Same 75% rule: tap drill ≈ major − 1/TPI. Because the pitch is smaller, the tap drill is larger than the UNC drill for the same bolt. A 1/4-28 UNF uses a #3 drill; 1/4-20 UNC uses a #7.
Common metric tap drills: M3 tap drill size · M6 tap drill 5.0 mm · M8 tap drill size · M10 tap drill 8.5 mm · M12 tap drill 10.2 mm · M24 tap drill 21.0 mm.
| Size | TPI | Tap drill | Clearance (normal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| #4-48 UNF | 48 | 2.3 mm (0.0906 in) | 3.4 mm |
| #6-40 UNF | 40 | 2.9 mm (0.1142 in) | 4.1 mm |
| #8-36 UNF | 36 | 3.5 mm (0.1378 in) | 4.8 mm |
| #10-32 UNF | 32 | 4 mm (0.1575 in) | 5.5 mm |
| 1/4-28 UNF | 28 | 5.4 mm (0.2126 in) | 7.1 mm |
| 5/16-24 UNF | 24 | 6.9 mm (0.2717 in) | 8.7 mm |
| 3/8-24 UNF | 24 | 8.5 mm (0.3346 in) | 10.4 mm |
| 7/16-20 UNF | 20 | 9.8 mm (0.3858 in) | 12.1 mm |
| 1/2-20 UNF | 20 | 11.4 mm (0.4488 in) | 13.7 mm |
| 9/16-18 UNF | 18 | 12.9 mm (0.5079 in) | 15.4 mm |
| 5/8-18 UNF | 18 | 14.5 mm (0.5709 in) | 17.1 mm |
| 3/4-16 UNF | 16 | 17.5 mm (0.689 in) | 20.4 mm |
| 7/8-14 UNF | 14 | 20.4 mm (0.8031 in) | 23.7 mm |
| 1-12 UNF | 12 | 23.3 mm (0.9173 in) | 27.1 mm |
| 1-1/8-12 UNF | 12 | 26.5 mm (1.0433 in) | 30.4 mm |
| 1-1/4-12 UNF | 12 | 29.6 mm (1.1654 in) | 33.7 mm |
How we use this in the toolroom
Hydraulic ports, adjustment screws and aircraft-style fasteners come UNF. If the bolt does not start in a UNC hole, stop — that is a pitch mismatch, not a tight hole.
Accurate Industries in Pune still looks these sizes up the same way: tap drill ≈ major − pitch, then a clearance hole for the bolt. AlwaysReach is that chart in the browser — our story.
Full metric and imperial lookup lives on the thread & tap drill calculator. After tapping, check a locational bore on the ISO tolerance calculator. Other pages: M8 × 1.25, M10 × 1.5, M12 × 1.75, M6 × 1, M16 × 2, M4 × 0.7, M5 × 0.8, 1/4-20 UNC, M3 × 0.5, M20 × 2.5, M24 × 3, 5/16-18 UNC, 3/8-16 UNC, 1/2-13 UNC, UNC chart, BSW chart, UNEF chart, BSF chart.