Just had to drill some pockets for the hinges instead of using the pocket cutters I had (expecting a rough cut) this drill bit fitted perfectly. The depth of cut is easy to measure as the height of the drill is designed to sit flush when you have reached the desired depth. No need to measure. The pilot in the middle is short, you don't have to worry about piercing the other side. When cutting melamine with a hand drill the secret is to start slowly with light pressure and let the cutter go through the fragile surface, this avoids chipping (fig. this is the hard way). Even the sloppy cut is only noticeable to me. Of course they are on the back, how often do you really look that closely? Highly recommended for do-it-yourselfers.