This will no doubt win the stupid post of the month award, but I'm
serious. I have a little plastic case of drill bits, some are missing
and some fit more than one slot, several are duplicates. It doesn't say
(can't see that well) what size they are on the bit, but above the slots
in the case the size is molded in there.

The last time it was a window box, and picked to small a drill bit and
had trouble getting the screws in so I took my drill bits to the
hardware store to buy some more screws (dropped a couple and could not
find them in the dirt) and ask which bit to use, little things in the
house no big deal but I'm doing to do some bolting, screwing and
drilling through two thicker layers of wood. Right now it happens to be
attaching stakes on a stepladder plant stand, a screen door trellis, and
also some supports to reinforce the door. Next project, who knows what
I'll run into.

I have noticed if I don't choose the right size drill bit, it is hard to
get the screw in and you get it so far in and the slot or plus
(phillips) starts getting stripped, sometimes because I didn't drill the
hole deep enough and sometimes because I used too small a bit.

Do you just eyeball it and guess? For my knitting needles and crochet
hooks, I have a little template that I can poke the thing in and find
the exact size. Do they have something like that for drill bits? Maybe
I could use that somehow. Poke whatever I've got in there and follow
with a drill bit until I find a good fit.

Maybe I answered my own question here. Buy the bolts and use the
knitting needle thingy.

A drill gauge is inexpensive but you don't need one.
Hold the screw up and look at how much metal is under the treaded parts
and choose a bit closest to that size or just a little under. You can
use a lubricant on the screw to ease installation, beeswax, an old
candle or bar soap.
Here is a chart from the web.

Wood Screw Pilot Hole Size

Screw Size Hard Wood Soft Wood Countersink Size
Tapered Bit Straight Bit Tapered Bit Straight Bit
2 3/32 1/16 5/64 1/16 1/4
3 7/64 5/64 3/32 1/16 1/4
4 7/64 5/64 3/32 1/16 1/4
5 1/8 3/32 7/64 5/64 5/16
6 9/64 7/64 1/8 3/32 5/16
7 5/32 7/64 9/64 3/32 5/16
8 11/64 1/8 5/32 7/64 3/8
9 3/16 9/64 11/64 1/8 3/8
10 13/64 9/64 3/16 1/8 7/16
12 7/32 5/32 13/64 9/64 7/16
14 1/4 11/64 15/64 5/32 1/2
16 9/32 3/16 17/64 11/64 9/16
18 5/16 7/32 19/64 13/64 5/8
20 21/64 15/64 5/16 7/32 3/4
24 3/8 17/64 3/8 1/4 3/4

wrote in message
ups.com...
A drill gauge is inexpensive but you don't need one.
Hold the screw up and look at how much metal is under the treaded
parts
and choose a bit closest to that size or just a little under.

That makes sense.

You can
use a lubricant on the screw to ease installation, beeswax, an old
candle or bar soap.

I'll try to remember that, happen to have all three.

Here is a chart from the web.

Wood Screw Pilot Hole Size

Screw Size Hard Wood Soft Wood Countersink Size
Tapered Bit Straight Bit Tapered Bit Straight Bit
2 3/32 1/16 5/64 1/16 1/4
3 7/64 5/64 3/32 1/16 1/4
4 7/64 5/64 3/32 1/16 1/4
5 1/8 3/32 7/64 5/64 5/16
6 9/64 7/64 1/8 3/32 5/16
7 5/32 7/64 9/64 3/32 5/16
8 11/64 1/8 5/32 7/64 3/8
9 3/16 9/64 11/64 1/8 3/8
10 13/64 9/64 3/16 1/8 7/16
12 7/32 5/32 13/64 9/64 7/16
14 1/4 11/64 15/64 5/32 1/2
16 9/32 3/16 17/64 11/64 9/16
18 5/16 7/32 19/64 13/64 5/8
20 21/64 15/64 5/16 7/32 3/4
24 3/8 17/64 3/8 1/4 3/4

The chart makes little sense but I saved it anyway, thanks. I haven't
graduated to countersink yet, but by golly I will.

"I Love Lucy" wrote in message
ink.net...
This will no doubt win the stupid post of the month award, but I'm
serious. I have a little plastic case of drill bits, some are missing and
some fit more than one slot, several are duplicates. It doesn't say
(can't see that well) what size they are on the bit, but above the slots
in the case the size is molded in there.

The last time it was a window box, and picked to small a drill bit and had
trouble getting the screws in so I took my drill bits to the hardware
store to buy some more screws (dropped a couple and could not find them in
the dirt) and ask which bit to use, little things in the house no big deal
but I'm doing to do some bolting, screwing and drilling through two
thicker layers of wood. Right now it happens to be attaching stakes on a
stepladder plant stand, a screen door trellis, and also some supports to
reinforce the door. Next project, who knows what I'll run into.

I have noticed if I don't choose the right size drill bit, it is hard to
get the screw in and you get it so far in and the slot or plus (phillips)
starts getting stripped, sometimes because I didn't drill the hole deep
enough and sometimes because I used too small a bit.

Do you just eyeball it and guess? For my knitting needles and crochet
hooks, I have a little template that I can poke the thing in and find the
exact size. Do they have something like that for drill bits? Maybe I
could use that somehow. Poke whatever I've got in there and follow with a
drill bit until I find a good fit.

Maybe I answered my own question here. Buy the bolts and use the knitting
needle thingy.
Here ya go:
http://images.meredith.com/wood/imag...screwchart.pdf

You should note that a lot depends on whether you're drilling in soft wood
or hard.

"James "Cubby" Culbertson" wrote in message
...

You should note that a lot depends on whether you're drilling in soft
wood
or hard.

True. Most of my stuff is soft in the house, no oak trim for me, also
so far with my various projects. Hardwood is expensive.