Electrical Contracting News (ECN) August 2016 | Page 31

TOOLS

An arbor can be fitted with a
hole saw that has the same
diameter as the existing hole.

THE HOLE TRUTH
The materials and technologies in our homes and commercial buildings are advancing rapidly.
While this is great news for designers and engineers, it poses challenges for tradespeople
responsible for fitting new projects and refurbishing existing buildings. Here John Cove at
Starrett looks at the top five hole saw hacks that can make these jobs a breeze.

W

hether you’re
a plumber, an
electrician or a
carpenter you
will be all too
familiar with
the challenges
involved in
cutting and fitting various materials day
to day. Surfaces made of metal, timber,
engineered wood, plastic, glass, porcelain
and masonry, among others, can all require
different approaches to create a clean hole.

It’s not just surfaces either. Being able
to adapt to your surroundings when you
come up against non-standard fittings,
jobs that product a lot of debris and
dust, and even environments that are
poorly ventilated can be a real hassle,
taking up precious time on the job and
reducing productivity. However, making
some simple changes to your workflow
and choosing the right tool for the job can
make all the difference. So here are our
top five hole saw hacks to help you do
just that.

1. Cutting porcelain tiles
Ceramic tiles have been around for
centuries, so we’re all used to seeing
them on everything from flooring and
kitchen backsplashes to bathrooms
and even as decorative murals.
Advancements in production techniques
have made porcelain tiles more popular
than ever. Although ceramic tiles are
made from a soft mineral clay substrate
topped with a glaze, porcelain tiles
are fired at higher temperatures and

pressures. This liquefies the mineral
into solid glass, so the tile itself is much
harder and denser, making it ideal for a
wide variety of applications.
This strength has made porcelain
tiles a popular modern interior design
choice, with tiles being used in areas
other than simply on floors, kitchens and
bathrooms. However, the hardness of
the tile makes it very difficult to cut using
a simple tile cutter, and porcelain tiles
are also more prone to chipping during
the cutting process.

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