---
type: "thread"
name: "1 9/16\"-18 UNEF"
designation: "1 9/16-18 UNEF"
series: "unef"
series_name: "Unified Extra Fine (UNEF)"
system: "unified"
size_label: "1 9/16"
tpi: 18
pitch_in: 0.055556
pitch_mm: 1.4111
basic_major_dia_in: 1.5625
basic_major_dia_mm: 39.6875
basic_pitch_dia_in: 1.5264
basic_pitch_dia_mm: 38.7706
basic_minor_dia_in: 1.5024
basic_minor_dia_mm: 38.161
tap_drill: "1"
tap_drill_dia_in: 1
tap_drill_dia_mm: 25.4
tap_drill_thread_pct: 779.4
tensile_stress_area_sqin: 1.786932
tensile_stress_area_sqmm: 1152.857
internal_class_assumed: "2B"
standard: "ASME B1.1 (reference values based on the ASME B1.1 system; not a compliance claim)"
verified: "August 1, 2026"
url: https://shopmath.org/threads/unef/1-9-16-18
---

# 1 9/16"-18 UNEF Thread — Dimensions, Tap Drill & Clearance

The tap drill for 1 9/16"-18 UNEF is 1 — 1.0000 in (25.400 mm) — which leaves 779.4% thread engagement with a cut tap. Basic pitch diameter is 1.5264 in (38.771 mm) and basic minor diameter is 1.5024 in (38.161 mm). Tapped-hole figures on this page assume a class 2B thread; drill sizes for 50–85% engagement are in the tap drill table below.

- **Series**: Unified Extra Fine (UNEF)
- **Designation**: 1 9/16-18 UNEF
- **Threads per inch**: 18
- **Tap drill**: 1
- **Standard**: ASME B1.1 (reference values based on the ASME B1.1 system; not a compliance claim)

## Basic Thread Dimensions for 1 9/16"-18 UNEF

| Property | Inch | Millimetre |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic major diameter | 1.5625 | 39.688 |
| Threads per inch | 18 | — |
| Pitch | 0.0556 | 1.411 |
| Basic pitch diameter | 1.5264 | 38.771 |
| Basic minor diameter | 1.5024 | 38.161 |
| External thread root diameter | 1.4963 | 38.006 |
| Sharp V thread height (H) | 0.0481 | 1.222 |

_Basic dimensions are the theoretical values before any tolerance class is applied._

## Tap Drill Sizes for 1 9/16"-18 UNEF

Cut taps, from 50% to 85% thread engagement. The shop default is 75% — a 1 drill.

| Thread % | Target hole Ø (in) | Target hole Ø (mm) | Drill | Drill Ø (in) | Drill Ø (mm) | Actual thread % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 50% | 1.5264 | 38.771 | 1 | 1.0000 | 25.400 | 779.4 |
| 60% | 1.5192 | 38.588 | 1 | 1.0000 | 25.400 | 779.4 |
| 65% | 1.5156 | 38.496 | 1 | 1.0000 | 25.400 | 779.4 |
| 70% | 1.5120 | 38.405 | 1 | 1.0000 | 25.400 | 779.4 |
| 75% (default) | 1.5084 | 38.313 | 1 | 1.0000 | 25.400 | 779.4 |
| 80% | 1.5048 | 38.222 | 1 | 1.0000 | 25.400 | 779.4 |
| 85% | 1.5012 | 38.130 | 1 | 1.0000 | 25.400 | 779.4 |

_Target hole Ø is the theoretical hole for the stated engagement. The drill column is the nearest size in the standard number/letter/fractional/metric index, and actual thread % is what that real drill produces._

## Thread Class Limits for 1 9/16"-18 UNEF

Manufacturing limits for classes 2B, 3B, 2A, 3A. A gauge reading outside these bands is a reject, not a judgement call.

### External thread (bolt / screw) limits

| Limit | Class 2A (in) | Class 2A (mm) | Class 3A (in) | Class 3A (mm) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Major Ø max | 1.5610 | 39.649 | 1.5625 | 39.688 |
| Major Ø min | 1.5523 | 39.428 | 1.5538 | 39.467 |
| Pitch Ø max | 1.5249 | 38.733 | 1.5264 | 38.771 |
| Pitch Ø min | 1.5199 | 38.605 | 1.5227 | 38.677 |
| Pitch Ø tolerance | 0.0050 | 0.127 | 0.0037 | 0.094 |
| Minor Ø max | 1.4888 | 37.816 | 1.4903 | 37.854 |
| Minor Ø min | 1.4839 | 37.691 | 1.4866 | 37.760 |
| Allowance | 0.0015 | 0.038 | 0.0000 | 0.000 |

### Internal thread (nut / tapped hole) limits

| Limit | Class 2B (in) | Class 2B (mm) | Class 3B (in) | Class 3B (mm) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Major Ø max | 1.5770 | 40.056 | 1.5754 | 40.015 |
| Major Ø min | 1.5625 | 39.688 | 1.5625 | 39.688 |
| Pitch Ø max | 1.5329 | 38.936 | 1.5313 | 38.895 |
| Pitch Ø min | 1.5264 | 38.771 | 1.5264 | 38.771 |
| Pitch Ø tolerance | 0.0065 | 0.165 | 0.0049 | 0.124 |
| Minor Ø max | 1.5150 | 38.481 | 1.5105 | 38.367 |
| Minor Ø min | 1.5024 | 38.161 | 1.5024 | 38.161 |
| Allowance | 0.0000 | 0.000 | 0.0000 | 0.000 |

## Tensile Stress Area of 1 9/16"-18 UNEF

| Property | in² | mm² |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tensile stress area | 1.78693 | 1152.86 |

The effective cross-section used to size a 1 9/16"-18 UNEF fastener against a load. Multiply it by the material's allowable stress — the area itself carries no strength assumption.

