Drilling holes - advice needed

stratoholic77

Junior Member
Messages
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Hi guys, I'm about to start working on my Strat build but I need some advice.

Specifically...what diamater drill bit do I need to drill the strap buttons, the humbucker mounting ring and the electrosocket....I'm planning on using a Bosch minidrill that uses metric hex HSS drill bits.

Any suggestions would be gratefully accepted
 
you might get different answers, but I just took some screws with me to the store and picked bits that were just a tiny bit smaller than the thickest part of the screw. If the wood is really hard you might want to find bits that are the same size. My guitar is mahogany so I wanted the holes to be a little tighter and it worked great for me.
 
Same here.  Just keep holding up drill bits next to your screws until you find a bit that is a bit thinner.
 
I have always been taught that the hole should be the same size as the shaft of the screw (i.e. the size without the threads)

When all else fails, i like to try my drill bit choice out on a piece of scrap wood to make sure the screw fits correctly.
 
Make sure you have drill bits in the likely size range going up by 0,5mm. Before each series of holes you drill, use calipers to measure the outside diameter of the screw threads. Remember that number - if you drill with that diameter or larger, you're screwed (pun intended). You need a drill that is one or two sizes smaller. It depends on the hardness of the wood you are drilling, how much force will be on these screws later, which one to choose. Just remember it's a lot easier to make a hole bigger than it is to make it smaller. Of course you also need to know when to back off if things are too tight. Just removing a screw that's partly screwed in and and too tight, and reinserting it can give a perfect fit.
 
I always want all the threads to catch in the wood so I always get a bit that is the same size as the screw without the threads like was said before.  The only problems I have ever had problems with were tuning head screws.  It's pretty easy to break the heads off of those.
 
Easiest way to do this is just buy a drill bit set, they're cheap, you can typically get a set 1/16" - 3/8" (or the metric equivalent) for US $10-15 dollars. Screws for strap buttons and other items aren't always the same size and can vary a bit. Try sticking the screw you need to drill the pilot hole for into the holders for the drill bit set and use the bit one size SMALLER than the size that the screw fits into.
 
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