writes:

I want to make about a 1.25" hole in the base of a few food
cans. What's the best option?

As others have said, best option is a proper punch. A more
general if less tidy option is a die type sheet metal nibbler
like this:
http://www.rapidonline.com/RVFM-HT-2...r-Tool-86-2150
though I wish that it had a curved side instead of three
straight ones.

--
Jón Fairbairn
http://www.chaos.org.uk/~jf/Stuff-I-dont-want.html (updated 2014-04-05)