" wrote:

John Doe wrote:

I tried a hole saw in my cheap drill press. Works perfectly for
hardwood, but doesn't work for 6061 aluminum. I might try
removing some teeth from a hole saw, see if it cuts a little
better without the chatter. I am familiar with inwards and
outwards leaning teeth.

Will I have better luck with a 40mm carbide cutter that has fewer
teeth and maybe better chip removal? The hole diameter must be
near perfect, so I might end up buying more than one (different
versions) of those if it cuts through the material.

Is there a small machine made for cutting shallow holes in metal?
I suppose a good drill press would work, but only if necessary.

I recently purchased DeWalt's small cordless metal cutting
bandsaw and think it's great for cutting most small/narrow
aluminum.

I really want to cut that hole.

You might try drilling a hole or two so the chips can fall out of
the way and use a little oil to make it cut easier.

Yes. I saw that tip on YouTube. Definitely will try it. I can afford
a hole or two even if it's in the center of the cut.