Should my drill bit be the same size as my screw?
Table of Contents
Should my drill bit be the same size as my screw?
If you are creating a pilot hole for a screw, the drill bit should be the same size as the body of the screw—not including the threads.
What are the screw sizes?
American Screw Sizes
| THREAD DIAMETER | ||
|---|---|---|
| Size | Nearest Fraction | Inch |
| #6 | 9/64 | 0.13 |
| #8 | 5/32 | 0.16 |
| #10 | 3/16 | 0.19 |
What screw size is 3 16?
US Machine Screw Diameters
| Size | Nominal Thread Diameter | |
|---|---|---|
| Decimal | Nearest Fractional | |
| #6 | 0.138″ | 9/64″ |
| #8 | 0.164″ | 5/32″ |
| #10 | 0.190″ | 3/16″ |
What size drill bit to pre drill for a #10 screw?
Drill Bit Sizes For Pre-Drilling For Screws Most Commonly Used Sizes In Bold
| Screw Size | Pilot hole size for hardwoods* | Pilot hole size for softwood** |
|---|---|---|
| #9 | 1/8″ | 3/32″ |
| #10 | 1/8″ | 7/64″ |
| #11 | 5/32″ | 9/64″ |
| #12 | 9/64″ | 1/8 |
What size is a drill bit number 7?
0.2010 inches
A number 7 drill bit is 0.2010 inches.
What size drill bit should I use for a #8 screw?
1/8″
Drill Bit Sizes For Pre-Drilling For Screws Most Commonly Used Sizes In Bold
| Screw Size | Pilot hole size for hardwoods* | Pilot hole size for softwood** |
|---|---|---|
| #6 | 3/32″ | 5/64″ |
| #7 | 3/32″ | 5/64″ |
| #8 | 1/8″ | 3/32″ |
| #9 | 1/8″ | 3/32″ |
How do you measure a screw hole?
Measure the length of the shank and the length of the entire screw, not counting the taper at the tip. If it’s a flat-head screw, include the thickness of the head in both measurements; otherwise begin the measurement below the head. These measurements will be the depth of the pilot hole and shank hole.
How do I know what size screw I need?
The general rule of thumb is that the screw should enter at least half the thickness of the bottom material, e.g. 3/4″ into a 2 x 4. The other factor is the screw’s diameter, or gauge. Screws come in gauges 2 through 16. Most of the time you’ll want to go with a #8 screw.
How do I know what size a screw is?
To measure the diameter of screws and bolts, you measure the distance from the outer thread on one side to the outer thread on the other side. This is called the major diameter and will usually be the proper size of the bolt.