Suggestion for new drill accessory: Fastfix hole saw arbor

[htroberts]

I was using a hole saw on a C12 drill, and was thinking that with all of Festool's interchangeable chucks, it's silly to have all the mass (and length) of a chuck and an arbor between the drill motor and the work.

So I'd love to see something like this: 's hole saw arbor, but with the hex shaft lopped off the back, and a FastFix collar in its place, so that the arbor would attach directly to the drill--the hole saw would end up being only an inch or so in front of the attachment plate on the drill motor.

I emailed the suggestion to sales@festoolusa.com, but the response I got said

that product can still be used with our keyless chuck. Also, the output shaft of the motor is a ?? hex drive and you can also attach it directly there.

which suggests to me that whoever read my email didn't get the idea.

Anyone else to whom this would be useful?

 

[Frank-Jan]

I don't have a C12 myself, but I remember seeing in the catalogue, that if you take off the centrotec holder, you can put a regular screwbit straight into the shaft (and thus gaining some extra room in tight places). I think that's meant in the response you got from festool usa, and a solution for your problem (problem: length and mass of chuck; solution: getting the milwaukee arbor, and mouting it straight to the shaft)

 

[Dan Clark]

I've done this many times when I needed a VERY short head length.  I've use ball-detent bits and wire detent bits like this.  Not perfect, but it's still a great solution when you need it.

Dan.

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Most standard hole saw arbors from companies like Lenox, Milwaukee, etc... use either a 3/8" hex or 7/16" quick connect hex shaft, so they can't fit into a regular 1/4" hex bit holder, therefore they won't just fit into the connector on the C12. There are, however, some smaller, one-piece hole saws with a 1/4" quick connect hex shaft on them. They tend to be of lower quality, more of a handy-homeowner grade tool rather than contractor grade, but that would probably get you the best clearance. What size of hole are you looking to drill?

 

[htroberts]

What size of hole are you looking to drill?

I'm using typical electrical/plumber-size hole saws. 1-1/8" up to 3-5/8". I definitely want the pin-type "quick" arbor, and I've never seen one with a 1/4" shaft--even if I had one, I wouldn't use it on a Festool drill, at least not regularly, because that would rely solely on the motor bearings for support, instead of transferring most of the force to the FastFix collar.

 

[greg mann]

Unless I am missing something here the the Fast-Fix collar does not rotate. If you have thought that through then it sounds like you are looking for a hole saw system with its own bearing housing that would attach to the drill, NOT like the traditional chuck but LIKE the right-angle or offset chuck, with its own gearbox so to speak. I think only Festool could or would engineer this and I don't believe they would embrace the notion that their drill is meant for regular hole saw use above, say 2 inches, regardless of the overheat protection. To make such a tool would imply its suitability for regular day-in day-out use. This, to me, would be like offering a trailering package on a Porsche.

 

[brandon.nickel]

The Cayenne is rated to tow 7700 lbs...  And I fully intend to put a trailer hitch on my wife's Audi S6 once I sell my truck.

But I understand your point. 

;D

 

[alg]

From a person who has carrried a 17" Delta drill press and Ridgid TS3650 table saw in the back of my new Prius, I know what you are saying.
I am looking forward to using my C12 to make big holes. But I will be happy to use my Greenlee hole saw set.

 

[spikfot]

The c-12 would overheat pushing big holesaws in wood, you will smoke your cordless.  cords are necessary sometimes. I have a 28v millwaukee and would not think of running a 3.6" hole saw in it for anything but drywall.  The Porsche analogy is a good one.      I do run up to 95mm self feed bits in my holehawgs, with an extra long handle.   
         

 

[alg]

I have a Milwaukee 1/2" magnum ready as well but the C12 is capable of making 3" holes in wood, mdf and corian.

 

[mysterium]

I have been "spanked" by hole saws more times then I care to remember... fortunately I have not broke anything.... i.e. "Me" in the process.

About thirty years ago was one of my early "spanking" lessons.  I was popping 4" holes thru the plate for a soil pipe in my house with a 1/2" Montgomery Ward drill I inherited from my grandfather.  The hole saw caught on a nail swinging the drill with my hand firmly gripping the drill into a stud....  The "spanking" unfortunately did not stop there.... as "luck" would have it... I was pinned in a position that I couldn't release the trigger... "Ouch!!!"  With my free hand & feet I managed to unplug the drill.  Even being careful the "spanking" lesson continued on my sore hand until I could cut thru the nail.

Today I carry about 20-25 Starrett holes saws & a collection of arbors in my trunk along with a Milwaukee Hole Haug.  The Milwaukee Hole Haug is a wonderful drill.  It will go thru anything.  However "if" your lucky it will "spank" you....  "If" your not ... you will break something... like an arm!!!  I also carry Festool's C-12 &  TDK 15.6 CE drills.  Most of the time I will use the under powered for the task Festool drill as a matter of safety.  Yes I know that these drills will produce more than 300 lbs. of "spanking" power.  But as a matter of safety I will dial down the torque and let the saw do the cutting.  If it does catch with the dialed down force it will not "spank" me too bad...  I also often lift the saw out of the hole to clean the gullets. 

As a "Tip" for those who are not aware of a handy inexpensive accessory called a "Whoops Bit" available from Starrett.  This $8 accessory works in the situation where you need to enlarge an exciting hole.  The "Whoops Bit" replaces the 1/4" pilot bit in the arbor but is threaded so a hole saw the same size as the exciting hole now acts as a pilot bit perfectly centering  the new larger hole saw.  If I remember correctly it is available from McFeely's .

I do want to "Thank" person for pointing out the carbide deep gullet hole saws.  I do see these as having a safety advantage in deep holes. 

jim

 

[spikfot]

I have a Milwaukee 1/2" magnum ready as well but the C12 is capable of making 3" holes in wood, mdf and corian.

