I want to cut round clean-out doors in my birdhouses and wish
there was a hole saw with a very thin kerf, like a metal bandsaw
blade (.035" thick).

All the hole saws I can buy have about .100" kerfs, which is too
much to "fudge". Cut with a band saw works well, but, it's not a
central hole.

Even have the idea to try to make one from a 1 1/16" wide metal
band saw I have... I'd gently feed it in a drill press.

Al

On Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:59:37 -0500, Allan wrote:

I want to cut round clean-out doors in my birdhouses and wish
there was a hole saw with a very thin kerf, like a metal bandsaw
blade (.035" thick).

All the hole saws I can buy have about .100" kerfs, which is too
much to "fudge". Cut with a band saw works well, but, it's not a
central hole.

Even have the idea to try to make one from a 1 1/16" wide metal
band saw I have... I'd gently feed it in a drill press.


What's wrong with a Forstner bit?

They come in sizes to fit most birds, and as long as you back the bit that
will be the birdhouse with some scrap they make weally nice holes.

On Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:05:37 GMT, _
wrote:

On Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:59:37 -0500, Allan wrote:

I want to cut round clean-out doors in my birdhouses and wish
there was a hole saw with a very thin kerf, like a metal bandsaw
blade (.035" thick).

All the hole saws I can buy have about .100" kerfs, which is too
much to "fudge". Cut with a band saw works well, but, it's not a
central hole.

Even have the idea to try to make one from a 1 1/16" wide metal
band saw I have... I'd gently feed it in a drill press.


What's wrong with a Forstner bit?

They come in sizes to fit most birds, and as long as you back the bit that
will be the birdhouse with some scrap they make weally nice holes.

A clean-out (the old nest for next time) DOOR, not the entry hole
(which, yeah, forstner is great--got a dozen of em). Use the hole
saw cut-out to plug the hole. My birdhouses are over-the-top
decorative. Art pieces really, so there are advantages to this
for me.

I haven't seen one in better than 30 years but there used to be
a hole saw that you could bend and insert a piece of a hacksaw
blade into it and lock it in with a setscrew. I didn't find one
by googling but look at the pic here
http://www.madeinchina.com/2596137/S...ole-Saws.shtml
It looked similar to the rightmost one.
Maybe someone else will remember it's name.
Art


"Allan" wrote in message
...
I want to cut round clean-out doors in my birdhouses and wish
there was a hole saw with a very thin kerf, like a metal bandsaw
blade (.035" thick).

All the hole saws I can buy have about .100" kerfs, which is too
much to "fudge". Cut with a band saw works well, but, it's not a
central hole.

Even have the idea to try to make one from a 1 1/16" wide metal
band saw I have... I'd gently feed it in a drill press.

Al

On Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:28:37 -0500, the infamous Allan
scrawled the following:

On Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:05:37 GMT, _
wrote:

On Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:59:37 -0500, Allan wrote:

I want to cut round clean-out doors in my birdhouses and wish
there was a hole saw with a very thin kerf, like a metal bandsaw
blade (.035" thick).

All the hole saws I can buy have about .100" kerfs, which is too
much to "fudge". Cut with a band saw works well, but, it's not a
central hole.

Even have the idea to try to make one from a 1 1/16" wide metal
band saw I have... I'd gently feed it in a drill press.


What's wrong with a Forstner bit?

They come in sizes to fit most birds, and as long as you back the bit that
will be the birdhouse with some scrap they make weally nice holes.

A clean-out (the old nest for next time) DOOR, not the entry hole
(which, yeah, forstner is great--got a dozen of em). Use the hole
saw cut-out to plug the hole. My birdhouses are over-the-top
decorative. Art pieces really, so there are advantages to this
for me.

I helped a neighbor build a dozen of his and we used a hinged bottom
plate with a removable screw in the front. The whole bottom dumps for
ease in removing all the old nesting material.

-
Press HERE to arm. (Release to detonate.)
-----------

"Allan" wrote in message
...
I want to cut round clean-out doors in my birdhouses and wish
there was a hole saw with a very thin kerf, like a metal bandsaw
blade (.035" thick).

All the hole saws I can buy have about .100" kerfs, which is too
much to "fudge". Cut with a band saw works well, but, it's not a
central hole.

Even have the idea to try to make one from a 1 1/16" wide metal
band saw I have... I'd gently feed it in a drill press.

I have/had sets like this, lite duty. Just measured some loose pieces, the
thinnest is .050, from Lennox, 1.5".
Also Starrett, and I think Blue Moly. I think I have seen Milwaukee hole
saws .050, as well.

You might try a place like Garrett Wade woodworking in NYC, or maybe
Constantines, who used to be in Bronx, NY, but is now in Florida, iirc.

