Number drill · #15
#15 Drill Bit Size — Decimal Inch, Millimetre and Tap Sizes
https://shopmath.org/drills/number/15 · data verified August 1, 2026
A #15 drill bit is 0.1800 in (4.572 mm) in diameter. The nearest fractional size is 3/16" at 0.1875 in. Diameters are nominal.
- Series
- Number
- Designation
- #15
- Inch
- 0.1800
- mm
- 4.572
- Standard
- ANSI/ASME B94.11M
Number Drill · #15 · nominal diameter
0.1800 in
- Millimetre
- 4.572mm
Nominal diameter. A worn or run-out drill cuts oversize, which leaves less thread in a tapped hole than the table says.
#15 Drill Bit Size in Inches and Millimetres
The nominal diameter of a #15 drill bit. Drill sizes are nominal — a worn drill, run-out or a soft material that closes in behind the cut all move the finished hole.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Diameter, decimal inch | 0.1800 in |
| Diameter, millimetre | 4.572 mm |
| Cross-sectional area | 0.02545 in² |
1 in = 25.4 mm exactly, so the two columns are the same value in different units, not two measurements.
Threads a #15 Drill Bit Taps
Every thread in this reference whose tap drill is the #15 drill bit, and the thread engagement it leaves. The engagement asked for and the engagement the drill actually produces are different numbers — that gap is why both columns are here.
| Thread | Series | Thread % asked for | Thread % this drill leaves |
|---|---|---|---|
| #12-28 UNF | Unified Fine (UNF) | 80% | 77.6 |
| #12-24 UNC | Unified Coarse (UNC) | 65% | 66.5 |
Values are for cut taps. Rows marked default are the shop-default engagement for that thread.
Fasteners That Pass Through a #15 Drill Bit Hole
A hole drilled with a #15 drill bit is the standard clearance hole for these fasteners — the through-hole the bolt passes freely, not the tapped hole.
| Fastener | Series | Clearance class |
|---|---|---|
| #8-36 UNF | Unified Fine (UNF) | close |
| #8-32 UNC | Unified Coarse (UNC) | close |
Clearance classes per ISO 273 (metric) and ASME B18.2.8 (inch): close for located joints, normal for general assembly, loose for slotted or adjustable joints.
#15 Drill Bit Equivalents in Every Other Drill Series
The closest size to the #15 drill bit in each of the other three indexes, with the difference in inches. None of them is the same drill — check the difference before substituting one into a tapped hole.
| Property | Property | Diameter | Property | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drill | Series | in | mm | Difference, in |
| A | Letter | 0.2340 | 5.944 | +0.0540 |
| 3/16" | Fractional | 0.1875 | 4.763 | +0.0075 |
| 4.6 mm | Metric | 0.1811 | 4.600 | +0.0011 |
A positive difference means the equivalent drill is larger, which leaves less thread in a tapped hole. Sizes without a link are stored for the nearest-drill calculation but do not carry their own page.
Drill Sizes Either Side of the #15 Drill Bit
Ordered by diameter across all four indexes, so the next size up may be a letter, a fraction or a metric drill rather than the next one in this series.
Sources and Method for the #15 Drill Bit Size
- Drill diametercompiled
Number/letter: bd_warehouse drill_sizes.csv (Apache-2.0) cross-checked against Wikipedia Drill bit sizes (CC BY-SA 4.0). Fractional: computed 1/64 in steps per ANSI B94.11M. Metric: computed BS 328 increment pattern.
Verified against Wikipedia Drill bit sizes (CC BY-SA 4.0); 31/31 checks passed
Compiled from independent public sources that agree cell-for-cell.
- Tap drill usagecomputed+compiled
bd_warehouse drill_sizes.csv (Apache-2.0) + Wikipedia Drill bit sizes (CC BY-SA 4.0); fractional and metric computed from ANSI B94.11M / BS 328 increment patterns
Verified against drills: 31 checks passed across 1 harness(es)
Part computed from the standard's formulas, part compiled from agreeing public sources.
- Assumptions
- Diameters are nominal. Drill manufacturing tolerance, wear and run-out all cut oversize, and every one of those moves a tapped hole toward less thread than the table says.
- Dataset scope: Number sizes #61-#80 are stored but tagged demandTier 'extended' — query-space-map.md Appendix A found the tail thinning in the 60s. Sizes below #80 and metric sizes above 25.0 mm excluded.
- Data last verified
- August 1, 2026
How to Cite This #15 Drill Bit Reference
Citation
ShopMath. "#15 Drill Bit Size — Decimal Inch, Millimetre and Tap Sizes." ShopMath, verified August 1, 2026, https://shopmath.org/drills/number/15
BibTeX
@misc{shopmath-drills-number-15,
title = {#15 Drill Bit Size — Decimal Inch, Millimetre and Tap Sizes},
author = {{ShopMath}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://shopmath.org/drills/number/15}},
note = {Data verified 2026-08-01}
}Permanent URL
https://shopmath.org/drills/number/15
Common Questions About the #15 Drill Bit
What size is a #15 drill bit?
- A #15 drill bit is 0.1800 in in diameter, which is 4.572 mm.
What is the metric equivalent of a #15 drill bit?
- The closest metric drill to a #15 drill bit (4.572 mm) is 4.6 mm, which is 4.600 mm — 0.0011 in larger.
What fraction is a #15 drill bit closest to?
- A #15 drill bit (0.1800 in) sits closest to the 3/16" fractional drill at 0.1875 in, a difference of 0.0075 in.
What bolt fits through a #15 drill bit hole?
- A hole drilled with a #15 drill bit is the standard close clearance hole for #8-36 UNF, and a clearance hole for 1 other fastener sizes listed on this page.
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