What should you use to secure the doubler when drilling the first pilot hole through the skin?

When drilling the first pilot hole through the skin of an aircraft, utilizing your hand is essential for stabilization and precision. By pressing down with your hand, you can help align the doubler and the skin, ensuring that the pilot hole is drilled accurately. This method provides immediate physical control over the components being joined, which is crucial when establishing a clean and exact position for the hole.

However, hand pressure alone may not provide sufficient stability in all situations, especially if the materials involved are prone to movement or flexing. Other methods, like clamps or clecos, are often used in practice to secure components more firmly during assembly. Though using your hand can work for guiding the initial placement, combining this with additional securing methods provides best practices in aerospace assembly to ensure safety and precision.