I drill a pilot hole the size of the 'barrel' of the screw. -I always use a combination drill bit for sinking screwheads. The first part of the bit is the diameter of the 'barrel' of the screw and the step, one inch higher is the size of that screw's head. (The barrel is the diameter inside threads) -I have a set of these drill bits for #6, #8, and #10 screws and they are great.
A countersink bit.
Almost any place that has drill bits should have a countersink bit. Drills a pilot hole and the tapered countersink in one step.
You will have to drill a pilot hole before screwing into oak. Use a cordless drill and a 1/16" inch bit or 3/32.
It is not a drill bit, it is called a Tap. You drill a hole slightly smaller than the Tap and then screw it into the hole.
Most metals are initially drilled with a narrower drill, forming a pilot hole. Then the right size drill is used to complete the drilling of the hole by widening the pilot hole.
That is called drilling a 'pilot' hole. This helps the bigger drill bit to keep exactly square.
Pilot drill.
This depends on ones skill; but the easiest technique for a do-it-yourselfer is to set the handrail in place first. Spindles or balusters with square stock on both ends would do best. Place the spindles, usually two per step, so they will be spaced evenly from step to step. Scribe a line on the upper square stock of the spindle from under the handrail. This will give you the angle of cut for all spindles; but you should check to insure that all lengths are the same. Even a 1/16th of an inch will make a difference in the spacing of spindles. Set the bottom square stock to the step or tread. Drill a pilot hole with a countersink drill into the upper square stock into the hand rail. Insure that this pilot hole is drilled on the upper side of the staircase. I would recommend a #8 countersink drill and #8 screws, at least 2" in length. Continue up the staircase and good luck. Enjoy your great job.
It's a drill bit with a very sharp point for drilling hardwood without splintering it.
A sentence for the word pilot is " The pilot has to fly into Tokyo tonight." You may split the wood if you don't drill a pilot hole first. I can pilot your boat through these waters easily.
A pilot hole can be to help direct a screw in situations where alignment is important. Most commonly it is used to ease the process of fastening the screw and reducing potential damage to threads in the process.
It's to drill a pilot hole for the screw and a recess for the head to go into.