A Nifty Hole-Saw Trick

For those of us who deal with many boat projects, a set of hole saws is invaluable.

- Capt. Bill Pike

Whether you’re installing a new access hatch, through-hull, electrical circuit, opening port, air-conditioning run, or any number of other components, there’s no question that the ability to quickly and accurately remove a perfectly circular chunk of wood, fiberglass, or composite from a deck or bulkhead is absolutely useful and expeditious.

But what if you need to enlarge an existing hole previously cut with a hole saw, either slightly or dramatically, with nothing more than thin air at the center of the smaller hole? How do you keep the saw zeroed in appropriately until its teeth begin to cut the larger hole? Seems just about impossible, right?