Pilot Hole Size for #2 Wood Screws
#2 screws (0.086″ shank) turn up in small hinges, boxes, and knobs. Here are the three bits to chuck before driving one.
- Pilot — hardwood 5/64″0.078″ — receiving piece
- Pilot — softwood 1/16″0.063″
- Clearance 3/32″0.094″ — top piece
- Countersink 3/16″flat head flush
Rule Pilot matches the screw’s root so the threads cut instead of split; clearance clears the 0.086″ 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.
#2 screw questions
What size pilot hole for a #2 screw in hardwood?
Drill a 5/64″ (0.078″) pilot hole for a #2 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 #2 screw in softwood?
Use 1/16″ (0.063″) 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 #2 screw need?
3/32″ (0.094″) through the piece being fastened, just over the #2 shank’s 0.086″, so the screw slides through and clamps the joint instead of holding it apart.
What countersink fits a #2 flat head screw?
A 3/16″ countersink lets a #2 flat head sit flush. A #2 combination pilot-countersink bit drills pilot, clearance, and countersink in one pass.
#3 screws → · Full chart & lookup · Screwing into a specific wood? Check its hardness in the species library.