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Tips & Techniques

Corralling a Wandering Hole Saw

Issue 240 - Dec 2013/Jan 2014

I was replacing some old-style doorknobs with newer ones, and I ran into a problem. The old knobs went through a hole about 1/2 in. dia., but the new knobs needed a 2-3/8-in.-dia. hole. I needed to find a way to use my hole saw without it wandering all over the place. I decided to wrap masking tape around the bit of the hole saw until it was just slightly smaller than the hole in the door. My solution worked great.

John Swope, Harrisburg, PA

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  1. bobbomax | Apr 22, 2020 04:17pm | #1

    Seems like there've been half a dozen different Tips about this kind of problem recently, which is to say, it's a real problem sometimes. Maybe we can put our collective heads together and find a definitive solution.

    I'd say there are 2 problems, keeping the holesaw from flopping around, and locating the new hole accurately- in the tip above, Swope was lucky both locksets had the same setback.

  2. TTTTT | Apr 22, 2020 07:03pm | #2

    A gadget solution: Starrett KA19 OOPS hole enlargement arbor

    https://www.starrett.com/metrology/product-detail/KA19

    https://www.starrett.com/category/240204#currentPage=1&displayMode=grid&itemsPerPage=12&sortBy=wp/asc

    https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/power-tool-accessories/hole-cutters/52518-oops-arbor [free shipping]

  3. allenbarenholtz | Apr 23, 2020 10:32am | #3

    that's a sweet solution . . . I would cut the new hole first in a scrap of plywood, then clamp that scrap to the door in the right position. The edges of the new hole will guide the saw to cut in the right place on the door.

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