1.5 mm drill size

    A 1.5 mm metric drill is 0.0591 in (1.500 mm).

    Decimal inch
    0.0591
    Millimeters
    1.500
    Nearest 1/64
    1/16" (-0.0034)
    Type
    metric drill

    Nearest equivalents in other systems

    Drills closest to 1.5 mm
    SystemDrillInchmmDifference
    Fractional1/16"0.06251.588+0.0034 in
    Number / letter#530.05951.511+0.0004 in

    Speeds and feeds: in mild steel an HSS drill starts at about 5,820 RPM and 0.0014 in/rev (8.15 IPM); in 6061 aluminum about 16,170 RPM.

    1.5 mm drill speeds and feeds by material

    Jobber-length twist drill, D = 0.0591 in. RPM = 3.82 × SFM ÷ D, rounded to 10. Feed per rev scales with diameter and material; IPM = RPM × IPR.

    1.5 mm drilling speeds
    MaterialHSS SFMHSS RPMCarbide SFMCarbide RPMFeed (in/rev)HSS IPMCarbide IPM
    Aluminum (6061)25016,17060038,8100.001321.050.5
    Brass / free-machining1509,70040025,8700.001110.728.5
    Low-carbon steel (1018)905,82030019,4000.00148.1527.2
    Alloy steel (4140, annealed)704,53025016,1700.00146.3422.6
    Stainless 304402,5901509,7000.00092.338.73
    Gray cast iron805,17025016,1700.00094.6514.6
    Titanium 6Al-4V251,6201006,4700.00071.134.53
    Plastics (acetal)30019,40050032,3400.002446.677.6

    Small drills: the computed RPM is above most spindles. Run at your spindle's maximum and keep the feed per rev; feed drops in proportion.

    Metric: Vc (m/min) = SFM × 0.3048; feed (mm/rev) = in/rev × 25.4. In steel, 5,820 RPM × 0.036 mm/rev = 207 mm/min.

    Worked example: 1.5 mm drill in 1018 steel

    1. HSS drill in low-carbon steel: 90 SFM.
    2. RPM = 3.82 × 90 ÷ 0.0591 ≈ 5,820 RPM.
    3. Feed for a 0.059 in drill in mild steel ≈ 0.0014 in/rev.
    4. IPM = 5,820 × 0.0014 = 8.15 IPM.

    Peck cycle by hole depth

    1.5 mm drill: depth and canned cycle
    DepthCyclePeckNote
    3×D = 0.177 in (4.5 mm)G81 (no peck)NoneUp to 3×D a sharp drill clears chips on its own.
    5×D = 0.295 in (7.5 mm)G73 chip-break1 × DChip-break pecks; full retract if chips pack (soft aluminum, stainless).
    8×D = 0.472 in (12 mm)G83 full retract0.5-1 × D, shrinking with depthRetract to clear chips; reduce feed ~10-20% past 5×D.

    Taps that use a 1.5 mm drill

    No standard UNC, UNF or metric tap in our tables calls for a 1.5 mm drill. Use it for clearance, pilot or reamer prep holes.

    Nearest drills

    • #53: 0.0595 in / 1.511 mm (+0.0004 in)
    • 1.55 mm: 0.0610 in / 1.550 mm (+0.0020 in)
    • 1.45 mm: 0.0571 in / 1.450 mm (-0.0020 in)
    • 1/16": 0.0625 in / 1.588 mm (+0.0034 in)

    Common questions

    What is a 1.5 mm drill in decimal and mm?
    0.0591 in, or 1.500 mm; nearest fractional drill: 1/16" (0.0625 in, +0.0034 in); nearest number / letter drill: #53 (0.0595 in, +0.0004 in).
    What RPM for a 1.5 mm drill in steel?
    In low-carbon steel (1018) an HSS 1.5 mm drill (0.0591 in) runs about 5,820 RPM at 90 SFM; a carbide drill about 19,400 RPM at 300 SFM. RPM = 3.82 × SFM ÷ D.
    What feed for a 1.5 mm drill?
    About 0.0014 in/rev in mild steel, 0.0013 in/rev in aluminum and 0.0009 in/rev in 304 stainless. At 5,820 RPM that is 8.15 IPM in steel (IPM = RPM × IPR).
    What RPM for a 1.5 mm drill in aluminum?
    16,170 RPM with HSS (250 SFM) or up to 38,810 RPM with carbide (600 SFM), feeding about 0.0013 in/rev.
    What size is a 1.5 mm drill?
    0.0591 in / 1.500 mm. The nearest other drills are #53 (0.0595 in), 1.55 mm (0.0610 in), 1.45 mm (0.0571 in).

    Nearby drill sizes

    Sources

    Material feed multipliers (aluminum 1.3×, brass 1.1×, 4140 0.85×, stainless and titanium 0.7× the mild-steel feed) are JobLine estimates. Peck guidance is JobLine shop practice. Use your drill maker's data first.

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