Another way to split materials is by attempting to sink the head of the screw into the material. The force of the screwhead (especially a bugle-head screw) will often split the material. Remedy this by cutting out a cone-shaped depression with a countersink bit.

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With the drill still slowly rotating, withdraw the bit from the hole. Be careful to keep the drill straight to avoid widening the hole. Clear splinters from around the hole before driving the screw.

Select a drill bit that is the same diameter as the screw's shank. First, select a drill bit that looks as close as possible to the correct size. Then, hold the drill bit behind the screw. If you cannot see the drill bit behind the screw, the drill bit is the correct size.

For slippery materials, where the drill bit may skate on the surface, use a hammer to lightly tap a sharp object like a nail or a nailset. This creates a shallow hole that will help the drill bit grip the surface better.

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The drill bit should be the same diameter as the screw's shank—not including the screw threads. The shank is the screw's inner core or its shaft.

Choosing the correct size of drill bit to drill the pilot hole is important. If you choose a bit that's too thin, you might end up splitting the wood. If you choose a bit that's too thick, the screw's threads will not grip the wood.

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If you're concerned about the screw head splitting the material, chuck in a countersink bit. If the countersink's drill bit is the correct bit size for the pilot hole, you'll be able to drill the countersink and the pilot in one process.

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Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for years.

Drilling a pilot hole—sometimes called pre-drilling—isn't necessary if the material is soft enough to screw into directly without damaging the material. But in most cases, pre-drilling a pilot hole is beneficial.

End mills with straight flutes are single ended, and have a zero degree helix.  They are used to mill plastics, composites of epoxy and glass, and are also used for special profile milling applications.  The straight flute minimizes the fraying of the edges and provides better surface finishes than helical general purpose end mills.  They come in square and ball nose end geometries with two or four flute configurations.  They come as solid carbide or PVD AlTiN coated.

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Drilling a pilot hole is often necessary for building projects or when remodeling the home. But do you know how to drill a pilot hole the right way? Selecting the right drill bit and a few other simple drilling techniques are important to drilling the perfect pilot hole.

Open the drill's keyless chuck by turning it counterclockwise. The chuck collets, or the three metal arms, will open up. Insert the drill bit. Turn the keyless chuck clockwise to tighten the bit. Make sure that the drill bit is not crooked or misaligned in the collets.

Place the tip of the drill bit on the mark. Start the drill slowly, applying light pressure to the drill. Increase the speed or pressure on the drill only when needed. Drill the pilot hole as deep as the length of the screw.