Tool Tips - May 2012

Getting rid of sawdust
Rubber boots
Emergency dust filter

Getting rid of sawdust

When using hole saws on wall plates and subfloors for plumbing vents, a lot of sawdust builds up, which clogs the teeth and causes a lot of friction and heat, significantly slowing the work.

My solution is this: Once you’ve just started the hole and can see the circle on the wood, take a large cordless drill with a small spade bit (1/2-in. or so) and make two or three quick holes inside just touching the big circle. As you finish with the hole saw, the sawdust will fall through the small holes.

You’ll be amazed how much faster the hole saw cuts! And with quick-change chucks, the time is minimal to change bits.

Kevin O. Pulver
Pulver Radiant Heating
Kenesaw, Neb.

Easy on/off for rubber boots

Everyone has to wear rubber boots over work boots now and then. They are a bear to put on and even worse to take off at the end of the day.

If you slip a small plastic shopping bag over your work boots before putting on your rubber boots, they will slide on and pull off easily. No more finding a curb to kick them off, which ends up damaging your rubber boots. And if your rubber boots leak a little, the shopping bags will keep your feet dry.

Pat Sullivan
Martin Petersen Co.
Kenosha, Wis.

Emergency dust filter

If you have ever tried to use a wet-dry vac without a dust filter, it can be a real mess. Not too long ago I was in a bind - my filter was wet and falling apart and I needed to use my vac to suck up concrete dust and rock in a customer’s house. As I looked around my truck, I noticed a dust mask lying on the floor. I flipped the mask inside out and placed it over the exhaust hole on the wet-dry vac; the head bands fit perfectly over the top of the blower.

It worked pretty well and there was hardly any dust left. The mask would not last all day or for really big messes, but for a quick cleanup it saved the day.

Stuart Baldick
Stuart's Plumbing
Lakeland, Fla.