TapMaster Steel Hot Tap Pilot Drills with Dual Retention Wires - FAQ

Do I need to use this when I hot tap?

It is highly recommended because the retention wires grab/catch the coupon/cookie so it doesn’t fall down into the pipe and block the line or jam a valve. That could be quite an expensive repair. These are made especially for the TM-1 Pro machines.

What is the importance of a pilot drill?

A pilot drill guides the hole saw to exactly where it needs to be, then keeps it on course until the job is finished. Without a pilot drill, the hole saw would just spin and wobble over the object you were trying to saw through, leaving you with a gouged surface instead of a clean, round penetration cut. The pilot drill is located at the exact center of a hole saw, and protrudes a short distance beyond the saw’s toothed edge. The first part of making a hole saw cut is to drill the pilot bit into the center of what will become the hole. Sinking the pilot drill allows the hole saw to anchor itself to the object being cut, providing the saw with guidance and stability before its cutting teeth even touch down.

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