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Tips & Techniques

Countersinking With a Spade Bit

A short piece of rod welded to a spade drill bit keeps the bit centered in the hole.

Issue 294 - Oct/Nov 2020
Article Image

The most annoying thing about using a spade bit to enlarge an angled hole for countersinking is keeping the bit centered in the existing pilot hole. To make this easy, I cut off the pointed end of a 1-1/2-in. spade bit, and welded on a short piece of 1/2-in. rod in its place. Now when I put the drill bit into the previously drilled pilot hole, the bit stays centered.

—Gerret Wikoff, Los Angeles

Edited and Illustrated by Charles Miller

From Fine Homebuilding #294

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