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Tips for drilling aluminum plate with a hole saw

I work with aluminum all the time, flood the area with WD40, Keep it very wet. The WD40 keeps the aluminum from clogging the cutter teeth very nicely. A hole saw probably isn't the best choice of bits but it will get the job done I guess, you might wind up slightly oversize when you're finished though so do a test hole first. When you sand or grind aluminum do the same thing, your stones will never plug up.
 
Hole Problem!

Sparsely drill 3mm holes along the inside circumference of the hole before using a holesaw. Easier and least strain on your low power bench drill.
Good luck.
 
Frustrating... I don't know if it's the hole saw or my drill press, but no matter how I finagle the dang things, I can't get the arbor chucked in straight. The saw spins with a wobble every time, and there's no way I'll drop that bit on this aluminum plate!

I may have to abandon the idea of using these hole saws. Short of carving three large holes out of aluminum by hand, does anyone have good ideas for what my next approach should be?
 
It may just be the drill press Nate. Sorry to say, most consumer level presses just don't have the kind of precise machining alignment to be that accurate. They all seem to have some wobble, and the larger the bit the more obvious it is.
 
I think you are going to have to use a mill and abandon the hole saw Nate. They just wobble to much, they aren't a precision tool.
 
Sounds to me like the hole saw is out of round, like every other holesaw on the face of the earth.

Send that panel to front panel express and have them cut it :)

Evan
 
Look for a better quality holesaw like "BLU-MOL" !
Have an on-going project where I needs to drill 45mm hole for those GE motor run oil caps, on a 2.5mm BRASS top plate! No problem, nice and round.
But first, you needs to drill 3mm holes along the inside circumference.
 
You have to buy top notch saws Nate. Starrett makes good ones, and Blu Mol and Lenox aren't too bad either. When you chuck up the arbor, tighten all three positions, not just one. Make some practice holes in a scrap hunk, with your drill running as slow as possible. What drill press do you have?:scratch2:
 
I didn't read teh entire post, but I saw many comments about oil.

I have spent a very large part of my working life in and around shops. I have worked with machinists, millrights, sheetmetal fabricators, and all the other different type of industrial trades people.

You can get by with out oil of you HAVE too. But it never hurts to use it. It WILL help on cutting and will help on the finish.

I always use oil, always.

Mark

Edit - slow speed and light pressure would be good too. Also, really clamp all of your work well. Aluminum is soft and can catch and spin easily.
 
Redboy said:
Frustrating... I don't know if it's the hole saw or my drill press, but no matter how I finagle the dang things, I can't get the arbor chucked in straight. The saw spins with a wobble every time, and there's no way I'll drop that bit on this aluminum plate!

I may have to abandon the idea of using these hole saws. Short of carving three large holes out of aluminum by hand, does anyone have good ideas for what my next approach should be?
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Take it to a machine shop and bribe one of the low paid employees to do it for you.:yes:
 
elgato8905 said:
Take it to a machine shop and bribe one of the low paid employees to do it for you.:yes:
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Actually, Dave C came through with a stellar tip for how to make the hole saws do the job.

Dave's thread, Hole saws and aluminum

Here's how my holes turned out. The bigger holes are 2.5" in diameter:

IMG_0382.jpg


IMG_0379.jpg
 
elgato8905 said:
Damn that looks sweet! Asher (AB88) told me how much of a wiz you are with tube amps!
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Thanks man. Asher may have stretched the truth a bit, though... I can cobble some basic stuff together but I really don't understand the theory behind it all. Tubes are still a bit of a mystery to me. :)

I've likened it to cooking. I can "cook" up an amp according to a very clearly written, simple schematic and instructions. The true "tube gourmets" are the guys (and gals!) that can whip up an amp out of the stuff they've got on hand!
 
Yeah... Well he brought the Maggie tube amp that you suggested that he buy over to my house and that thing sounded INCREDIBLE! :thmbsp:
 
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