#3-56 UNF Thread

Recommended tap drill #45
Tap drill Ø 0.0820″ / 2.083 mm
Major Ø 0.0990″ / 2.515 mm
Threads per inch 56

The chart recommendation gives approximately 73.3% thread engagement — the conventional target for average materials. It is not the only valid choice; see the options below.

Specification

Designation#3-56 UNF
Thread familyUnified National Fine (UNF)
Nominal size#3
Basic major diameter 0.0990″ / 2.515 mm
Threads per inch / pitch56 TPI (0.454 mm pitch)
Recommended tap drill #45 (0.0820″ / 2.083 mm)
P = 0.0179″ (56 TPI) 60° major Ø 0.0990″ 60° thread form (UN / ISO) — schematic

Tap drill options by thread engagement

Any of these standard drills produces a usable engagement for #3-56 UNF; smaller drills give stronger threads but higher tapping torque. Percentages use the conventional approximation (60° thread form).

2.05 mm 78.9% #45 ★ 73.3% 2.1 mm 70.4% 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
2.05 mm 0.0807 2.05 78.9%
#46 0.0810 2.057 77.6%
#45 — chart recommendation 0.0820 2.083 73.3%
2.1 mm 0.0827 2.1 70.4%

Nearest drills to the tap drill in other systems

Drill Size vs #45 Resulting engagement
2.1 mm 0.0827″ / 2.1 mm +0.017 mm 70.4%
5/64″ 0.0781″ / 1.984 mm −0.098 mm 90%

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 #45 tap drill threads cut into the material #32 (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 #36 0.1065 2.705
normal #32 0.1160 2.946
loose #30 0.1285 3.264

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.