Using an annular cutter still isn't considered to be the norm, especially when you are talking in-home machinery. Using a metal hole saw has been the standard for some time because most people didn't want to spend the money on magnetic drills or larger pieces of equipment.
However, now that an annular cutter can be used with a drill press, more people have been looking into adding one as part of their metalworking arsenal.
Here are a few benefits that you could gain from doing this as well. Keep in mind that most of these benefits stem from comparing an annular cutter to a standard twist drill.
One of the biggest benefits that the average person will notice is that using an annular cutter can save both time and energy. For example, if you are currently using a twist drill or metal hole saw, there is a good chance that completing your project will include a number of drilling steps.
However, with the cutter you will be able to do this all in one step because it is designed to eliminate the need for pre-drilling. Additionally, you save time because you can work at a faster cutting speed.
While you will still need to use some form of coolant, all of the actual cutting will be done at a much faster feed rate. This is because they have more teeth and less tool wear.
Another benefit is that an annular cutter can be utilized with much less powerful drilling equipment. Since it does not try to drill through the entire piece of metal, it takes less power to complete the project.
In this regard, it is very similar to a standard metal hole saw. The only difference is that this type of bit is much more efficient. This not only saves energy, but also makes the entire job much easier to complete.
Additionally, you can drill all of your holes without predrilling or step drilling. Because of its unique design, you will be able to create holes that were previously very difficult or near impossible to achieve due to awkward angles.
Plus, an annular cutter is much more precise and accurate than your standard twist drills. Finally, it is much easier to add coolant through the tool center pin, which makes deep hole drilling possible with a single, non-stop step.
As you can see, there is a wide range of benefits to using an annular cutter, especially if you currently use a twist drill. It even has a number of benefits over a standard metal hole saw.
While there are many benefits to using this tool, the six most prominent benefits include: saving time, saving energy, using faster feed rates, using less powerful and lighter equipment, drilling awkward holes accurately, and facilitating coolant feeding thanks to the tool center pin.
With such an array of advantages, it is no surprise that more people are opting for an annular cutter over the traditional twist drill.
With so many different advantages to be had, it is no surprise that more people are opting for an annular cutter over the traditional twist drill.
It is surprising how many people still use a regular bit on a twist drill to create holes in denser materials such as metal. This can be especially difficult if you are trying to create large holes.
It is much easier to use a simple attachment called an annular cutter. It is designed specifically to help you out in this type of situation.
Depending on how you plan on creating your hole, a metal hole saw might be a good option as well. Here is a closer look at why you should ditch your twist drill and bit and upgrade to much more advantageous tools.
The main reason many people are moving away from twist drills is that they can quickly turn a very efficient operation into a very slow and tedious one.
The design of your standard twist drill really hasn't changed much over the last few centuries. Even with enhancements like carbide tips and core drills, the overall product is still not as effective as it should be. This is because twist drills do two things simultaneously: cut and chisel.
Due to its design, its effectiveness is limited by the available horsepower behind it. Instead of battling against the drill, using an annular cutter can provide you with the same output of work with much less power.
Additionally, because of the extra pressure and thrust required with a twist drill, in most cases only two cutting edges have to do all of the work. This not only causes premature wear and tear, but also means that there is a slower feed and metal removal rate.
Essentially, the more teeth available for cutting, the more efficient your drill will be. That is why the metal hole saw became popular in the first place.
However, if you don't want to purchase a new piece of equipment, there is a number of different ways to integrate an annular cutter with the drill or press that you already have.
An annular cutter is different than your regular drill bit because it is hollow and offers multiple cutting edges as opposed to only two. Plus, the lowered inner and outer edges means that each tooth has a lower total work load.
Because the tool is hollow, the surface that you are cutting and converting into chips is much smaller than a traditional twist drill. This means that higher feed rates and less power is required. Additionally, because you need less thrust, this type of cutter also requires less energy to operate.
In short, using an annular cutter instead of your traditional twist drill bit is more efficient in every aspect. If you are drilling a hole that is particularly large, then a metal hole saw might be your best option.
Either way, a traditional twist drill will always be your most inefficient option. As there are fewer cutting points it requires more energy, horsepower, and thrust to achieve the same results over a longer period of time.
If cutting holes is something that you need to do on a regular basis, then it is probably time to look into more efficient options.
For more information about annular cutters and metal hole saws, please check out www.hermanscentral.com