A guide to drilling

Important tips on screwdriving, drilling, percussion, and hammer drilling.

Drills are one of the most commonly used tools in a workshop, so knowing how to safely operate one is necessary when it comes to prototyping and working on projects.

Step 1: Select a drill bit
Prior to selecting a drill bit, it is very important to determine the size and depth of the hole you are drilling. When doing work with screws, pilot holes are very important to prevent the wood from splitting. The diameter of the drill bit for the pilot hole should be the same as the diameter of your screw without the threads.

If you plan on tapping the hole that you are drilling, that is, threading it so that you can screw a bolt in, look up the proper pilot hole sizes for the bolt you plan on threading.

Screwdriver bits are useful when using a hand drill to drive screws; they do not drill holes of any kind. Twist drill bits are the most frequently used and are generally used for cutting smaller, more standard holes into the material, including wood and metal. When you are planning on drilling a large hole with a twist drill bit, make sure to start with a smaller drill bit and widen the hole in stages; starting with a large bit can create a sloppy hole, make the bit more easily walk, and it might take very long to get through the material. This is important to consider once you start using drill bits greater than or equal to 6mm.

Forstner bits are capable of drilling large holes in wood and can go either partially or completely through the material. Forstner bits can also be used to drill angled holes into the material. Spade bits can more easily bore large holes into wood than a twist drill bit, and the holes can either go through the material partially or completely.