Pro Handyman Blog

Here is a simple carpentry job that is actually pretty common. Cutting a hole in a desk to run computer cable. This is done using a hole saw.

A hole saw looks like a drill bit shank on one end, and on the other end is a round opening with teeth surrounding it. In the middle of the opening is a traditional looking drill bit. This tool gets chucked in a drill driver and is spun into the desktop to cut the hole. The drill bit is longer than the hole saw’s teeth and so it contacts the wood surface first. This keeps the hole centered.

As the drill bit penetrates the surface, the teeth of the hole saw follow. A steady cut is important here. The tool will tell you how it is operating by how it sounds and how it feels. You want to hear a consistent hum as it cuts and you want the drill to stay stationary. If the drill is moving or shaking, you don’t have the bit perpendicular to the surface. You will feel the bit cut on one side and not on the other, which causes it to shake back-and-forth.

When the drill bit penetrates the back of the work surface remove it from the piece. Now place the drill bit into the hole on the other side of the piece and start cutting from that side. In this manner you won’t have tear-out of the wood. Instead you will have 2 nice looking cuts with no grain tear-out.