7.2 mm drill size

    A 7.2 mm metric drill is 0.2835 in (7.200 mm). It is the cut tap, 50% thread drill for M8×1.25.

    Decimal inch
    0.2835
    Millimeters
    7.200
    Nearest 1/64
    9/32" (+0.0022)
    Type
    metric drill

    Nearest equivalents in other systems

    Drills closest to 7.2 mm
    SystemDrillInchmmDifference
    Fractional9/32"0.28137.144-0.0022 in
    Number / letterLetter K0.28107.137-0.0025 in

    Speeds and feeds: in mild steel an HSS drill starts at about 1,210 RPM and 0.0073 in/rev (8.83 IPM); in 6061 aluminum about 3,370 RPM.

    7.2 mm drill speeds and feeds by material

    Jobber-length twist drill, D = 0.2835 in. RPM = 3.82 × SFM ÷ D, rounded to 10. Feed per rev scales with diameter and material; IPM = RPM × IPR.

    7.2 mm drilling speeds
    MaterialHSS SFMHSS RPMCarbide SFMCarbide RPMFeed (in/rev)HSS IPMCarbide IPM
    Aluminum (6061)2503,3706008,0900.006722.654.2
    Brass / free-machining1502,0204005,3900.005511.129.6
    Low-carbon steel (1018)901,2103004,0400.00738.8329.5
    Alloy steel (4140, annealed)709402503,3700.00767.1425.6
    Stainless 304405401502,0200.00482.599.70
    Gray cast iron801,0802503,3700.00505.4016.9
    Titanium 6Al-4V253401001,3500.00331.124.46
    Plastics (acetal)3004,0405006,7400.004317.429.0

    Metric: Vc (m/min) = SFM × 0.3048; feed (mm/rev) = in/rev × 25.4. In steel, 1,210 RPM × 0.185 mm/rev = 224 mm/min.

    Worked example: 7.2 mm drill in 1018 steel

    1. HSS drill in low-carbon steel: 90 SFM.
    2. RPM = 3.82 × 90 ÷ 0.2835 ≈ 1,210 RPM.
    3. Feed for a 0.283 in drill in mild steel ≈ 0.0073 in/rev.
    4. IPM = 1,210 × 0.0073 = 8.83 IPM.

    Peck cycle by hole depth

    7.2 mm drill: depth and canned cycle
    DepthCyclePeckNote
    3×D = 0.850 in (21.6 mm)G81 (no peck)NoneUp to 3×D a sharp drill clears chips on its own.
    5×D = 1.417 in (36 mm)G73 chip-break1 × DChip-break pecks; full retract if chips pack (soft aluminum, stainless).
    8×D = 2.268 in (57.6 mm)G83 full retract0.5-1 × D, shrinking with depthRetract to clear chips; reduce feed ~10-20% past 5×D.

    Taps that use a 7.2 mm drill

    Nearest drills

    • 9/32": 0.2813 in / 7.144 mm (-0.0022 in)
    • Letter K: 0.2810 in / 7.137 mm (-0.0025 in)
    • 7.1 mm: 0.2795 in / 7.100 mm (-0.0039 in)
    • 7.3 mm: 0.2874 in / 7.300 mm (+0.0039 in)

    Common questions

    What is a 7.2 mm drill in decimal and mm?
    0.2835 in, or 7.200 mm; nearest fractional drill: 9/32" (0.2813 in, -0.0022 in); nearest number / letter drill: Letter K (0.2810 in, -0.0025 in).
    What RPM for a 7.2 mm drill in steel?
    In low-carbon steel (1018) an HSS 7.2 mm drill (0.2835 in) runs about 1,210 RPM at 90 SFM; a carbide drill about 4,040 RPM at 300 SFM. RPM = 3.82 × SFM ÷ D.
    What feed for a 7.2 mm drill?
    About 0.0073 in/rev in mild steel, 0.0067 in/rev in aluminum and 0.0048 in/rev in 304 stainless. At 1,210 RPM that is 8.83 IPM in steel (IPM = RPM × IPR).
    What RPM for a 7.2 mm drill in aluminum?
    3,370 RPM with HSS (250 SFM) or up to 8,090 RPM with carbide (600 SFM), feeding about 0.0067 in/rev.
    What tap uses a 7.2 mm drill?
    M8×1.25 (cut tap, 50% 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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