313. Mastering Sacrificial Boards (drill press)

Using a sacrificial board on the top of your drill press isn’t just about protecting your bits-it’s the key to cleaner and more precise holes-almost every time.
Sacrificial boards shine when drilling into wood, especially with Forstner, spade, or brad point bits. Avoid twist bits, if you can. Here’s how to get the most out of your sacrificial board:
Before turning on the machine, stab your bit directly into the board and lock your drill press depth.
Place your stock on top and drill until the bit can’t press further. Then, flip the stock and drill from the opposite side.
This not only trues up the hole if your drill press table is slightly off, but it also completely eliminates tear-out.
Bonus Tip: Always find the same mark on your sacrificial board and plug your bit into it before locking. This makes your sacrificial boards last much longer.
When working with plastics, a sacrificial board isn’t needed. As we covered in Bitesize 312, clean holes in plastic are best achieved with twist bits. Instead of pressing into the sacrificial stock, a better method is to back off the pressure close to the end and allow the bit to slice through; otherwise, stiff ridges can be left behind that you'll need to clean up later.
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