#2-56 UNC Thread

Recommended tap drill #50
Tap drill Ø 0.0700″ / 1.778 mm
Major Ø 0.0860″ / 2.184 mm
Threads per inch 56

The chart recommendation gives approximately 69% thread engagement — the conventional target for average materials. It is not the only valid choice; see the options below.

Specification

Designation#2-56 UNC
Thread familyUnified National Coarse (UNC)
Nominal size#2
Basic major diameter 0.0860″ / 2.184 mm
Threads per inch / pitch56 TPI (0.454 mm pitch)
Recommended tap drill #50 (0.0700″ / 1.778 mm)
P = 0.0179″ (56 TPI) 60° major Ø 0.0860″ 60° thread form (UN / ISO) — schematic

Tap drill options by thread engagement

Any of these standard drills produces a usable engagement for #2-56 UNC; smaller drills give stronger threads but higher tapping torque. Percentages use the conventional approximation (60° thread form).

1.7 mm 82.2% #50 ★ 69% 1.8 mm 65.2% shaded = share of the full thread height the tap forms · accent line = drilled hole wall
★ = chart recommendation. A smaller drill leaves more of the thread height for the tap to form.
Drill Decimal in mm Approx. engagement
1.7 mm 0.0669 1.7 82.2%
#51 0.0670 1.702 81.9%
#50 — chart recommendation 0.0700 1.778 69%
1.8 mm 0.0709 1.8 65.2%

Nearest drills to the tap drill in other systems

Drill Size vs #50 Resulting engagement
1.8 mm 0.0709″ / 1.8 mm +0.022 mm 65.2%

Clearance holes

For a bolt or screw of this size to pass through freely. Recommended drills per ASME B18.2.8: close, normal, and loose fits.

Tapped hole Clearance hole #50 tap drill threads cut into the material #38 (normal fit) the tinted gap lets the bolt pass freely
Schematic — proportions exaggerated for clarity; use the table values.
Fit Drill / Ø Decimal in mm
close 3/32″ 0.0938 2.381
normal #38 0.1015 2.578
loose #32 0.1160 2.946

Related threads

Data provenance. ASME B1.1, Unified Inch Screw Threads (ASME). Machinery’s Handbook — tap drill charts (Industrial Press). ASME B18.2.8, Clearance Holes for Bolts, Screws, and Studs (ASME). Engagement percentages use the conventional approximation (engagement = (major − drill) ÷ (1.29904 × pitch)) and are guidance, not a tolerance specification. See all data sources.