rotabroach TCT holesaws

[Harry44]

Does anyone have any experience using TCT holesaws, planning on buying some to replace slow cone cutters / normal holesaws. Thinking of something like 16,20,36,50,75,100mm in size. Would be using in a pillar drill / maybe a hand drill if im unable to use the pillar in some sort of situation.

Rotabroach TCT Holesaws - engineeringsupplies.co.uk

distributors of quality & performance carbide inserts, toolholders, boring bars, drills, milling cutters, taps, reamers and other engineering consumables.

www.engineeringsupplies.co.uk

 

[Tigman]

I use them , they are very handy plenty of cutting oil and they will work fine !

 

[zzr1200]

You can use them it a slow pillar drill, l wouldn't even consider trying to use them in a hand drill...

Buy a magdrill and be done with it...

 

[sparkysy]

I've used those before a mate bought a set of them. They go through steel like it's butter!
I have used them in a cordless drill before with plenty of cutting compound and they have been fine as have I, although if they snag the drill clutch gets to do its job!
Sy

 

[DaveB]

Keep then lubrcated and cooled and you should have no problems if the work is held properly.

I've found they give more problems on thin sheet than on heavy stuff.
16mm holes in 1mm sheet with a mag drill was worst than 60mm holes in 50mm plate because the mag drill does not hold very well on the thin sheet.

 

[stuvy]

You can use them it a slow pillar drill, l wouldn't even consider trying to use them in a hand drill...

Buy a magdrill and be done with it...

Can you imagine it in a hand drill!!!!

Iv used them for a long time

Loads of cutting lubricant

Currently have a rotabroach 40

 

[Kram]

Not used TCT ones but I have a couple of 24, 26 and 40mm hss ones to use in the lathe. 24 and 26mm are great but its immediately obvious they have a lot of teeth and need a very slow, torquey machine for best results. They are intended for mag drills which are geared very slow. The teeth are wide and take a reasonable width cut so you need decent pressure and torque or it will rub and blunt the teeth

I cant use the 40mm on steel because lathe doesnt have the rigidity for that many teeth even at 70rpm. Good luck in a hand drill.

Normal holesaws will work better at that size, 8n my opinion. Still way tooo fast and need to be peck drilled for chip clearance,

 

[brightspark]

good luck with anything over 70mm. on a pillar drill .hand drill

 

[wyn]

I've used the TCT ones, mainly for going through Hardox.
They worked really well with the right speeds and lube

 

[zzr1200]

good luck with anything over 70mm. on a pillar drill .hand drill

Let alone the price of a new 100mm cutter and then using it in a hand drill (powered or not)........

PS. I do have a Magdrill that'll take a 100mm broach, but I still wouldn't buy a new 100mm broach unless I could cover the cost on the first job.....

I do however use holesaws in the magdrill, with a standard arbour and chuck setup, nice n slow with cutting oil or paste.

If you cut thin sheet use a bit of 10mm plate as a backing plate, it gives the magnet something to hold on to

 

[wyn]

If you cut thin sheet use a bit of 10mm plate as a backing plate, it gives the magnet something to hold on to

It's surprising what a difference that makes.
As you say they always need 10-12mm under the magnet.
Quite often i have tried drilling through a bit of 50x50 box with the drill balanced on top, wondering why it keeps skating off to the side or lifting up.