1.6 mm drill size

    A 1.6 mm metric drill is 0.0630 in (1.600 mm). It is the cut tap, 75% thread drill for M2x0.4.

    Decimal inch
    0.0630
    Millimeters
    1.600
    Nearest 1/64
    1/16" (+0.0005)
    Type
    metric drill

    Nearest equivalents in other systems

    Drills closest to 1.6 mm
    SystemDrillInchmmDifference
    Fractional1/16"0.06251.588-0.0005 in
    Number / letter#520.06351.613+0.0005 in

    Speeds and feeds: in mild steel an HSS drill starts at about 5,460 RPM and 0.0015 in/rev (8.19 IPM); in 6061 aluminum about 15,160 RPM.

    1.6 mm drill speeds and feeds by material

    Jobber-length twist drill, D = 0.0630 in. RPM = 3.82 × SFM ÷ D, rounded to 10. Feed per rev scales with diameter and material; IPM = RPM × IPR.

    1.6 mm drilling speeds
    MaterialHSS SFMHSS RPMCarbide SFMCarbide RPMFeed (in/rev)HSS IPMCarbide IPM
    Aluminum (6061)25015,16060036,3800.001421.250.9
    Brass / free-machining1509,10040024,2600.001210.929.1
    Low-carbon steel (1018)905,46030018,1900.00158.1927.3
    Alloy steel (4140, annealed)704,24025015,1600.00156.3622.7
    Stainless 304402,4301509,1000.00102.439.10
    Gray cast iron804,85025015,1600.00094.3713.6
    Titanium 6Al-4V251,5201006,0600.00081.224.85
    Plastics (acetal)30018,19050030,3200.002545.575.8

    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, 5,460 RPM × 0.038 mm/rev = 208 mm/min.

    Worked example: 1.6 mm drill in 1018 steel

    1. HSS drill in low-carbon steel: 90 SFM.
    2. RPM = 3.82 × 90 ÷ 0.0630 ≈ 5,460 RPM.
    3. Feed for a 0.063 in drill in mild steel ≈ 0.0015 in/rev.
    4. IPM = 5,460 × 0.0015 = 8.19 IPM.

    Peck cycle by hole depth

    1.6 mm drill: depth and canned cycle
    DepthCyclePeckNote
    3×D = 0.189 in (4.8 mm)G81 (no peck)NoneUp to 3×D a sharp drill clears chips on its own.
    5×D = 0.315 in (8 mm)G73 chip-break1 × DChip-break pecks; full retract if chips pack (soft aluminum, stainless).
    8×D = 0.504 in (12.8 mm)G83 full retract0.5-1 × D, shrinking with depthRetract to clear chips; reduce feed ~10-20% past 5×D.

    Taps that use a 1.6 mm drill

    Nearest drills

    • 1/16": 0.0625 in / 1.588 mm (-0.0005 in)
    • #52: 0.0635 in / 1.613 mm (+0.0005 in)
    • 1.55 mm: 0.0610 in / 1.550 mm (-0.0020 in)
    • 1.65 mm: 0.0650 in / 1.650 mm (+0.0020 in)

    Common questions

    What is a 1.6 mm drill in decimal and mm?
    0.0630 in, or 1.600 mm; nearest fractional drill: 1/16" (0.0625 in, -0.0005 in); nearest number / letter drill: #52 (0.0635 in, +0.0005 in).
    What RPM for a 1.6 mm drill in steel?
    In low-carbon steel (1018) an HSS 1.6 mm drill (0.0630 in) runs about 5,460 RPM at 90 SFM; a carbide drill about 18,190 RPM at 300 SFM. RPM = 3.82 × SFM ÷ D.
    What feed for a 1.6 mm drill?
    About 0.0015 in/rev in mild steel, 0.0014 in/rev in aluminum and 0.0010 in/rev in 304 stainless. At 5,460 RPM that is 8.19 IPM in steel (IPM = RPM × IPR).
    What RPM for a 1.6 mm drill in aluminum?
    15,160 RPM with HSS (250 SFM) or up to 36,380 RPM with carbide (600 SFM), feeding about 0.0014 in/rev.
    What tap uses a 1.6 mm drill?
    M2x0.4 (cut tap, 75% thread).

    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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