If you’re tired of your drill gun wobbling side to side as you’re trying to make a hole and want to learn how to drill a perfect 90 degree hole, this one simple woodworking tip is going to change your drill game forever.

The key to how to drill a straight hole without a drill press requires a simple block of wood that has a 90 degree triangular angle cut off on one end. This block of wood should be at least one inch thick, though one and a half inches would be ideal.

This triangular cut needs to be made at a 45 degree angle from each corner, until they intersect. This will create a 90 degree angle that you will use to drill a straight hole with a drill gun.

How does this piece of wood help you? By acting as a stabilizer for your drill gun. The 90 degree indentation is where you will place your drill bit as its drilling. The cut angle will help keep it in shape from both sides and prevent your drill gun from wobbling.

All you have to do is line up your drill bit on where you plan on drilling, slide in the wood block to keep it steady and then drill away. As long as you hold the wood firm and close, your drill gun will not wobble or sway at all. It’s an extremely simple DIY hack that every builder, carpenter or woodworker should know about.

Keep in mind that as you drill, the sides of the wood block stabilizer will gradually get worn out over time, meaning you will need to replace it by getting a new 1×1.5 inch wood block with a new 90 degree triangular cut on the end. Luckily, this cut is easy to do and you should never run out of replacements as a result.

If you need to know how to align drill holes when using larger drill bits, such as forstner drill bits, use a thicker block of wood that sticks out an inch or two on one side, and then make the 90 degree triangular cut. That way the 90 degree indentation will only touch the shaft above the forstner bit, still giving you the stability you need to drill a perfect straight hole each time.