My old boss in Phoenix swore by using a 3/8 inch drill bit for wall plates, said it was 'perfect'

I followed that for years until a job last month where I kept cracking the drywall on a big apartment complex. Another installer, Mike, told me to switch to a 5/16 bit and it was a total game changer. The holes are cleaner, the plates fit snug, and I haven't broken a single one since. Anyone else have a 'standard' tool size they changed their mind on?

2 comments

2 Comments

mitchell.wren20d ago

I had that exact same fight with a 3/8 bit for a whole summer in Tucson... felt like I was patching more holes than I was making. Switched to a 5/16 and it was like the drywall just decided to be nice to me for once. My old crew still gives me grief about it, calling me the "measure twice, drill once" guy. I guess some lessons you only learn by cracking a whole lot of plates.

andrewanderson20d ago

Totally get what @mitchell.wren means about patching more holes than making them. It's wild how a tiny fraction of an inch can make that much difference in how the drywall reacts. Makes you wonder how many other "standard" practices are just people being stubborn about the way they learned. I bet half the crews still using 3/8 are just too proud to switch after all this time.