Hole saw guide

Abstract

A general purpose hole saw guide and a method of forming holes through surfaces, without the need of a centering bit, are provided. The hole saw guide includes a circular disk with concentric grooves on its surface. The disk is transparent and portable for placement on a surface through which a hole is to be drilled to facilitate the centering and stabilizing control of a hole saw on the surface. The method includes the steps of providing a transparent disk having concentric grooves; positioning the disk on a surface; mounting the disk to the surface; inserting a hole saw that is fitted to a drill into the grooves of the disk; drilling a hole through the disk and surface beneath it; and removing the disk from the surface after the hole has been drilled.

Claims

1. A method of forming a hole in a work surface, said method comprising: providing a hole saw guide comprising: a transparent disk, said disk having on its surface concentric circular grooves; determining a desired position on said work surface for forming a circular opening of a desired diameter; aligning said hole saw guide with said desired position so that one of said concentric circular grooves of the hole saw guide having a corresponding diameter to that of said desired diameter for the circular opening is aligned with said desired position; inserting a hole saw having a corresponding diameter to the one of said concentric circular grooves of the hole saw guide within the one of said concentric circular grooves of the hole saw guide; cutting through the hole saw guide with the hole saw, within the one of said concentric circular grooves of the hole saw guide, prior to cutting into the work surface; and forming said circular opening using said hole saw with said hole saw mounted to a drill and the drill being activated.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting said hole saw guide to said work surface at said desired position.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting said hole saw to the drill while the hole saw is inserted within the one of said concentric circular grooves of the hole saw guide.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said aligning includes aligning the one of said concentric circular grooves of the hole saw guide with a reference marking on said work surface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said aligning includes aligning the one of said concentric circular grooves of the hole saw guide with an existing opening in said work surface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a pilot drill bit is not used in conjunction with said hole saw.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present embodiment of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the hole saw guide, showing the top portion thereof, in accordance with the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a top elevational view of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a bottom elevational view of FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 5 is a view of the hole saw guide from the top toward the bottom;

(7) FIG. 6 is a view of a reference marking at a desired hole location; and

(8) FIG. 7 is a view from above with the hole saw guide positioned over the desired hole location, centered by aligning the reference marking with a corresponding groove on the hole saw guide;

(9) FIG. 8 is a view from above, with a hole saw (without pilot bit) of desired diameter placed in a groove on the hole saw guide which corresponds to the desired hole position;

(10) FIG. 9 is a view from above, with a drill attached to the hole saw of desired diameter placed in the groove on the hole saw guide which corresponds to the desired hole position; and

(11) FIG. 10 is a close-up view from the side of the hole saw of desired diameter placed in the groove on the hole saw which corresponds to the desired hole position.

(12) FIG. 11 is a view from the side, below the surface, of the drill attached to the hole saw passing through the surface, having passed through the hole saw guide.

(13) FIG. 12 is a view from above of the surface with an opening of the desired diameter, after using the hole saw guide and related method.

(14) FIG. 13 is a view of a typical drill and hole saw configuration (with exception of pilot bit).

(15) FIG. 14 is a view from above of the hole saw guide centered over an existing opening, and where a larger diameter hole is desired.

(16) FIG. 15 is a view from above of the drill attached to the hole saw of desired diameter placed in the groove on the hole saw guide which corresponds to the desired hole position, the desired hole diameter being larger than a pre-existing opening in the surface.

(17) FIG. 16 is a view from above of the surface with the opening of desired diameter, after using the hole saw guide and related method.

(18) FIG. 17 is a view from above, for purposes of reference, of the surface with the opening of larger desired diameter, after using the hole saw guide and related method, with surface material from a previously made hole of smaller diameter that constituted the pre-existing opening in the surface.

(19) FIG. 18 is a view of a rendering of the hole saw guide to illustrate dimensions according to an embodiment of the hole saw guide. Actual production dimensions may vary slightly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(20) The present embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG, having been constructed from solid SLA material through a Computer Numeric Control (CNC) process. The invention may likewise be made with injection molding process, additive processes (3D printing) or other methods that are common to the production of plastic goods.