Quick Tip: Is it Essential to drill a Pilot Hole?
When you are starting out in DIY, especially when making your own wood or board projects, there may come a time when you ask yourself... is a pilot hole necessary? - and the answer is yes!
21/05/2019
highland woodworking
Reasons why you should drill a pilot hole
I have seen some very wierd explanations as to why you should drill a pilot hole, and quite a few where people are drilling them wrong. There are several good reasons why you should drill pilot holes and we look at the most important reasons below.
When working with wood or board
When you are joining wood or board using butt joints, which by their nature are usually close to the edge of the material, a pilot hole reduces the risk of splitting the material. Or sometimes what happens, particularly when using a board product, is that the entire end section pops and leaves a long open gap along the top of bottom edge of the board.
Pilot hole reduces splitting or popping - Simply by drilling a pilot hole, you reduce the amount of pressure that driving in a screw would create and lessen the possibility of this by relieving the pressure with a pilot hole.
Many hardwoods and board products, particularly MDF or SupaWood, are hard to drill into and it is so easy for your screw to go in at an angle. By pre-drilling a pilot hole you cut down on the time required to join two pieces together.
Pilot hole keeps your screws straight - When you pre-drill a pilot hole your screws can be driven in perfectly straight. This is good news as it ensures that screws are perfectly centred in the edges and there is less chance of them popping out at an angle at the back or front of your material.
What size should a pilot hole be?
Any pilot hole that you drill should be smaller in diameter than that of the screw you are using. I like to standardise on a 2.3 or 3mm pilot hole when using 3,4mm, 4mm, or 5mm screws. That way I always know that my pilot will prevent splitting, keep my screw straight and still have enough material for the screw itself to grab onto.
If you are still confused, watch the quick video below that explains why you need to drill a pilot hole.