Guest Author - Dale Yelich

A lot of people take drilling a hole for granted. Put the drill bit into the chuck, place the point on a piece of wood or metal, pull the trigger on the drill, and go! The next thing you know, you are through the other side, nice whole, done deal, and on to the next one. But, as easy as that sounds, a lot of times after a hole is drilled, there can be splinters, burrs, and even things like broken drill bits. And we don’t want that, so, here are a few tips on how to drill perfect holes for all of your DIY projects.

The first thing you want to do before anything else is to put on a pair of safety glasses. Drill bits will throw pieces of material around at high speeds. You do not want any of that stuff in your eyes, so trust the Maintenance Guy on this one, wear safety glasses.

When picking a drill bit, always pick a high speed type rated for metal and wood drilling. There is one exception to this rule. When exclusively drilling through plywood, always get a wood drilling bit. A wood bit will have a tiny protrusion at the tip that allows you to press the bit directly into the wood. This will give you a good start and make for a perfectly placed hole.

One of the problems with drilling in metal is when the bit ‘walks’ or moves over the face of metal as you attempt to drill. By taking a center punch and a small hammer, make a slight indentation where you want the hole to be. This will allow the bit to grip that area immediately, and it won’t do any walking across the metal surface.

For the best and cleanest holes, let the bit do the work. Most of us literally jam the bit onto the surface, and push heavily. That may make the job go slightly quicker, but it will also leave burrs on metal, and ratty looking holes through wood. Instead of pushing it along, just guide it and allow the bit to pull itself through the hole. It may take a fraction longer, but the hole will be smoother without any leftover burrs.

On plywood, drilling is a bit different. That little protrusion on the wood bit is going to be your guide. As it pierces the other side of the plywood, stop drilling. Turn the piece over, and drill from the other side. If you don’t do that, you will get horrible splintering as the drill rips its way through the ply. By turning and drilling from the other side, the bit is allowed to cut it’s way through, and it will leave you a silky smooth hole in the process.

There you have it, and remember, let the drill bit do the work, for the smoothest and easiest drilled holes around. And that’s the art of drilling a hole.