Firewood processor build thread

[CDN Farm Boy]

That's some great info, very helpful.

When starting the holesaw, how do you eliminate the saw from walking around? Even with the center bit in mine always walk way more than I'd like before settling in

 

[Scooby074]

That's some great info, very helpful.

When starting the holesaw, how do you eliminate the saw from walking around? Even with the center bit in mine always walk way more than I'd like before settling in

There is a lot of run out with hole saws, nature of the beast. Your pilot drill shouldnt be walking around too much unless you have a bad holesaw arbor or your drill press itself has a ton of run out.

If you want a nice, super clean hole check out Rotabroaches. Cost wise they arent that bad considering. Ideally they are used in Mag drills, but certainly can be used in a normal drill press with the proper adapters.

 

[kiotiken]

That's some great info, very helpful.

When starting the holesaw, how do you eliminate the saw from walking around? Even with the center bit in mine always walk way more than I'd like before settling in

As you can see in the last pics, they didn't walk around, they ran around. I normally have them in my drill press vice and just start very slowly, for those holes I was just holding the plate by hand and not really putting much effort into getting a precise spot. You can do it with almost no walking if you're really careful and it's clamped down very well. I don't generally use a pilot bit in the Mandrell when using my press.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

There is a lot of run out with hole saws, nature of the beast. Your pilot drill shouldnt be walking around too much unless you have a bad holesaw arbor or your drill press itself has a ton of run out.

If you want a nice, super clean hole check out Rotabroaches. Cost wise they arent that bad considering. Ideally they are used in Mag drills, but certainly can be used in a normal drill press with the proper adapters.

I'm by no means new to hole saws. I'm a carpenter and use them all the time on doors including steel clad entry doors and cabinets for the plumbing pipes. The only time I've ever had issue with walking was when the pilot bit broke -and that's with a hand held drill not a press. Cutting holes in some 3/8" plate recently, I resorted to clamping a plywood guide to the steel to keep the bit located.

I'll have to look up those Rotabroaches.


Mmmmmm. Mag drill. I'd love to get me hands on one of them

 

[Scooby074]

It's possible the pilot was defective?

Does the pilot run true to the drill chuck?

Ive broken pilots before, but its rare and usually it happens drilling something questionable.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Everything runs true spinning in the air. Only when I hit the steel does it start to walk, even with a pre-drilled pilot hole. The pilot stays in place but the saw walks flexing the pilot. I always figured it was just the increased resistance of the steel compared to wood.

 

[kiotiken]

Everything runs true spinning in the air. Only when I hit the steel does it start to walk, even with a pre-drilled pilot hole. The pilot stays in place but the saw walks flexing the pilot. I always figured it was just the increased resistance of the steel compared to wood.

I always start with cutting oil and very lightly touch the hole saw to the material. The oil lubricates the cut and probably helps keep it from biting too hard. You may want to look at your drill press, it shouldn't allow any movement.

Here's the oil I'm using


I can always tell when I need to stop and add a couple drops of oil, the shavings change. With oil, I get a long, tightly wound shaving, when the oil is gone, the savings are much shorter, flakier and don't curl very much.


With a hole saw, there's a pronounced difference when the oil runs out. With oil, it's just a smooth, constant light pressure and you can feel it cut nicely into the material. When it needs more, it doesn't cut nearly as quickly and you find yourself adding more pressure.

 

[kiotiken]

Picked up the motor on the way home from work yesterday. We when through so many options, I can't even remember exactly what the specs of this one are, but it's a larger displacement and will take a higher pressure and greater flow. It was a more expensive motor because of that, but allowed me to eliminate having to add a flow regulator and and pressure regulator. In the end, it cost about the same but it's a much stronger, slower turning motor.


So, what takes longer than drilling?... Grinding! Oh man, that sucked last night. I cleaned up the two 1/2" remenants from the splitter head frame, ground a groove in the 4 edges for welding, got some more holes drilled through them and got the whole mess welded together.



My final act of the night was to butcher the extension on the pusher plate. I don't have enough light in the garage and didn't manage to follow the lines I drew perfectly. Oh well, I'll weld a cap on it and no one will be the wiser. Oh wait, I just told everybody...

 

[farmer2009]

I use a NAPA brand cutting oil that my local store caries. But then place it in a little oil squirt can, pictured below, that makes it easy to dispense.

 

[muddstopper]

about the only time I have a holesaw try to walk is when the metal being drilled isnt laying perfecly flat and perpendicular to the drill head. My drill press table tilts and even tho i usually have it locked in place, it does tend to move out of level when laying heavy plate on it. I usually will start the drill and very easily lower the saw into the metal. If the saw isnt making a full circle in the metal, I know the table isnt level and will just stop drilling until I true it back up. Once true, i still just lightly touch the saw to the metal until ist making a clean cut. Once the cut is started, the cut hole will hold the saw true. If you try to saw a hole without the metal laying flat, the saw tends to grab on one side and then will walk in the direction of where the saw first touches the metal. I have some long thin wedges I sometimes use to help shim the metal level, but usually , just loosening up the tilt bolt on the table and bumping it with my hand will get it back to level. I also have scribed a mark on the tilt so I can just do a visual look see and know the table is close to square.