Pilot Hole Size for #5 Wood Screws
#5 screws (0.125″ shank) turn up in small hinges, boxes, and knobs. Here are the three bits to chuck before driving one.
- Pilot — hardwood 3/32″0.094″ — receiving piece
- Pilot — softwood 5/64″0.078″
- Clearance 9/64″0.141″ — top piece
- Countersink 1/4″flat head flush
Rule Pilot matches the screw’s root so the threads cut instead of split; clearance clears the 0.125″ shank so the head can clamp. Size the pilot up 1/64″ in hard maple, hickory, white oak, or tropical hardwoods — and always for brass screws.
#5 screw questions
What size pilot hole for a #5 screw in hardwood?
Drill a 3/32″ (0.094″) pilot hole for a #5 wood screw in hardwood — oak, maple, cherry, walnut. In very hard stock like hard maple or hickory, go up 1/64″.
What size pilot hole for a #5 screw in softwood?
Use 5/64″ (0.078″) in pine, cedar, fir, and other softwoods — one size under the hardwood bit, because soft fibers compress around the threads.
What clearance hole does a #5 screw need?
9/64″ (0.141″) through the piece being fastened, just over the #5 shank’s 0.125″, so the screw slides through and clamps the joint instead of holding it apart.
What countersink fits a #5 flat head screw?
A 1/4″ countersink lets a #5 flat head sit flush. A #5 combination pilot-countersink bit drills pilot, clearance, and countersink in one pass.
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