Someone with a surface grinder and spin fixture should be able to thin these
down pretty quick. Poss. even a lathe, with a carbide tool. You'll proly
lose some kerf clearance, but for shallow cuts it shouldn't be a big
problem.
--

Mr. PV'd

Mae West (yer fav Congressman) to the Gangster (yer fav Lobbyist):
Hey, Big Boy, is that a wad (of cash) in yer pocket, or are you just
glad to see me??





Al

On 2009-06-04, _ wrote:
On Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:59:37 -0500, Allan wrote:

I want to cut round clean-out doors in my birdhouses and wish
there was a hole saw with a very thin kerf, like a metal bandsaw
blade (.035" thick).

All the hole saws I can buy have about .100" kerfs, which is too
much to "fudge". Cut with a band saw works well, but, it's not a
central hole.

Even have the idea to try to make one from a 1 1/16" wide metal
band saw I have... I'd gently feed it in a drill press.


What's wrong with a Forstner bit?

I think that he wants to use the plug from the hole as the door,
so he wants a minimum kerf. Something rather difficult to do with wood,
I think.

*I* would use the Forstner bit, and turn a plug to fit from some
of the scrap left over from making the birdhouse itself.

They come in sizes to fit most birds, and as long as you back the bit that
will be the birdhouse with some scrap they make weally nice holes.

Agreed -- but I think that he does not want the birds to go
through these doors -- instead he wants t be able to remove the door
after the bird season is over, so he can clean it out for next year's
tenants.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:43:49 GMT, "Artemus"
wrote:

I haven't seen one in better than 30 years but there used to be
a hole saw that you could bend and insert a piece of a hacksaw
blade into it and lock it in with a setscrew. I didn't find one
by googling but look at the pic here
http://www.madeinchina.com/2596137/S...ole-Saws.shtml
It looked similar to the rightmost one.
Maybe someone else will remember it's name.
Art


I think I've seen something like that but can't remember...

My idea was to insert a length of metal cutting blade the right
length to form a circle inside another "normal/usual" hole saw
with the teeth 3/4" outside. Tack weld it a few places.

On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 22:27:22 -0400, "Proctologically Violated©®"
wrote:


I have/had sets like this, lite duty. Just measured some loose pieces, the
thinnest is .050, from Lennox, 1.5".
Also Starrett, and I think Blue Moly. I think I have seen Milwaukee hole
saws .050, as well.

You might try a place like Garrett Wade woodworking in NYC, or maybe
Constantines, who used to be in Bronx, NY, but is now in Florida, iirc.

I'll take a look, thanks.

Someone with a surface grinder and spin fixture should be able to thin these
down pretty quick. Poss. even a lathe, with a carbide tool. You'll proly
lose some kerf clearance, but for shallow cuts it shouldn't be a big
problem.

Or I considered spinning them and holding them to the belt sander
for a while to thin them down... Surface grinder'd do it nice
though...

Use your regular hole saw. Find some veneer a bit thinner than the
blade and laminate a strip around the edge of the "door".

On Jun 3, 7:59*pm, Allan wrote:
I want to cut round clean-out doors in my birdhouses and wish
there was a hole saw with a very thin kerf, like a metal bandsaw
blade (.035" thick).

All the hole saws I can buy have about .100" kerfs, which is too
much to "fudge". Cut with a band saw works well, but, it's not a
central hole.

Even have the idea to try to make one from a 1 1/16" wide metal
band saw I have... I'd gently feed it in a drill press.

Al

How about cutting a tapered plug with a saber saw at an angle?
Drill a short line of small holes to get the blade through to start.
With the taper big inside just push up the bottom to clean out
the old stuff. This should work unless the bottom is too thin.

Charlie

On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 22:04:42 -0700 (PDT), Larry The Snake Guy
wrote:

Use your regular hole saw. Find some veneer a bit thinner than the
blade and laminate a strip around the edge of the "door".

Thought of that too. I'll try it a bit... but it's "inelegant" I
think. Perhaps it could be a feature, not a bug as I say.

On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 22:04:42 -0700 (PDT), Larry The Snake Guy
wrote:

Use your regular hole saw. Find some veneer a bit thinner than the
blade and laminate a strip around the edge of the "door".

The 1/10" kerf is probably too thick to bend dry in one layer
though come to think of it.

Larry Jaques wrote:

I helped a neighbor build a dozen of his and we used a hinged bottom
plate with a removable screw in the front. The whole bottom dumps for
ease in removing all the old nesting material.


That sounds like what 'Hawkie' needs. Remove the screw and he falls
to the ground, then drives his bent beak into the dirt.


--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense!

replying to Allan, Arek Papelian wrote:
I'm searching for the same.
None exist - but I have found a great alternative:
This solution has tested extremely well, against Bass wood, and Red Oak.
Get a brass pen tube - make the edge jagged - I used a scroll saw and made
very minimal random edges.
I used just enough force to hold the tube my drill press and it worked better
than any solution I can imagine. Also very cheap.

--
for full context, visit https://www.polytechforum.com/metalw...aw-183881-.htm