Wood Splitting while Building Crayon Holder

Submitted by n10121 on Sat, 01/10/2015 - 08:48

I'm attempting to construct the "Easy Scrap Wood Crayon or Pencil Block Holder" (see thttp://ana-white.com/2013/12/plans/easy-scrap-wood-crayon-or-pencil-blo…).

Unfortunately I've made several attempts to drill the holes for the crayons, and each type the wood begins chipping at the top, and then eventually the 1x3 splits.

I have tried various types of wood: pine, select pine, and whiteboard. I have also tried drilling pilot holes prior to using the 3/8 bit for the proper sized crayon holes. Unfortunately, nothing has yet seemed to work.

I am using an impact driver to drill the holes, with the clutch set to both one (1), and "drill".

Any advice on how to prevent the wood from splitting would be much appreciated.

Thanks,