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Old timer told me to pre-drill every screw hole even in soft pine - ignored him for 5 years until I split a brand new window frame
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joelwells1mo ago
That old timer knew what he was talking about. Pre drilling keeps the wood from splitting when the screw pushes it apart from the inside. Even soft pine can split if you get too close to the edge or run a screw in straight without a pilot hole. I learned that one the hard way on a built in bookshelf I was so proud of until the crack showed up right down the middle of a nice piece of pine. Now I keep a set of drill bits right next to my screws so I never skip that step again. How long did it take you to get over that mistake?
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tyler61mo ago
You ever notice how old timers always have that one piece of advice that sounds like nonsense until you mess up? My grandpa told me to always wipe down my drill bits with a bit of oil before using them on hardwoods. I figured he was just being dramatic about keeping tools nice, but then I snapped a bit clean off in a piece of oak last summer and spent two hours trying to get the broken piece out with pliers and a lot of cussing. Now I oil everything, pre drill everything, and probably drive my wife crazy with how slow I go, but at least my window frames stay in one piece.
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