7.4 mm drill size

    A 7.4 mm metric drill is 0.2913 in (7.400 mm). It is the cut tap, 50% thread drill for M8x1.

    Decimal inch
    0.2913
    Millimeters
    7.400
    Nearest 1/64
    19/64" (-0.0055)
    Type
    metric drill

    Nearest equivalents in other systems

    Drills closest to 7.4 mm
    SystemDrillInchmmDifference
    Fractional19/64"0.29697.541+0.0055 in
    Number / letterLetter L0.29007.366-0.0013 in

    Speeds and feeds: in mild steel an HSS drill starts at about 1,180 RPM and 0.0075 in/rev (8.85 IPM); in 6061 aluminum about 3,280 RPM.

    7.4 mm drill speeds and feeds by material

    Jobber-length twist drill, D = 0.2913 in. RPM = 3.82 × SFM ÷ D, rounded to 10. Feed per rev scales with diameter and material; IPM = RPM × IPR.

    7.4 mm drilling speeds
    MaterialHSS SFMHSS RPMCarbide SFMCarbide RPMFeed (in/rev)HSS IPMCarbide IPM
    Aluminum (6061)2503,2806007,8700.006822.353.5
    Brass / free-machining1501,9704005,2400.005611.029.3
    Low-carbon steel (1018)901,1803003,9300.00758.8529.5
    Alloy steel (4140, annealed)709202503,2800.00787.1825.6
    Stainless 304405201501,9700.00492.559.65
    Gray cast iron801,0502503,2800.00525.4617.1
    Titanium 6Al-4V253301001,3100.00341.124.45
    Plastics (acetal)3003,9305006,5600.004316.928.2

    Metric: Vc (m/min) = SFM × 0.3048; feed (mm/rev) = in/rev × 25.4. In steel, 1,180 RPM × 0.190 mm/rev = 225 mm/min.

    Worked example: 7.4 mm drill in 1018 steel

    1. HSS drill in low-carbon steel: 90 SFM.
    2. RPM = 3.82 × 90 ÷ 0.2913 ≈ 1,180 RPM.
    3. Feed for a 0.291 in drill in mild steel ≈ 0.0075 in/rev.
    4. IPM = 1,180 × 0.0075 = 8.85 IPM.

    Peck cycle by hole depth

    7.4 mm drill: depth and canned cycle
    DepthCyclePeckNote
    3×D = 0.874 in (22.2 mm)G81 (no peck)NoneUp to 3×D a sharp drill clears chips on its own.
    5×D = 1.457 in (37 mm)G73 chip-break1 × DChip-break pecks; full retract if chips pack (soft aluminum, stainless).
    8×D = 2.331 in (59.2 mm)G83 full retract0.5-1 × D, shrinking with depthRetract to clear chips; reduce feed ~10-20% past 5×D.

    Taps that use a 7.4 mm drill

    • M8x1 — cut tap, 50% thread

    Nearest drills

    • Letter L: 0.2900 in / 7.366 mm (-0.0013 in)
    • Letter M: 0.2950 in / 7.493 mm (+0.0037 in)
    • 7.3 mm: 0.2874 in / 7.300 mm (-0.0039 in)
    • 7.5 mm: 0.2953 in / 7.500 mm (+0.0039 in)

    Common questions

    What is a 7.4 mm drill in decimal and mm?
    0.2913 in, or 7.400 mm; nearest fractional drill: 19/64" (0.2969 in, +0.0055 in); nearest number / letter drill: Letter L (0.2900 in, -0.0013 in).
    What RPM for a 7.4 mm drill in steel?
    In low-carbon steel (1018) an HSS 7.4 mm drill (0.2913 in) runs about 1,180 RPM at 90 SFM; a carbide drill about 3,930 RPM at 300 SFM. RPM = 3.82 × SFM ÷ D.
    What feed for a 7.4 mm drill?
    About 0.0075 in/rev in mild steel, 0.0068 in/rev in aluminum and 0.0049 in/rev in 304 stainless. At 1,180 RPM that is 8.85 IPM in steel (IPM = RPM × IPR).
    What RPM for a 7.4 mm drill in aluminum?
    3,280 RPM with HSS (250 SFM) or up to 7,870 RPM with carbide (600 SFM), feeding about 0.0068 in/rev.
    What tap uses a 7.4 mm drill?
    M8x1 (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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