#46 drill bit size
0.081 in
2.06 mm · number drill
| Inches | 0.081 in |
| Millimetres | 2.06 mm |
| Nearest metric drill | 2.1 mm |
| System | Number (#1 to #60) |
What #46 means
A bit marked #46 is a number drill, and the number is an index rather than a measurement — the higher the number, the smaller the bit. #1 is 0.228 inches and #60 is 0.04. That is the opposite of the fractional sizes stamped on a home set, which is why a number drill and a fraction of similar appearance can be very different holes.
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 #46:
| System | Nearest size | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| letter | A — 0.234 in | 0.153 in larger |
| fractional | 5/64" — 0.0781 in | 0.0029 in smaller |
| metric | 2.1 mm | 0.043 mm larger |
One of those is within three thousandths of an inch, which is inside the tolerance of most hand-held work — substitute it and nobody will know.
What gets drilled at 0.081 inches
This is circuit-board and small-pin range — component leads, header pins, the holes a hobbyist drills in perfboard. It is also where the smallest machine-screw taps live, so a drill here is as likely to be preparing a thread as clearing a wire.
Either side of it
| Drill | Inches | Millimetres |
|---|---|---|
| #48 | 0.076 in | 1.93 mm |
| 5/64" | 0.0781 in | 1.98 mm |
| #47 | 0.0785 in | 1.99 mm |
| #46 | 0.081 in | 2.06 mm |
| #45 | 0.082 in | 2.08 mm |
| #44 | 0.086 in | 2.18 mm |
| #43 | 0.089 in | 2.26 mm |
Frequently asked questions
What size is a #46 drill bit?
0.081 inches, which is 2.06 mm. Number drills run from #1 at 0.228 inches down to #60 at 0.04, getting smaller as the number rises — the opposite of what most people expect the first time.
What is a #46 drill bit in mm?
2.06 mm. A metric index will offer 2.1 mm as the nearest stocked size, which is 0.043 mm larger — enough to matter when tapping and not enough to matter for a clearance hole.
Is #46 a tapping drill size?
Not for any of the unified threads on this site. The next size up, #45, is the tapping drill for 3-56.
What is the next size up from #46?
#45 at 0.082 inches — 0.001 inches larger. Below it is #47 at 0.0785.
Other sizes
- #45 drill bit — 0.082 in, 2.08 mm
- #44 drill bit — 0.086 in, 2.18 mm
- #43 drill bit — 0.089 in, 2.26 mm
- #42 drill bit — 0.0935 in, 2.37 mm
- 3/32" drill bit — 0.0938 in, 2.38 mm
- #41 drill bit — 0.096 in, 2.44 mm
- #40 drill bit — 0.098 in, 2.49 mm
- #39 drill bit — 0.0995 in, 2.53 mm