For example, if you want the finished slot to be about one inch (25 mm) wide, choose a ⅞ inch (22 mm) drill bit.
The thickness of wood you’re using and the depth of the slot you want determine the plunge depth. If your drill press does not allow you to set a specific plunge depth, you’ll have to judge for yourself when you lower the drill each time.
If you already have a fence guide attached to the drill press table, set that to the proper position. When you drill the holes, you’ll slide the board along the table. For this reason, it’s important to set up a fence that keeps the board moving in a straight line.
If you set the plunge depth, lower the press until it stops. If you didn’t set a plunge depth, lower the drill press as deep as you want the slot to be.
You don’t need to overlap the holes so much that you’re only drilling half of a new hole. Just make sure that each hole overlaps enough so a continual line is drilled.
When you start this part of the process, you can pull the slotted board off of the drill press and work with it on another table.
