Removing a stuck plug from a hole saw is frustrating. Although there are ways to avoid a stuck plug, such as drilling halfway through from one side and then completing the operation from the reverse side, in many situations that approach isn’t feasible.  Phantom Innovations has brought a plug-ejecting hole-saw arbor to the market. The Twister ezeOUT comes equipped with a 1/4-in.-dia. brad-point pilot bit and accepts all common hole saws 1-1/4 in. dia. and larger. After drilling, simply put the drill in reverse, grab hold of a knurled knob, and watch as a pair of rods ejects the plug. The brad-point bit increased the accuracy of hole placement when compared to the twist bits found in other arbors. When used on a drill press, the auto-eject feature must be operated manually, but it takes just seconds. The only drawback is that the plug-ejecting arbor is nearly 2-1/2 in. longer than a standard arbor. That added length might limit its ability to drill in tight quarters.    

—Eric Rimel is a student at the University of Idaho.

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