9/64" drill size

    A 9/64" fractional drill is 0.1406 in (3.572 mm).

    Decimal inch
    0.1406
    Millimeters
    3.572
    Nearest 1/64
    9/64" (+0.0000)
    Type
    fractional drill

    Nearest equivalents in other systems

    Drills closest to 9/64"
    SystemDrillInchmmDifference
    Number / letter#280.14053.569-0.0001 in
    Metric3.6 mm0.14173.600+0.0011 in

    Speeds and feeds: in mild steel an HSS drill starts at about 2,440 RPM and 0.0034 in/rev (8.30 IPM); in 6061 aluminum about 6,790 RPM.

    9/64" drill speeds and feeds by material

    Jobber-length twist drill, D = 0.1406 in. RPM = 3.82 × SFM ÷ D, rounded to 10. Feed per rev scales with diameter and material; IPM = RPM × IPR.

    9/64" drilling speeds
    MaterialHSS SFMHSS RPMCarbide SFMCarbide RPMFeed (in/rev)HSS IPMCarbide IPM
    Aluminum (6061)2506,79060016,3000.003221.752.2
    Brass / free-machining1504,07040010,8600.002811.430.4
    Low-carbon steel (1018)902,4403008,1500.00348.3027.7
    Alloy steel (4140, annealed)701,9002506,7900.00346.4623.1
    Stainless 304401,0901504,0700.00232.519.36
    Gray cast iron802,1702506,7900.00214.5614.3
    Titanium 6Al-4V256801002,7200.00171.164.62
    Plastics (acetal)3008,15050013,5800.004939.966.5

    Metric: Vc (m/min) = SFM × 0.3048; feed (mm/rev) = in/rev × 25.4. In steel, 2,440 RPM × 0.086 mm/rev = 211 mm/min.

    Worked example: 9/64" drill in 1018 steel

    1. HSS drill in low-carbon steel: 90 SFM.
    2. RPM = 3.82 × 90 ÷ 0.1406 ≈ 2,440 RPM.
    3. Feed for a 0.141 in drill in mild steel ≈ 0.0034 in/rev.
    4. IPM = 2,440 × 0.0034 = 8.30 IPM.

    Peck cycle by hole depth

    9/64" drill: depth and canned cycle
    DepthCyclePeckNote
    3×D = 0.422 in (10.7 mm)G81 (no peck)NoneUp to 3×D a sharp drill clears chips on its own.
    5×D = 0.703 in (17.9 mm)G73 chip-break1 × DChip-break pecks; full retract if chips pack (soft aluminum, stainless).
    8×D = 1.125 in (28.6 mm)G83 full retract0.5-1 × D, shrinking with depthRetract to clear chips; reduce feed ~10-20% past 5×D.

    Taps that use a 9/64" drill

    No standard UNC, UNF or metric tap in our tables calls for a 9/64" drill. Use it for clearance, pilot or reamer prep holes.

    Nearest drills

    • #28: 0.1405 in / 3.569 mm (-0.0001 in)
    • 3.6 mm: 0.1417 in / 3.600 mm (+0.0011 in)
    • 3.5 mm: 0.1378 in / 3.500 mm (-0.0028 in)
    • #27: 0.1440 in / 3.658 mm (+0.0034 in)

    Common questions

    What is a 9/64" drill in decimal and mm?
    0.1406 in, or 3.572 mm; nearest number / letter drill: #28 (0.1405 in, -0.0001 in); nearest metric drill: 3.6 mm (0.1417 in, +0.0011 in).
    What RPM for a 9/64" drill in steel?
    In low-carbon steel (1018) an HSS 9/64" drill (0.1406 in) runs about 2,440 RPM at 90 SFM; a carbide drill about 8,150 RPM at 300 SFM. RPM = 3.82 × SFM ÷ D.
    What feed for a 9/64" drill?
    About 0.0034 in/rev in mild steel, 0.0032 in/rev in aluminum and 0.0023 in/rev in 304 stainless. At 2,440 RPM that is 8.30 IPM in steel (IPM = RPM × IPR).
    What RPM for a 9/64" drill in aluminum?
    6,790 RPM with HSS (250 SFM) or up to 16,300 RPM with carbide (600 SFM), feeding about 0.0032 in/rev.
    What size is a 9/64" drill?
    0.1406 in / 3.572 mm. The nearest other drills are #28 (0.1405 in), 3.6 mm (0.1417 in), 3.5 mm (0.1378 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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