I need to cut a hole in wood. Simple right?

[ed kerns]

I need to cut some small discs out of some thin (about 1/4") hardwood. The discs need to vary in size ranging from 1/2" to maybe 1 1/4". The disc is my keeper piece and I don't want a hole in the middle of it such as a hole saw would make. Also I'd like to predetermine the size of the disc - unlike a standard hole saw which goes by the size of the hole. Thanks in advance for any ideas!
EDIT- Suddenly occurs to me that a big plug cutter would work- but the larger size is something like $90 on Amazon...any cheaper ideas?

[museumguy]

Something that I have done in the past is take the pilot bit out of the holesaw. Clamp the piece of wood down firmly. Cut the disc. You actually get great results. The ID is fairly consistent.

[Cooler]

Something that I have done in the past is take the pilot bit out of the holesaw. Clamp the piece of wood down firmly. Cut the disc. You actually get great results. The ID is fairly consistent.

I did the same, but I used a drill press. 

For free-hand, I would first drill (with the pilot) a hole in 3/4" particle board, plywood or MDF using the holesaw size of choice.  I would then remove the pilot drill and clamp the thin stock to the 3/4" stock with the hole drilled in it. 

Us that 3/4" stock as a guide for drilling the discs without the pilot hole.  (Or use a drill press.)

Some companies list "plywood discs" as a "from stock" item.  Google "Plywood discs" you will find several vendors.  Pretty cheap too.

Here is one:  https://www.caseyswood.com/shoppingcart/...gLCLPD_BwE

1" x 0.125" x 25 pieces = $0.06 each

And here is the search:  https://www.google.com/search?client=fir...wood+discs

[oakey]

Ed i do what museum guy does it works quite well just clamp the work to a large sacrifice piece and use the saw minus the drill
depending on the length of the hole saw you can cut several then spin the saw off the holder remove the disks and start over
you can also cut dowel,s off i find the hole saw better [more consistent]

[Handplanesandmore]

The challenge of your question is not the center hole that you want to avoid as others have already suggested how to overcome it. It's "Also I'd like to predetermine the size of the disc" part. You many not find a hole saw or fortsner bit (tip removed) that suits your need. 

My suggestion is to cut your disc on a router table. Woodcraft magazine featured the router table method over 10 years ago (forgot which issue), but this video captures its principle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrw0YHjSgFc

You drill the pilot hole on the underside of your work, or if you really don't even want a hole on the underside, double-face tape a scrap under your work, and drill the pilot hole on the scrap. You may use a dremel instead of a router depending on the materials.

Simon

[Alan S]

If you use a hole saw without the pilot, start by cutting a hole guided by the pilot bit in some scrap.  Clamp this on top of your stock to help accurately start the hole saw without the pilot.

Double sided tape can work to hold on larger templates, but as they get smaller the bond to the stock weakens and your fingers get closer to the action.  I'll leave it to you to decide where the line is below which you don't want to do it that way, but just say there is a line.

To cut circles using a router with no mark on either face you can use a template held on with a clamp, and reposition the template after a partial cut.  Since I started by saying this approach is to deal with smaller circles (though it can be used with larger ones too) how do you get the clamps out of the way?  Use clamps that fit into a T-slot, dovetail groove, or hole drilled into the edge of the template.  These are clamps for saw tracks, tablesaw auxiliary fences, and the like.  It's pretty straightforward to make a template to cut 2/3-3/4 of the circle, held on by the clamp.  The trickier part is repositioning the template to cut the rest, probably facilitated by a jig to butt both against.

[Bob10]

If you use a hole saw without the pilot, start by cutting a hole guided by the pilot bit in some scrap.  Clamp this on top of your stock to help accurately start the hole saw without the pilot.

Double sided tape can work to hold on larger templates, but as they get smaller the bond to the stock weakens and your fingers get closer to the action.  I'll leave it to you to decide where the line is below which you don't want to do it that way, but just say there is a line.

To cut circles using a router with no mark on either face you can use a template held on with a clamp, and reposition the template after a partial cut.  Since I started by saying this approach is to deal with smaller circles (though it can be used with larger ones too) how do you get the clamps out of the way?  Use clamps that fit into a T-slot, dovetail groove, or hole drilled into the edge of the template.  These are clamps for saw tracks, tablesaw auxiliary fences, and the like.  It's pretty straightforward to make a template to cut 2/3-3/4 of the circle, held on by the clamp.  The trickier part is repositioning the template to cut the rest, probably facilitated by a jig to butt both against.

I have done that to resize door knob holes

[thewalnutguy]

I need to cut some small discs out of some thin (about 1/4") hardwood. The discs need to vary in size ranging from 1/2" to maybe 1 1/4". The disc is my keeper piece and I don't want a hole in the middle of it such as a hole saw would make. Also I'd like to predetermine the size of the disc - unlike a standard hole saw which goes by the size of the hole. Thanks in advance for any ideas!
EDIT- Suddenly occurs to me that a big plug cutter would work- but the larger size is something like $90 on Amazon...any cheaper ideas?

to get the disc of the exact size you want, use a wing cutter in a drill press. Without turning on power to the drill press, bring the wing cutter down to the level where the drill bit in the cutter almost touches the 1/4" material, and set the depth stop of the drill press.  Fasten a piece of sacrificial 1/2"  material on top of the stock from which the disc will be taken. Cut almost through the sacrificial material, lengthen the cutting knife in the wing cutter so that it extends a bit more than 1/4" beyond the pilot drill bit,  and cut your disc. If you want to make more discs of the same size, use double-sided tape to fasten the 1/2" sacrificial disc you just made onto the 1/4" material, and cut out the next 1/4" thick disc.

[ed kerns]

Thank you everyone. Definitely some workable ideas here. You're good people and a fine bunch of woodworkers! Merry Christmas!

[Kudzu]

Dowel stock and cut to length?