Occasionally, I am faced with the challenge of enlarging an existing hole in the basement or crawlspace subfloor for electrical or plumbing services. In the past, I have screwed a piece of 1/4-in. plywood over the hole so that the pilot drill would have a place to center and stabilize the holesaw until it became embedded in the wood. I have noticed that once the saw is started in the wood, there is no need for the pilot drill. On my last job, though, it was 10:30 p.m., and there was no 1/4-in. plywood in sight.
Considering the limited need for a pilot drill, I decided to try to solve my problem with something I had in abundant supply: drywall screws. First, I traced the diameter of the larger holesaw outside the existing hole, as shown in the drawing below. Next, I ran four drywall screws partway into the subfloor just outside the new layout. I then placed the holesaw within these screws and drilled the larger hole. The drywall screws guided the outside of the holesaw, eliminating the need for the pilot drill.
M. Diener, Franklin Park, IL
View Comments
Another similar option is to cut the wanted hole size in a scrap piece of 3/4 plywood, then align the piece where you want the new hole in the floor or wall, fasten it with screws, then use it to keep your holesaw perfectly aligned. It works for keeping a hole perfectly align even if there is no previous hole to cause problems.
Good post about the screw guides. The simplest is always the best. Thanks.
If you're concerned about scarring the surface around the hole, the screws can be driven inside the scribed line. Only three screws are needed, two if they're diametrically across from each other.