complete noob to this, so I won't offer 'advise', but I can tell you about my recent experiences....


As above, I'm a noob, but I'm very enthusiastic and have been into emulation and as a result the idea of a home arcade cabinet for years now...

I'm finally in a position where I have the time, room and money to start making my own six button stick that I can use with Mame and my PS3, so I've thrown myself at it.

Initially, to drill holes for buttons in the CP I was using a corded drill and a 30mm spade (paddle??) bit. It worked on the MDF I was drilling, but not brilliantly, because of my lack of skill and experience I was drilling wonky holes, ripping the MDF and all sorts of sillyness.

Once I was OK with drilling the MDF I tried doing the MDF plus plexi cover, and again ran into problems. This time melting/cracking the plexi etc etc.... Eventually, I had a childish sulk and gave up!!

I've started again but this time I bought myself a great big bench drill from e-bay and a decent hole saw and it's been unbelievably easy in comparison to my previous exploits.

The drill may be a big piece of fairly specialist equipment, but after sticking to a budget and losing out on a few auctions, I managed to get a perfectly working, good condition one for £45. If you're looking to buy a decent corded drill then I would imagine you wont get one for much less than that anyway, and trust me, the sense of achievement I got from finally getting a propperly cut CP, with a perfectly flush plexi cover and all my buttons and my stick mounted was worth every penny 


I guess what I'm saying, is if you really want to get into this as a hobby, it's worth investing in equipment, as it can make what was an impossible task for me, a job that took me about 20 mins!!!


Another thing that's occurred to me while typing this... Are you emptying the hole saw between each hole??
I'm not taking the mick, as I know it's a pretty obvious thing to suggest, but it's exactly the mistake I made when I got carried away with the fact that I could finally drill decent holes.
I drilled four holes one after the other without removing the 'plug' of MDF they had cut, so eventually these plugs filled the hole saw and stopped it from being able to drill as deeply as it should....

Cheers for your time

[severdhed]

hole saws are a pain in the butt.  they get clogged up easily.  if you need to make a trackball hole or something like that, it is one thing, but for button holes where you need to make a lot of them..you would be much better off with either a paddle bit, or better yet, a forstner bit.    paddle bits are cheap, just make sure you go half way through, then flip it over and finish from the other side to keep it from splintering.  i used a paddle bit on my first 3 or 4 control panels.  on my last one, i used a forstner bit and i was much happier with the way it worked.  they go so much faster than a hole saw too.

[mini77]

It also depends on what material you're drilling into.  For wood I'd go with a spade bit and for metal a holesaw, but as someone else mentioned - use a power drill.  Most cordless drills don't have enough torque and will tear your wood.