Tips and Tricks Thread

[Baldchap]

The tools you wish you'd bought sooner thread has been (whilst expensive in places) largely very useful to me. I think it's handy to stay abreast of new stuff and methods. I figured a handy tips for doing stuff thread might be equally helpful.

This week I had to expand some old spotlight holes by a couple of mm in a house I'm renovating for my parents. It's not something I've done before but how hard can it be?

I know from experience a holesaw without arbour bit just walks away so my initial approach was to draw round the right size hole cutter and then use a manual pull saw to expand the holes, but there were about ten to do, which is a PITA.

Off to YouTube and an old South African (by the accent) chap had the solution (sorry I don't have the video link) suggested making a little jig like this:



It's just a longer piece of timber with a smaller piece (that will fit through the hole for my arbour bit to reach) screwed on, with a hole the size of my arbour bit in the middle. I made this from some old flooring I had already removed with a multitool.

I then pop it through the hole and screw to the ceiling like this (smaller part facing down into the existing hole):



And voila, perfectly expanded spotlight hole!



Hope this helps someone one day.

What good tricks or tips have you found?

[dickymint]

That's a great hack

[GasEngineer]

dickymint said:

That's a great hack

Please don't call it a hack.

[reggie747]

A far easier method which does it without the need to fill that gaping screw hole afterwards is...

Cut a piece of (min) 6mm ply and then using your holesaw with the new size you need, pop a hole through the ply.
Proceed to remove the pilot bit from the holesaw and visually centre the ply, with hole, over your smaller hole and cut through the plasterboard again with the pilotless hole saw.

Job's a good 'un as they say down our way

[dickymint]

GasEngineer said:

dickymint said:

That's a great hack

Please don't call it a hack.

"A life hack (or life hacking) is any trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method that increases productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life"

[zalrak]

This is an easier way to do this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqFpizXUKPA

[Baldchap]

zalrak said:

This is an easier way to do this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqFpizXUKPA

Not if you don't have the original hole saw.

[Baldchap]

reggie747 said:

A far easier method which does it without the need to fill that gaping screw hole afterwards is...

Cut a piece of (min) 6mm ply and then using your holesaw with the new size you need, pop a hole through the ply.
Proceed to remove the pilot bit from the holesaw and visually centre the ply, with hole, over your smaller hole and cut through the plasterboard again with the pilotless hole saw.

Job's a good 'un as they say down our way

That's even better!

[anonymous-user]

On my last rental I had the sparky run the cables in position then went in the loft and screwed some wood above them. It was a bungalow so made it easier.

[zalrak]

Baldchap said:

Not if you don't have the original hole saw.

They are not expensive to buy, it does the job properly and gives a clean finish. Why mess about with a bodge when you can easily do it the correct and safe way?