Home improvement jobs are nearly impossible without a drill. You'll need to drill holes for screws, hinges and everything in between. The tool used for drilling a hole is an electric drill with drill bits that are screwed into it. The drill bits are what drill the actual hole. Drill bits are available in various sizes and shapes, as well as for different purposes. There are bits for drilling into wood and bits for drilling into masonry and concrete. In fact, there are bits for drilling into nearly anything. Drill bits must be maintained and kept sharp. The most popular drill is a 3/8-inch-variable-speed drill, which can handle a variety of bit sizes and is suitable for basic drilling into wood [source: Vandervort]. Let's take the drilling process step by step and learn how to drill a hole in wood.
- Measure the width of the piece of wood you are drilling into, to make sure the drill bit is long enough.
- Make sure you have the right type of bit. There are different bits for drilling different types of holes, including the brad point bit, forstner bit, expansive bit, auger bit, multi-angle bit and flat wood bit [source: Woodworking Institute].
- Mark the spot where you want to drill the hole with a pencil or marker.
- Punch a small hole on the spot you marked, using a hammer and nail. This will make a slight indentation in the wood for you to place the dill bit.
- Fit the drill bit into the hole.
- Start drilling at a low speed. Slowly increase the drill speed.
- Reduce the speed of the drill when your hole is made, and slowly pull the bit out. Switch the drill off when the bit is completely out of the hole. If you switch the power off while the bit is in the hole, you will not be able to remove the bit [source: Readers Digest].
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