Pilot Hole Size for #14 Wood Screws
#14 screws (0.242″ shank) turn up in lag-light duty: bed rails, heavy shelf cleats. Here are the three bits to chuck before driving one.
- Pilot — hardwood 3/16″0.188″ — receiving piece
- Pilot — softwood 9/64″0.141″
- Clearance 1/4″0.250″ — top piece
- Countersink 1/2″flat head flush
Rule Pilot matches the screw’s root so the threads cut instead of split; clearance clears the 0.242″ 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.
#14 screw questions
What size pilot hole for a #14 screw in hardwood?
Drill a 3/16″ (0.188″) pilot hole for a #14 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 #14 screw in softwood?
Use 9/64″ (0.141″) 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 #14 screw need?
1/4″ (0.250″) through the piece being fastened, just over the #14 shank’s 0.242″, so the screw slides through and clamps the joint instead of holding it apart.
What countersink fits a #14 flat head screw?
A 1/2″ countersink lets a #14 flat head sit flush. A #14 combination pilot-countersink bit drills pilot, clearance, and countersink in one pass.
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