Can you drill into wood filler? We answer the question with yes-you can, but it’s not recommended. Why do you want to drill into wood filler? If you need to make a hole in the wood much larger than the head of your screw (e.g., putting an eye hook or lanyard into your weave), then drilling is the only alternative.

Silky Terrier Dog Breed Playing Aro... Silky Terrier Dog Breed Playing Around

When you drill into the wood filler, bits of hardwood fill will clog your bit and it gets quite messy. It’s a lot easier to use a hole saw with a pilot bit (shown above) or to use other alternatives like eye screws (below).

If you must drill into the heavy-duty wood filler, first consider using a step drill bit that has several different size holes in one [please see the link above to read more information about the tool and how to make use of it]. Holding your wood filler with a clamp (see below), drill and twist your way through. Finishing off the hole will require some elbow grease; we recommend drilling partway into the filler, taking a rag, and tightening down onto it until you get it “into” your rag (not leaving any overspray on the topcoat of finish). Then continue twisting/pushing until you reach clean wood.

If no hole saws or step drill bits are available, then you can attempt to put an eye screw into heavy-duty wood filler by using a spade bit. Hold your wood filler with a clamp (see below), drill straight down, stop short of the filler, use a counterclockwise motion to tighten it through the filler, then finish off with an upward motion using your hand/right angle drill.

Once again, this is not recommended because you run the risk of cracking your hardwood since you are drilling at 90 degrees to the grain of the wood. The best way is to use one of our eye screws listed on our homepage that have pre-drilled holes in them just for ease of use.