Pilot Hole Size for #8 Wood Screws
#8 screws (0.164″ shank) turn up in general cabinet and furniture work — the default shop screw. Here are the three bits to chuck before driving one.
- Pilot — hardwood 1/8″0.125″ — receiving piece
- Pilot — softwood 3/32″0.094″
- Clearance 11/64″0.172″ — top piece
- Countersink 3/8″flat head flush
Rule Pilot matches the screw’s root so the threads cut instead of split; clearance clears the 0.164″ 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.
#8 screw questions
What size pilot hole for a #8 screw in hardwood?
Drill a 1/8″ (0.125″) pilot hole for a #8 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 #8 screw in softwood?
Use 3/32″ (0.094″) 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 #8 screw need?
11/64″ (0.172″) through the piece being fastened, just over the #8 shank’s 0.164″, so the screw slides through and clamps the joint instead of holding it apart.
What countersink fits a #8 flat head screw?
A 3/8″ countersink lets a #8 flat head sit flush. A #8 combination pilot-countersink bit drills pilot, clearance, and countersink in one pass.
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