What Size Drill Bit

M10 x 1.5 tap drill size

8.5 mm

Inches
0.3346
Inch bit
Letter Q
Thread
77%

Drill a 8.5 mm hole before cutting an M10 thread with 1.5 mm pitch. The rule for metric taps is diameter minus pitch.

8.5 mm 10 mm thread

No metric bits? A Letter Q bit (0.3320 in) gives about 80% thread.

M10 x 1.5 thread and hole sizes

ThreadM10, 1.5 mm pitch, coarse
Major diameter10 mm 0.3937 in
Tap drill8.5 mm 0.3346 in
Closest inch bitLetter Q 0.3320 in
Clearance hole, close fit10.5 mm
Clearance hole, medium fit11 mm

Why 8.5 mm

Subtract the pitch from the diameter: 10 minus 1.5 is 8.5 mm. That leaves 77% thread, the usual target for a cut tap.

More thread than that adds almost no strength and makes the tap much easier to break. In hard or tough material, go 0.1 mm larger.

Tools for this job

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