Welcome back to another exciting episode of Woodworking Wednesday! Carpenter Dan and I hope you had a great day off, or a great time with the ACT! And, if you’re one of the 22,000 fantastic people who viewed our previous video, we REALLY hope you had a great day! Hopefully you’ll use some of your free time to get to know your drill press and change the speeds! Even if you didn’t, now is a great time to keep learning with this week’s episode when we tie together everything we’ve covered so far and drill a hole part of the way through a block of wood. This is an extremely useful skill that will undoubtedly come up during any woodworking project you might undertake.

When drilling a partial hole it’s important to make sure that the wood is thoroughly clamped down. This prevents the wood from moving under the bit, which can damage the drill bit and drill press as well as the hole, and it prevents the wood from being suddenly flung out by the speedy drill bit, which can damage you! It’s also important to take your time when you actually start drilling. If the wood is properly clamped, it won’t be going anywhere so there’s no rush to get the hole drilled, and hurrying through the process will only endanger you and anyone else in your workshop. You’ll also end up with a cleaner, straighter hole if you drill slowly.

Finally, remember to wear safety goggles and gloves if you try this at home! And kids, make sure you have adult supervision.