## Sources and Method for 1 9/16"-18 UNEF

### Basic dimensions

- **Source**: NBS Handbook H28 (1969) Part I §§6-7 (public domain, 17 U.S.C. 105); normative modern reference ASME B1.1; series membership: Series membership: threadlib UIS_thread.csv (BSD-3-Clause); cross-checked against NBS H28 (1969) Part I Table 2.21; clearance holes: ISO 273 (metric) and ASME B18.2.8 (inch) via FreeCAD FeatureHole.cpp (LGPL-2.1+), cross-checked against bd_warehouse clearance_hole_sizes.csv (Apache-2.0)
- **Method**: computed
- **Verified against**: NBS H28 (1969) Part I, Table 2.21 (public domain); cross-checked against FreeCAD CAM thread tables (LGPL-2.1+) — 1064 checks passed at 0.0001 in

### Tap drill sizes

- **Source**: Machinery's Handbook %-thread formula (geometry-derived); nearest-standard-drill-to-75% rule verified at 36/39 published chart rows in docs/research/data-sourcing.md §3.4
- **Method**: computed
- **Verified against**: Wikipedia Unified Thread Standard, preferred cutting tap drill size columns (CC BY-SA 4.0) — 36/39 published UNC+UNF rows reproduced

### Class limits

- **Source**: NBS Handbook H28 (1969) Part I §§6-7 (public domain, 17 U.S.C. 105); normative modern reference ASME B1.1
- **Method**: computed
- **Verified against**: NBS H28 (1969) Part I, Table 2.21 (public domain); cross-checked against FreeCAD CAM thread tables (LGPL-2.1+) — 1064 checks passed at 0.0001 in

### Formulas

**Tap drill hole diameter, inch threads**

```text
hole Ø  =  D − (%thread ÷ 100) × (1.29904 ÷ n)

  D = basic major diameter (in)
  n = threads per inch
```

_1.29904 = 2 × 0.64952, twice the engaged thread height per side on the 60° Unified profile._

**Actual thread engagement of the chosen drill**

```text
%thread  =  (D − drill Ø) × n ÷ 1.29904 × 100
```

_The drill column rounds to a real drill; this is the engagement that drill actually leaves._

**Tensile stress area, Unified inch threads**

```text
At  =  0.7854 × (D − 0.9743 ÷ n)²
```

_ASME B1.1 / NBS H28 form. Reproduces the stored value exactly for this thread._

### Assumptions

- The headline tap drill assumes 75% thread engagement, the general shop default. Every engagement from 50% to 85% is in the tap drill table — change the assumption and the number moves.
- Tap drill figures are for cut taps. Drill diameters are nominal; a worn or run-out drill cuts oversize and reduces engagement further.
- Tapped-hole figures assume a class 2B internal thread, the general-purpose fit.
- Dataset scope: Le = 1D for UNC/UNF, 9P for UNEF — determined empirically against H28 Table 2.21, resolving data-sourcing.md open item 5. EXCLUDED: form (roll) tap drills, class 1A/1B limits, class 1AR allowances, constant-pitch UN series.

**Data last verified**: August 1, 2026

## Common Questions About 1 9/16"-18 UNEF

### What is the tap drill size for 1 9/16"-18 UNEF?

The tap drill for 1 9/16"-18 UNEF is 1 — 1.0000 in (25.400 mm). That leaves 779.4% thread engagement with a cut tap.

### What is the pitch diameter of 1 9/16"-18 UNEF?

The basic pitch diameter of 1 9/16"-18 UNEF is 1.5264 in (38.771 mm). For a class 2B thread it runs 1.5264 in (38.771 mm) to 1.5329 in (38.936 mm).

### What is the minor diameter of 1 9/16"-18 UNEF?

The basic minor diameter of 1 9/16"-18 UNEF is 1.5024 in (38.161 mm). That is the theoretical root of the internal thread, not the drilled hole size — see the tap drill table for the hole to drill.

### What is the thread pitch of 1 9/16"-18 UNEF?

1 9/16"-18 UNEF has 18 threads per inch, a pitch of 0.0556 in (1.411 mm).

### What is the tensile stress area of 1 9/16"-18 UNEF?

The tensile stress area of 1 9/16"-18 UNEF is 1.78693 in² (1152.86 mm²). Multiply it by the fastener material's allowable stress to get a load.

## Related pages

- Smaller in Unified Extra Fine (UNEF): [1 1/2"-18 UNEF](https://shopmath.org/threads/unef/1-1-2-18.md) — tap drill 1
- Larger in Unified Extra Fine (UNEF): [1 5/8"-18 UNEF](https://shopmath.org/threads/unef/1-5-8-18.md) — tap drill 1
- All Unified Extra Fine (UNEF) sizes: [Unified Extra Fine (UNEF) thread chart](https://shopmath.org/threads/unef.md)
- Every thread series: [Screw thread reference](https://shopmath.org/threads.md)
- Cross-series chart: [Tap drill chart](https://shopmath.org/charts/tap-drill.md)

---

*Source: [ShopMath](https://shopmath.org/threads/unef/1-9-16-18) — data verified August 1, 2026. Reference data; verify against the governing standard before manufacture.*