When it comes to drilling a hole in wood, we often think about the round hole. But there is also one popular type of hole in woodworking.
It is a square hole. So the question for beginners in carpentry is how to drill a square hole in wood.
To create one square hole in wood, you need to dig a usual round hole and then take some relevant tools to turn it into a square shape.
One recommendation is to use a mortising machine for the square hole. Professionals prefer this method.
Meanwhile, you can also adopt a simple tool like a chisel to create a square hole. The wood craftsman and the artisan take an interest in this manual method.
In this article, we will discuss and analyze some methods to drill a square hole in wood. Several necessary techniques and safety precautions are also mentioned to ensure the best result.
Considerations While Drilling The Square Hole In Wood
Drilling a hole in wood is not an easy task that requires effort in this job. Then, You should apply some useful tips to make the process go more smoothly.
- Before drilling the square hole in wood, put on protective equipment.
- Punching a hole can release a large amount of dust. Then, it is better to do the job in a room with an appropriate ventilation system.
- The process of drilling will take some time or even a couple of hours. Thus, make a suitable schedule to avoid being overburdened. Remember that a hurry can trigger pain.
- Take some practice with the equipment before doing it in reality to produce the best result. If not, you will not achieve the desired square hole in wood.
- Ensure that the blade of the cutting tool is razor-sharp and clean enough.
Five Methods To Help You Drill A Square Hole In Wood
Some causes make you want to drill a square hole in wood. From esthetic holes to necessities such as mortise-tenon joints, you would have to drill a square hole in wood in almost all woodworking projects.
Chisel
A chisel is the most fundamental and low-cost tool in the world of tools that you can employ to drill a square hole in wood.
Still, it would take much time and effort to gain an accurate square hole. Then, the chisel is more suitable for small woodworking jobs where you will use thin basswood pieces.
Necessary tools:
- Chisels
- Framing squares
- Sledgehammers
- Sandpapers
The instruction:
- Take a framing square to picture square lines for drilling.
- Put the head of the chisel in the position of one in four angles of the square hole.
- Use a sledgehammer to hit the chisel lightly.
- Continue hitting gently until you see the bottom of the wooden sheet.
- Repeat the process for other angles of the square hole.
- Pull out the square wooden piece.
- Flatten all of the edges using some sandpapers.
Cordless drill and chisel
Although a chisel can drill some square holes in wood, it is not suitable for large wooden projects where you may dig several thick pieces of wood.
In that situation, it is better to employ a cordless drill and a chisel. You can effortlessly drill a square hole in wood.
Necessary tools:
- A cordless drill
- Drill bits
- Chisels
- Frame squares
The instruction:
- Take a framing square to picture square lines for drilling.
- Use the biggest drill bit, but the size should be smaller than the square.
- Dig a hole in the middle of the square.
- If just the remaining wood is little on the angles, you should stop using the drill bit for drilling.
- If the remaining wood is much on the angles, you should keep drilling the square until there is little wood.
- Take the chisel to wipe off the remaining wood from the angles.
- Flatten all of the edges using some sandpapers.
Cordless drill and circular saw
If the desired square hole is extremely big, the suggestion is to employ a drill with a circular saw to complete the task.
These power tools should be cordless. You can apply the technique to any type of wooden sheet.
Although the cordless drill is simple to operate, the cordless circular saw requires some skills to use correctly. You can do some practice with the scrap wood to achieve a stable hand.
Tools:
- A cordless drill
- A cordless circular saw
- Frame squares
- Sandpapers
The instruction:
- Take a framing square to picture square lines for drilling.
- Use a suitable drill bit to put it in the cordless drill.
- Place the head of the drill on one of four angles of the square and punch a hole through it.
- Repeat for the other three angles of the square to make.
- From this hole, use the cordless circular saw to begin sawing.
- Cut through the wooden sheet along the lines of the square.
- Repeat for the other three sides of the square.
- Flatten all of the edges using some sandpapers.
Square Hole Punch
Necessary tools:
- Square hole drill bits
- A cordless drill
- Drill bit set
- Frame squares
The instruction:
- Take a framing square to picture square lines for drilling.
- Choose a suitable square punch that fits the size of the square.
- Choose a drill bit to create a hole a little smaller than that punch.
- Dig the middle of the square using the drill bit.
- Put the punch on the square.
- Hammer the punch over the square.
- Wipe off excess wooden pieces from the square hole.
Mortiser machine
Although the mortiser machine has the same operating principle as the square hole punch, there are some differences between them.
The square hole punch is low-cost which can help to save the budget. It is also easy to drill a hole in wood.
However, this tool is just suitable for the hole with a depth of 0,5 inches. So, people often use the square hole punch to drill a decorative hole in wood.
In contrast, the mortiser machine is more expensive. But it will not discourage your expectation with a great performance and productivity.
It can save a lot of time and effort to drill any type of hole in the wood with the perfect result. It is a reason why professional carpenters choose this machine.
To comprehend the operation of a mortising machine, you have to know some technical terms. A square hole is also known as a mortise.
It leads to the emergence of mortiser machines. A mortiser machine can do everything alone compared to a set of woodworking tools like chisels and drills.
Using a mortiser machine does not require much effort. It has an auger drill bit staying in a square chisel. Both elements work together to produce a perfectly square hole.
Here are the instructions to use a mortiser machine for drilling a square hole in wood.
Necessary tools:
- A mortiser machine
- Mortising chisels
The instruction:
- Mark the straight lines of the square on the wood.
- Inject one chisel and one drill bit into the mortiser machine such that the head of the drill bit guides this chisel.
- Put the grip down to avoid the wood moving when you take off the chisel.
- Drill the square hole with the mortiser machine. If the square hole you desire has the same dimension as the chisel, stop after you drill one time. If the square hole is larger, punch several holes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Maybe some of you still have a few considerations about the process of drilling a square hole in wood. Then, frequently asked questions will help you a lot.
What is the name of square drill bits?
A square hole is a mortise. A drill bit for drilling square holes has the name of a mortise bit. A set of drill bits come with the mortising machine or the drill press. Mortise bits consist of two types of bits.
They are auger bits and chisel bits.
Could you drill a square hole in wood if you do not have a mortising machine?
If you do not have a mortiser machine, you can still drill a square hole in the wood with other simple woodworking tools.
The first option is to use the chisel with the hammer only. You can also combine the chisel with the cordless drill, cordless circular saw, or the square hole punch to drill a square hole in wood.
Final Thoughts
Drilling a square in wood is a need in our life. Even if you are an amateur or a professional, some carpentry tasks require you to drill some holes in wood.
There are several methods for you to punch a square hole, from the simplest to the most complex. With just the chisel and a hammer, you can drill a good square hole.
A cordless drill, a cordless circular saw, and a square hole punch are also great ideas. The last method is to use the mortising machine. It can be somehow expensive, but it is worth investing to drill a perfect hole in wood.
Read more: How To Remove A Stuck Drill Bit From Wood?