Can You Use a Drill as a Saw (Find the Truth)

Published on: May 27, 2022
Written by David Rowan / Fact-checked by David Rowan

Cutting wood without a saw sounds insane. Everyone understands that a saw is required to cut anything made of wood. When it comes to creating cuts in wood, there are some unexpected possibilities as well as some more obvious options.

Drill machines can be changed into other equipment that is more helpful. It may be used to make cut-off machines, angle grinders, and vacuum cleaners, among other things. Drills are used for drilling, and saws are used for cutting. There are some side-cutting drill bits for rotozip-like applications, but they are horrible for cutting and are designed for thin sheet materials, so they will take forever and be oh so dreadful on 1.5′′ thick boards. You’ll need to purchase a hand saw.

Can Drill Be Used for Cutting?

Drilling is the most typical method for making machined holes since it is easy, rapid, and cost-effective. On the other hand, a drill may be converted into a saw for cutting purposes.

Converting a drill into a saw won’t give you a perfect cut, but it will allow you to split a single piece of wood into two. Drill a series of lines as close together as possible on the line you wish to cut using your smallest drill bit.

Can a Drill Cut Sideways?

The Beaver Sawdrill® is a side-cutting drill bit that can cut any shape your hand can follow! The Beaver Sawdrill® cuts through wood, drywall, plastic, even sheet metal faster and easier than anything you’ve ever seen before.

The American-Made Beaver Sawdrill® is manufactured of Precision Ground M2 High-Speed Steel, the best steel for a wide variety of materials. The Beaver Sawdrill® is coated with Titanium Nitride, a tough hard coating that lasts up to 6 times longer and cuts faster and cooler. The 135° Split Point ensures fast, easy starting – even in steel.[source]

How to Cut Wood Using a Drill

Cutting wood with a drill is so easy that virtually anybody can do it. If you wish to prevent breathing in dangerous pollutants, goggles and a face mask are required due to wood dust.

Draw a straight line over the surface of the wood with a pencil, marking exactly where you want to cut.

Make multiple holes along the surface of the board by carefully following the pencil line. Try to keep them as close together as possible. You want something that looks like the perforations in a toilet paper roll.

Rep this procedure until the wood is so brittle that it cracks readily in your hands.

Using sandpaper, smooth off the rough surface of the cut.

How Do You Put a Saw Blade on a Drill?

When making circular apertures ranging from 1 1/2 to 5 inches in diameter, woodworkers use a hole saw. For sizes between 1 and 1 1/2 inches, they can use a spade bit, or a hole saw, and they commonly utilize a jigsaw to produce huge holes. Because a hole saw, which has teeth positioned on the outside edge of a metal cylinder, may create a lot of torque, it’s critical to properly install it in the drill to minimize slippage, wobbling, and kickback.

Step 1:

Select a suitable pilot bit. Hole saws are commonly sold in a set with numerous pilot bits ranging in diameter from 1/4 inch to 7/16 inch. Consult the instructions to determine which bit to use.

Step 2: 

Slide the hole saw onto the mandrel, the metal fitting that holds the bit, and insert the bit through the hole at the bottom of the hole saw. You may just snap the bit onto the mandrel if you have a modern hole saw set. You’ll probably have to screw it on if it’s an older set. It’s a forward thread, which means you tighten it onto the threads by turning the saw clockwise.

Step 3:

With one wrench, hold the mandrel and the saw’s base with the other. Tighten the saw onto the mandrel with the wrenches. If you don’t do this, the saw may come free while you’re using it.

Step 4: 

Unplug or remove the battery from your drill to turn it off. To place the base of the saw mandrel into the drill, open the chuck far enough. Hold the saw by the base while tightening the drill chuck, which you may do by hand or using a chuck key, depending on the drill. To keep the chuck from opening while you’re operating the saw, tighten it as much as possible.

Step 5: 

By hand, rotate the chuck a few times to ensure that the saw is centered. Plugin the drill or insert the battery when you’re ready to start sawing.

Final Thoughts

Drilling is the most typical method for making machined holes since it is easy, rapid, and cost-effective. A drill can be converted into a saw for cutting purposes. The Beaver Sawdrill cuts through wood, drywall, plastic, even sheet metal faster and easier than anything you’ve ever seen before. 

Woodworkers use a hole saw to make circular apertures ranging from 1 1/2 to 5 inches in diameter. A hole saw’s teeth create a lot of torque, so it’s essential to properly install it in the drill to minimize slippage and kickback.

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