Lew Hodgett wrote:
"Thomas G. Marshall" wrote:

I'm never quite sure what the best practices are for pre-drilling
holes for
screws.

Use a dial caliper (About $20) and measure screw.

Use 75% of thread dia for pilot holes.

Use thread dia +.015 for clearance holes.

Have fun.

Lew




Easier yet...Somewhere on the internet (sorry I didn't save the link but
a little googling should get you there) I found some pdf files with all
sorts of interesting shop reference charts. One of these tells you
exactly what size drill bit to use for each different wood screw size.
It even breaks it down to different size bits depending on whether you
are using hardwood or softwood.

I printed out the charts with the info I use frequently, laminated them,
and keep them in easy reach of my workbench.