drill bit saw thing

[BrokenBiker]

right, I saw on the screwfix site (which is currently down) a drill bit designed to allow you to cut holes in soft materials such as wood and plastics, essentially turning your drill into a jigsaw.

are they worth buying or is it going to work just as well if I use a 4 flute end mill instead?

don't really need one but ive seen it now

 

[gordon stephenson]

Not really a jig saw substitute, they are only intended to enlarge or slot a hole a little,in ally,wood plastic etc, I have some and used them once or twice, quite handy at times

 

[BrokenBiker]

ah the one i saw claimed to be able to make and size or shape hole in wood or plastic.

just thought it might come in handy for little jobs when the jigsaw is in the van and i only need to make one cut

 

[Wallace]

These drill saw bits? Machine Mart do them too. I've had a set for years bought for an awkward job in MDF, used one recently to open out some cracks in GRP panels. They act like a rotary burr once through, no good as a saw replacement as they wander too much.

 

[penfold]

It's just a slightly poncy rotary file; they work well enough with soft materials, but I wouldn't pay a premium for one.

 

[Robotstar5]

I've got a set somewhere, useful in the right application.

 

[dan.taylor.1]

Yeah I would also be wary of putting too much side load on the drill bearings by riving one of them through a material of any hardness..!

Dan

 

[BrokenBiker]

cheers. The ones in the pic are the ones i saw. Would only really use them in wood. Might try an end mill later see how it works

 

[dan.taylor.1]

Don't get me wrong I've got myself out of a hole a few times using them to elongate screw holes when fitment is off a bit!

Dan

 

[Wallace]

I've always called them Bodger Bits, "If it don't fit, reach for the Bodger Bit". Of course, mine are like new and still in the packet as I never need them.

 

[steviec_lj]

These drill saw bits? Machine Mart do them too. I've had a set for years bought for an awkward job in MDF, used one recently to open out some cracks in GRP panels. They act like a rotary burr once through, no good as a saw replacement as they wander too much.

These.... Are ****.

They do nothing more than heat the drill and workpiece, possibly snapping while you're at it.

Bought 2 sets last year, I fail to remember where from, but the packets were opened, used and promptly chucked to the side in disbelief that I'd wasted money on what SHOULD be a brilliant tool.

Saving for a mill now, to save further hassle in the future. Don't waste money or time on them, thats my personal view.

 

[Wallace]

These.... Are ****.

They do nothing more than heat the drill and workpiece, possibly snapping while you're at it.

Bought 2 sets last year, I fail to remember where from, but the packets were opened, used and promptly chucked to the side in disbelief that I'd wasted money on what SHOULD be a brilliant tool.

Saving for a mill now, to save further hassle in the future. Don't waste money or time on them, thats my personal view.

What material did you use them on? I just dug my set out and the packet says 'Suitable for wood and plastic'. I can see aluminium swarf on the largest one which reminded me it was used recently to hog out some 3mm alloy and save a bit of file time.

 

[MattF]

I've always called them Bodger Bits, "If it don't fit, reach for the Bodger Bit". Of course, mine are like new and still in the packet as I never need them.

...

I just dug my set out and the packet says 'Suitable for wood and plastic'. I can see aluminium swarf on the largest one which reminded me it was used recently to hog out some 3mm alloy and save a bit of file time.

You could at least have left that long enough for a few posts to space them out.

 

[MattF]

cheers. The ones in the pic are the ones i saw. Would only really use them in wood. Might try an end mill later see how it works

Why don't you just get a router and use that instead. It'll give you a far better finish, and you won't be fighting the drill as the bit is trying to throw it off line. If you have the space, I'd either go with a jigsaw or plunge the router with a thin bit in the collet.

 

[dannyp]

they are nigh on useless, they dont exactly remove material very fast and even less from where you want to. die grinder and burr, or router are far better more profesional ways to perform the same bodge

 

[BrokenBiker]

well ive just tried a 6mm end mill in a drill on some 6mm ply and it worked better than I expected.

the reason I don't want to buy a router is the cost and because ive not needed one yet. I have a jigsaw but when its in the van at the front of the house and I only need to make a small cut in the side of a shed for instance (like the one I had to make to fit the irregular sized pipe for my nans tumble dryer) it would be nice to just chuck something in a drill and do it.

the end mill gave good results so im just gonna use that, if it needs to be more than a few seconds to do the job i'll use the jigsaw

 

[penfold]

You can get a cheapy router in Lidl or Aldi for a tenner or so.

 

[BrokenBiker]

You can get a cheapy router in Lidl or Aldi for a tenner or so.

yeah, my father thought that was a bargain, took about an hour before it went pop

 

[Wallace]

yeah, my father thought that was a bargain, took about an hour before it went pop

At that rate you could rent one cheaper! Anyway,I thought electricians lived and died by using a cone cutter for everything?

 

[BrokenBiker]

we do, but cutting a 78mm hole in a shed wall is stretching the cone cutters capabilities a bit lol