Capable is one thing, I do not doubt that.  But appropriate is another entirely,  the 1/2" mag. works well for this job, but with a bind could snap a wrist instantly, at least the clutch in a cordless will prevent this.
  Drill 3 holes in  3" material  in any choice of those materials with both of your drills and compare the temperature of the motors when done. unless you do it extremely slow, you will heat up your cordless much more, shortening it's lifetime dramatically.  The !/2" mag. is the best drill ever made in it's class, Dare it with your gaping bits.   

 

[Jerry Work]

If you do a lot of large hole cutting you might want to try one of the European drills like the Hilti T series that have a built in clutch to prevent the drill from "spanking" if the bit catches on a nail or other object.  I have had nothing but good experiences with my Hilti T-5.  The chucks interchange much like the C12 so I can pop on a standard keyless chuck for hole saw work or the SDS chuck for hammer drilling in concrete.  They are often available on eBay in quite nice condition at reasonable prices.  Avoid the ones that look like they were "rode hard and put away wet" as they likely have been thrashed to within an inch of their life.

Jerry

 

[Dave Ronyak]

I have been "spanked" by hole saws more times then I care to remember... fortunately I have not broke anything.... i.e. "Me" in the process.
Today I carry about 20-25 Starrett holes saws & a collection of arbors in my trunk along with a Milwaukee Hole Haug.  The Milwaukee Hole Haug is a wonderful drill.  It will go thru anything.  However "if" your lucky it will "spank" you....  "If" your not ... you will break something... like an arm!!! 

jim

Jim,

I've had a few "spankings" by drills in my life as well, two of them with Milwaukee corded drills.  The first occurred while drilling through the trusses in a garage I was building to run wiring.  I was standing on a 8' ladder with one arm hooked over the bottom joist stringer of the the truss I was drilling through using a Milwaukee Magnum drill (5A?) with 1/4" chuck and a ~1" spade bit.  Next thing I knew, I was handing by one arm and that ladder was knocked over.  I apparently hit a knot or other hard spot in that southern yellow pine.  I hung there >10ft above the concrete floors yelling until my wife came and rescued me.  I gained a new respect for the term "magnum."  The second came while laying on my back underneath the rear axle/suspension of a 1965 Corvette whose leaf spring mounting holes were stripped out.  I did not have a lift; the car was on jack stands with barely enough vertical room for me to slide under it and hold the drill.  While using a Hole Hawg to enlarge out the ~7/8" holes in the cast iron housing of the differential for installation of helicoil thread inserts, the drill bit grabbed repeatedly, especially when the tip of the twist drill broke through at the far end of the bore, giving me a good spanking while showering me with burning hot metal chips.  The Hole Hawg puts out serious torque reaction when suddenly bound up.  The helicoils worked perfectly, and so did the Corvette after reinstallation of the rear spring.

Dave R.

 

[mysterium]

Dave

Your story about being showered with hot metal while under your Corvette reminded me of another "spanking"....

Or you could call it "Adding insult to injury..."

I was using a cutting torch while lying on a creeper under a car... yea I know those who have been there can see this one coming....  hot, molten metal drops right on my chest... to make things worse what do I do?  My immediate reaction is to sit up!!!  Of course my head bouncing off the rear axle did nothing for my burning chest!!!  I finally slide... not to gracefully, out from under the car and finally brush the metal off my chest all the time holding a cutting torch.  Smooth... real smooth..... :-[

jim

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Dave

Your story about being showered with hot metal while under your Corvette reminded me of another "spanking"....

Or you could call it "Adding insult to injury..."

I was using a cutting torch while lying on a creeper under a car... yea I know those who have been there can see this one coming....  hot, molten metal drops right on my chest... to make things worse what do I do?  My immediate reaction is to sit up!!!  Of course my head bouncing off the rear axle did nothing for my burning chest!!!   I finally slide... not to gracefully, out from under the car and finally brush the metal off my chest all the time holding a cutting torch.   Smooth... real smooth..... :-[

jim

Jim,

My Hole Hawg "spanking" and metal chips shower seem like a treat compared to what you experienced.  I have used an oxyacetylene torch while lying under a car similarly close to the ground, but escaped that type of injury.  After a friend of mine due to lack of knowledge (even though he had a degreee in Chem. Eng. and worked for Goodyear as a tire development engineer) used a torch to apply a little heat to a frozen brake hose fitting.  Big mistake!!  Although the hose had been drained and the bleeder fitting was open, the heat applied to the metal fitting caused the rubber to rapidly expand and "explode" off that metal fitting.  These incidents and concern that I might set the car on fire or accidently overheat a fuel or other line have caused me to become a big fan of miniature zip cut disks mounted in a die grinder, or carbide tipped cutters mounted in a die grinder or drill motor.  Much safer and much more controllable, although much slower to cut through that stubborn rusty nut or bolt.  (I live in salty, wet, NE Ohio, part of the true "Rust Belt.")

Dave R.

 

[Dan Clark]

I've not had experiences this bad, but I was soldering a copper pipe with my brand new Mapp gas torch.  Not realizing how hot it got, when I touched the solder to the pipe, it melted into the copper connector WAY faster than I was used to.  So it goes in, instantly falls to the bottom and out the bottom of the connector.

Now... To complete the picture realize that this is the first time I had failed to use gloves when soldering...

Uh huh...  Solder goes out of the bottom of the pipe connection and down on the back of my hand.  Nice big 1/2" dollop.

To paraphrase a famous line from Apocalypse Now, "I love the smell of smoking flesh in the morning".    (Took a month to heal up.)

Dan.