Steel screw before brass?
Mike Korsak’s article, How to Drive a Screw, was right on the money! While this may be considered basic by some woodworkers, bridging or “jacking” happens all too often. Screw threads will bite into both pieces if a clear hole is not made and the parts will not be drawn together. Here at the Wood Technology Center, this is considered so important that all first-quarter students must complete a “Clear Hole” project for submission.
With the advent of high-torque impact drivers, most incoming students don’t see the need to drill any kind of pilot hole. And while my cabinetmaking and boatbuilding students get the concept of a pilot hole pretty quickly, the carpenters who work mostly in softwoods tend to think it’s overkill; that is, until their Interior and Exterior Finish Quarter where hardwood trim comes into play!