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Got called out for using a 3/8 inch bit on a 2018 job and it changed my whole drill game
I was doing a commercial fit-out in Tacoma, running conduit for a new lighting grid. My foreman, a guy named Ray, watched me drill a hole for a strap and just shook his head. He said, 'You're using a 3/8 inch bit for a 1/2 inch strap? That's a sloppy fit, kid. You're asking for vibration and movement.' I argued it was fine, saved a bit of time, and the screw would hold it. He made me redo it with the right size bit and showed me how the strap sat perfectly flush. Now I see both sides: one says the exact right size is a waste of time for small straps, the other says it's the difference between a job that lasts and one that gets a callback. What's your take on hole sizing for conduit straps? Do you match it exactly or is 'close enough' good enough for non-critical runs?
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the_thea1mo ago
Ray had a point but man, that sounds like overkill for a simple strap. If the screw bites, it's good.
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the_wesley1mo ago
Ray was right to call you out, and @the_thea is missing the bigger picture. That sloppy fit lets the strap rock just a little bit every time there's a vibration in the building. Over five or ten years, that tiny movement can waller out the hole or even crack the drywall. Matching the bit size takes an extra ten seconds and makes the install truly solid, which is the whole point of doing it right the first time. Close enough isn't good enough if you have any pride in your work.
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