Hi all, I'm looking for a plug cutter that produces plugs 1-7/8" (or actually anywhere between 1.8" and 1.875") in diameter. The ones I've seen around only go up to 1-1/2". Does anyone know of a source for the size I'm looking for? (This'd be for use in an electric drill press.)
Hole saw? I've used them for some knotholes in floors.
Thanks. But wouldn't the hole saw's pilot bit leave a (smaller) hole in the center of the plug? I should have mentioned that I was trying to avoid that. Is there a way to remove the pilot bit on a typical hole saw, or adjust it so that the bit is retracted?
No, and you wouldn't want to anyway, because the hole saw would jump all over the place before it started biting into the material (even on a drill press, DAMHIKT).
Lee Valley sells plug cutters up to 3" diameter:
Lee Valley sells what you are looking for.
Bob McBreen - Yarrow Point Washington
You can use a hole saw in a drill press without the pilot drill, You can also use it in a hand drill if you do it properly Drill a Hole with the hole saw and pilot bit all the way thru a peice of
An electric drill press as opposed to what? Steam? Hand crank? Water wheel? Hamster power? How many other kinds of drill presses are there? :)
Yes. I don't know about typical. The only hole saws I have came from a lock set installation kit. The pilot bit can be removed entirely.
Whether or not this is useful is for someone else to decide. I say only that it's possible.
How many of these do you need, anyway? If a bunch, probably check out the aforementioned Lee Valley cutters. I don't think anybody ever regretted buying anything from Lee Valley. At least not until the bill came due. :)
If just a few, maybe try a fly cutter. Probably cheaper, and free if you already have one. Fly cutters are very versatile, but they're tedious to use, so I prefer to reserve them for one-off projects.
Silvan smirks:
I knew one of you fans of the tailed apprentice would pick up on this. ;-) In Salman's "Dictionary of Woodworking Tools c. 1700-1970" there are several pictures of interesting press drills (an early one uses a large, weighted beam to apply pressure to a hand-cranked drill; it was later supplanted by the "easily adjusted and efficient" Smith's Drill, or bench press drill, which of course was also hand-powered. And I'm just the sort of nut to own and use one of them.
In any event, thanks to everybody for the advice on my question; off to Lee Valley I go.
Do you have a lathe? That's how I make plugs I don't have a cutter for. Cut them to approximate size on the bandsaw, mount a piece on a faceplate, and turn tapered facegrain plugs.
Yeah, I forgot about my days watching Roy. He had a hand-cranked drill press I think... I've seen one somewhere anyway, now that I think about it.
I'd say electricity is a good way to run a drill press though. Hard to pull the quill, keep the work up against the stop, and crank the handle all at the same time. They probably lost favor when apprentices started charging $15 an hour. :)
I'd use a wheel or circle cutter. I got mine a a local store, but both Lee Valley and Highland Hardware sell them. See
Bob S
Frank, I found Plug cutters @1.75" and 2" Cost-----sit down please,
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.