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Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] What size drill bits?

From: John Honniball <anachrocomputer@...>
Date: 2008-12-29

--- On Mon, 29/12/08, Matthew Mucker <matthew@...> wrote:
> I now need to look at drilling my boards. Does anyone have any
> recommendations on what drill bit sizes I should get for general
> through-hole work?

I use 0.8mm for IC sockets, resistor and capacitor leads, and small
transistor leads. For larger pins like power transistors, voltage
regulators and the square pins of DIL header connectors, I use
1.0mm. It might be useful, for some types of leads, to have a
slightly larger drill available, maybe 1.2mm. And as others
have said, go for the tungsten carbide drills, as they are hard
enough to use on fibreglass PCBs. I use the type with a 3mm shank,
and I use them in a collet-type chuck in a mini drill.

--
John Honniball