What Good Are Pilot Holes?

[DerbyDad03]

[e-mail]...

re: "...and coat the screw with candle wax"

Grandpa always had a beat up bar of soap in his toolbox

[ktos]

They are holes in clouds so the pilot has an easier job to fly the plane in T-storms.

[Robert Green]

messagenews:4d5d9883$0$4279$ [e-mail]...

re: "...and coat the screw with candle wax"

Grandpa was a soap boxer? (-"

- Bobby G.

[Pavel314]

[e-mail]...

My dad was a carpenter in the 1950's and he used the bar soap method.

I frequently use a small finish nail to make a pilot hole in soft wood; drive it in half-way with a hammer then remove. Hard woods get drilled.

Paul

[Bob Villa]

Wire lube or teflon pipe dope works also.

[George]

Pilot holes are classic good workmanship that prevent splitting and lower stress on the fastener when it is inserted. Only the screw threads need to grab something.

[FatterDumber& Happier Moe]

Home Depot has ready made pilot holes so you don't have to drill them yourself any more. Look for them at the end of the hardware aisle.

[DerbyDad03]

Lowes has them with the screw already in the pilot hole.

Sweet!

[chaniarts]

yeah, but they're cheap chinese screws. you might try mcfeeley's for good old US made ones. you can get them with bronze and stainless steel screws too.

[Bob Villa]

legroups.com...

...about as funny as a screen door in a submarine.

[krw]

Even with pine, the fastening will be stronger when the right sized pilot hole is used. Without a pilot hole the wood fibers are torn, weakening the wood in that area. A screw into the properly sized pilot hole will separate the fibers (for the threads) without breaking them.

[Ex-Alcoholic#213836.5]

Airplane pilots need to take a shit too.... Thats what pilot holes are for.....

[Teredo]

My wife is a Pilot. Her pilot 'hole' is very good.

[Bob Villa]

This is the only amusing comment you have ever made...congratulations!