Several sizes of drill bits are available in the market, making it confusing to choose the one that works best for your application. Inexperienced or those lacking experience may have more trouble finding the correct size.
Moreover, the overall drilling process may feel daunting to many people. We suggest taking your time learning the processes and understanding the measurements.
Summary
The most common drill bit size used for a 10-24 tap is a #25 drill bit. As we tested various products, TEMO is our preferred manufacturer of best drill bits, which you can see below.
This article focuses on the 10-24 tap. We also added more details on related topics, such as how to drill and considerations worth knowing before starting the process.
What is tap drill size?
Understanding the tap drill size is important because it is a foundation for everything you need to know about it. Getting a firm grasp of it is important because you will encounter this term several times throughout the article.
A tap drill is a tool that allows you to cut through the material, typically a metal, and form a cylindrical opening. Tapping comes after it, which is a cutting thread process inside a surface. Ultimately, it aims to create a hole that accepts the screw. The tap itself uses hard metal and has sharp threads. The driller needs to insert it in a hole to carve the threads in the inner surface of the cylinder. It forms the female part of the mating pair. On the other hand, we form the male part, a bolt or screw, using specialized dies on a pre-formed cylinder. We call this process threading.
The use of nuts, screws, bolts and other similar materials to lock or fasten things together has been around since the middle ages. Humans have long used these materials to lock two things in place. The earlier forms of these fasteners utilize wood, while modern ones leverage metal. The size of these fasteners is directly proportional to load, so an increase in load means an increase in size.
Machine shops use a hardened drill bit to pierce through a hole. The most significant factor in choosing the tap drill is selecting the correct size. Removing excess metal from the hole is essential to prevent additional cutting work, resulting in less stress on the tap. Manufacturers size the tap by diameter and length. The hole is narrower at the bottom and slightly wider at the top.
Several craftsmen nowadays can efficiently and effectively tap and thread through any material for custom work. The typical application is tapping holes for screws and nuts to fasten these pieces with other components. We match the tap to commercially available screws and bolts.
Size for a 10-24 tap
Several sizes are available in the market, making it impossible to deal with everything. The #25 drill bit with a 5/32 inches diameter is the correct drill bit size for the 10-24 tap.
We recommend against guessing the size you need for a tap because it will lead to issues in the future. Getting accurate measurements will save you time and the possibility of getting into trouble. The thread count signifies the drill size.
The 10-24 tap offers two thread count varieties. However, the drill sizes for these are different, so be mindful when choosing what to purchase. Remembering each size is difficult, so we detailed everything in the following sections.
do we want to prevent it from happening? It can significantly increase stress on the tap, affecting its lifespan.
Why make a pilot hole?
Drilling a pilot hole before using a nail or screw to join two or more parts together makes the process less complicated. It also prevents wood from splitting if your application is any wood type.
How to get started
We recommend following the four steps below to drill a pilot hole into almost any application.
Step 1: Picking the correct size
Select the right size and type of drill bit for your fasteners and materials. Nails should use one with a slightly smaller diameter than the shank. On the other hand, screws should have a bit that matches the threaded portion diameter.
Step 2: Mark and measure the pilot hole location.
Marking where your fastener will go is important to avoid drilling at the wrong location. Measure the workpiece from edge to edge. Draw short lines at the intersection point, marking the center of the pilot hole.
Step 3: Load the drill bit into the chuck
Load the drill bit into the chuck, holding it in place. Do not forget to tighten it, ensuring everything is secure and in the center. Switch the driver setting to drill, which likely has an icon.
Step 4: Make the pilot hole
Set the drill direction forward and get a firm grip on the trigger. It should have a perpendicular alignment to the surface. Pull the trigger gently to start off slowly.
How to use 10-24 taps?
Here are four easy steps you can follow when using the 10-24 tap.
- Know the dimensions and choose the correct drill size.
- Use clamps to hold the material in place, preventing rotation and slippage.
- Apply masking tapes to the material surface, marking the drill location.
- Position your drill at a 90-degree angle, ensuring it is perpendicular to the material.
We suggest using scrap material if you are new to this space.
