Hot take: I was putting up shelves wrong for years

I was hanging a simple bracket shelf in my garage and it kept pulling out of the stud, even with the right screws. My brother came over, watched me for two minutes, and said, 'You're drilling the pilot hole the same size as the screw.' I had no idea you were supposed to make it a little smaller. I redid it with a smaller bit and the thing is solid now. Anyone have other basic tips I've probably missed?

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wren_rodriguez5mo ago

Read a tip about pre-drilling for screws in hardwood. The pilot hole should be the size of the screw's core, not the threads. It makes a huge difference in how well it grips. That's probably what your brother meant.

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campbell.robin5mo ago

Oh wow, that actually makes total sense now.

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spencer_sanchez674mo ago

Wait, isn't the drill bit size supposed to match the screw's shank though?

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