Woodworking Drill Bits: Choose a Useful Kit, Not the Biggest Set

For furniture and cabinet work, start with brad-point bits for accurately placed small holes, Forstner bits for flat-bottomed recesses, and a countersink for screw assembly. Add spade bits, augers or hole saws when a project calls for rough openings, deeper boring or large through-holes.

That is a more useful buying strategy than choosing the case with the highest piece count. Hole finish, depth and the drill you can use matter more than how many sizes fit in the box.

Choose by the hole you need

Task	Starting choice	Main trade-off
Dowel holes, shelf-pin holes and neatly placed small holes	Brad-point bit	Clean edges and accurate starting; not a flat-bottom recess cutter
Hardware recesses and flat-bottomed counterbores	Forstner bit	Better bottom geometry; needs controlled feed and chip clearing
Ordinary pilot or clearance holes	Twist bit rated for wood	Useful if you already own it; more prone to wandering and tear-out
Quick openings in construction lumber	Spade bit	Prioritizes rough boring rather than furniture-quality finish
Deep holes in timber	Power-drill-rated auger	A self-feeding screw tip advances the cutter into the wood
Large circular through-holes	Wood-rated hole saw	Cuts around a core; check arbor compatibility and cutting depth

The distinctions among brad-point, Forstner, twist and spade bits follow their cutting geometry, not simply their diameter. Popular Woodworking’s bit guide explains why each produces a different result.

Brad point: the first wood-specific addition

A brad-point bit has a central locating point and outer scoring spurs. The point helps keep the start on your mark; the spurs cut the perimeter before the main edges remove the wood. That makes this design a sensible first purchase for visible, accurately positioned holes. Lee Valley describes that perimeter-scoring action in its lipped brad-point specifications.

Buy the exact diameter required by your dowels, shelf pins or jig. Do not assume a nearby fractional size will provide the intended fit for metric hardware. Test the actual bit and hardware in scrap before drilling finished parts.

For technique and limitations, see our guide to choosing and using a brad-point bit.

Forstner: buy the recess size, not every size

Choose a Forstner bit when the bottom of the hole matters. It is also useful for overlapping holes when removing mortise waste. A projecting center point can leave an indentation: “flat-bottomed” does not mean completely mark-free.

A drill press is the better setup for controlled depth and repeatable alignment, particularly with larger cutters. Some models are also intended for portable drills—Bosch lists both portable and stationary use—but that does not make every diameter or operation suitable for handheld work. WOOD’s guide explains the torque and chip-clearing demands.

For cabinet hardware, buy the diameter specified by the hardware maker and check the required recess depth against the panel thickness, allowing for the cutter’s projecting tip.

Spade, auger or hole saw: add them for a specific project

Use a spade bit when a rough opening is acceptable; it is not the default upgrade for clean cabinet holes.

For deeper timber boring, choose an auger explicitly suitable for your power drill. Nail resistance is model-specific, not a property of every auger: IRWIN identifies particular WeldTec ship and pole augers for nail-embedded wood.

A hole saw removes a ring and leaves a core rather than boring away the entire diameter. Check its wood rating, cutting depth and shank fit, plus the compatible arbor if it requires a separate one. Starrett’s guidance stresses matching the arbor to the saw and keeping speed within the recommended range.

Check what a set leaves out

For a first furniture-making kit, choose a modest brad-point set covering your routine sizes, then individual Forstner bits for planned recesses. Keep serviceable twist bits rather than replacing them merely because they are not wood-specific.

Two useful accessories may be missing from a conventional drill-bit set:

• Countersink: creates the recess for a countersunk screw head. Match the pilot-hole cutter to the screw and application.
• Self-centering bit: its spring-loaded nose locates the pilot hole within suitable countersunk hinge holes, helping the screw seat centrally.

WOOD describes both accessories and their applications.

Check shank diameter separately from cutting diameter. For example, Lee Valley’s brad-point range uses 3/8-inch shanks on its 25/64- through 1/2-inch cutters, but 1/2-inch shanks on its 33/64- through 1-inch cutters. Compare flute length, not just overall length, when assessing deeper work. Chuck fit alone does not establish that your drill can safely drive a large cutter; check the drill’s capacity and the bit maker’s tool requirements.

Use the setup that protects the finish

Clamp the workpiece and put a sacrificial backing board tightly against the exit face of a through-hole. A clean entrance does not guarantee a clean exit; backing reduces splintering as the cutter breaks through. Popular Woodworking recommends scrap backing for show surfaces.

Use rotary drilling, not hammer mode, for wood. Wear eye protection, use auxiliary handles as directed by your drill’s manual, and unplug the tool or remove its battery before changing cutters. The DeWalt DW502/DW504 manual gives these mode and safety precautions.

Follow the cutter’s speed guidance rather than one universal “wood RPM.” Larger cutters generally need lower rotational speeds, and Forstner bits need periodic withdrawal to clear shavings, as WOOD explains. For blind holes, set a depth stop and prove the depth on scrap before moving to the finished part.