Try A Handy Trick That Uses A Hole Saw To Make Holes Larger Easily

While hole saws excel at making accurate, well-shaped circular cuts in wood and other materials, they can be tricky to use when you're widening an existing hole. A hole saw needs its center drill bit to cut into something and hold it in place so it can cleanly bore through the material — otherwise, there's nothing to stabilize it other than your steady hand. A wandering blade can damage the material and result in an imperfect, ill-placed, jagged hole.

Many DIY specialists such as the YouTube channel The Honest Carpenter have discovered clever hacks to resize holes using a hole saw with minimal effort or error. One workaround involves cutting a circle from a scrap piece of wood with the hole saw sized for the new hole. You can then place the wood circle over the hole you want to enlarge (centering the pilot hole) and nail it into place. The hole saw's drill bit now has a sturdy anchor point.

Speaking exclusively with House Digest, home remodeling expert Kyle Schurman shared insights on this and other tricks to easily enlarge holes. "I might use glue instead of brad nails to hold the scrap wood plug in place," Schurman explained. "One advantage of using brad nails is [that it allows] you to begin drilling the new hole immediately. If you use glue, you'd have to wait for the glue to dry." However, Schurman elaborated that this is just one of several ways to get the perfect clean cut when enlarging an existing hole.

During his exclusive chat with House Digest, Kyle Schurman noted that every method of enlarging an existing hole has unique pros and cons. He explained that one variation on the scrap wood technique requires no additional hardware or adhesives. "Another option that may work is to wedge the scrap wood plug into the existing hole tightly enough that it doesn't require glue or brad nails," he said. "It has to be extremely tight in the existing hole. If the plug pops loose, the hole saw may start bouncing around, causing a poor cut for the new hole."

Alternatively, you can attach two hole saws to the same arbor, saving time and effort when drilling into tile, wood, and metal surfaces. "Stacking two hole saws is another option, with one hole saw matching the diameter of the existing hole and the other hole saw on the outside matching the diameter of the new hole," Schurman explained. "It can be difficult to ensure both hole saws are stable when using this method, however." Schurman pointed out that this makes the most sense if you have numerous holes to enlarge. "Say you're cutting new holes for a lot of doors," he said. "You might want to invest in a double hole saw that has a smaller hole saw permanently mounted inside the larger hole saw, all in one piece." Otherwise, the simple, handy trick of using a plug is probably the best option for one-off tasks.