1/32" drill bit size
0.0313 in
0.79 mm · fractional drill
| Inches | 0.0313 in |
| Millimetres | 0.79 mm |
| Nearest metric drill | 0.8 mm |
| System | Fractional (64ths) |
What 1/32" means
1/32" is a fractional drill, stepping in 64ths of an inch. Fractional sizes are the coarsest of the three systems, which is why a fractional set alone cannot hit most tapping sizes and why number and letter drills exist at all.
The same hole in the other systems
Three drill systems overlap across this range and a workshop rarely has all three. The nearest bit of each other kind to 1/32":
| System | Nearest size | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| number | #60 — 0.04 in | 0.0088 in larger |
| letter | A — 0.234 in | 0.2028 in larger |
| metric | 0.8 mm | 0.006 mm larger |
The closest substitute is 0.0088 inches away. For a clearance hole that is nothing; for a tapping hole it moves the thread engagement by several per cent, which is the difference between an easy tap and a broken one.
What gets drilled at 0.0313 inches
Under fifty thousandths of an inch, a drill is watchmaker and model-maker territory: pinning small parts, clearing wire in an instrument, opening a jet. Bits this fine snap if the work moves at all, which is why they are used in a press or a pin vice rather than a hand drill.
Either side of it
| Drill | Inches | Millimetres |
|---|---|---|
| 1/64" | 0.0156 in | 0.4 mm |
| 1/32" | 0.0313 in | 0.79 mm |
| #60 | 0.04 in | 1.02 mm |
| #59 | 0.041 in | 1.04 mm |
| #58 | 0.042 in | 1.07 mm |
Frequently asked questions
What size is a 1/32" drill bit?
0.0313 inches, which is 0.79 mm. Fractional drills step in 64ths of an inch, which is the coarsest of the three systems and the one most home sets contain.
What is a 1/32" drill bit in mm?
0.79 mm. A metric index will offer 0.8 mm as the nearest stocked size, which is near enough identical.
Is 1/32" a tapping drill size?
Not for any of the unified threads on this site. It sits between the sizes the standard taps call for, so it is a clearance or pilot drill rather than a tapping one.
What is the next size up from 1/32"?
#60 at 0.04 inches — 0.0088 inches larger. Below it is 1/64" at 0.0156.
Other sizes
- #60 drill bit — 0.04 in, 1.02 mm
- #59 drill bit — 0.041 in, 1.04 mm
- #58 drill bit — 0.042 in, 1.07 mm
- #57 drill bit — 0.043 in, 1.09 mm
- #56 drill bit — 0.0465 in, 1.18 mm
- 3/64" drill bit — 0.0469 in, 1.19 mm
- #55 drill bit — 0.052 in, 1.32 mm
- #54 drill bit — 0.055 in, 1.4 mm