Is there a chart that shows the standard size hole for various electronic components. I am making my own PCB's and would like to know the standrd drillhole size if there is one

 

This is my method.

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=caliper

You just can't trust the manufacturers to use the same size wire you expect.

 

I went through the same problem a few months ago and posted this thread:
http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?t=76773&highlight=drill+bit

Since then, I bought a bunch of carbide bits off of ebay, and use a caliper like #12.

 

I've been using this for a while..

 

i use the wire spec from datasheet of every component i buy. choosing right hole size will vary depending on if its a two-wire axial or radial item vs say a 16pin dip. on dip's i like the holes a tad larger so its easier to insert the dip as dip pins tend to not be on-center or in alignment, etc. i stopped drilling some time ago, i use DipTrace and send file off to be made at a place in CA. post #4 looks to be an ok recommendation.

 

You hit the data sheet for each and every component you use and make an appropriate sized hole. mcgyvr's sheet seems good to go.

One of my typical mistakes is making holes too small.

 

I typically use are .034 - .035" for most everything.

 

The thin drillbits are more expensive and break more often. I just use 0.8mm drillbit for everything, unless something has real fat legs then switch to 1.0mm. And buy 0.8mm and 1.0mm bits in bulk packs like 10 or 20 at a time to get costs down.

That also saves time in switching drillbits around and checking which holes are which size, so it is less work there too.

 

The thin drillbits are more expensive and break more often. I just use 0.8mm drillbit for everything, unless something has real fat legs then switch to 1.0mm. And buy 0.8mm and 1.0mm bits in bulk packs like 10 or 20 at a time to get costs down.

That also saves time in switching drillbits around and checking which holes are which size, so it is less work there too.

Do you use carbide or high speed steel?

 

Steel (HSS). Carbide is brittle and breaks, and there's a lot of really crap blunt "carbide" tools on the market it's become the new cutting tool buzzword to fool noobs into buying garbage products from Asian suppliers just because it has "carbide" on the ad.

HSS tiny drills are cheap and drill just as fast (often faster as they are sharp) in a hand operated press. If you like you can sharpen then on any bench grinder too.

 

for my sins I purchased "Ccrbide" Drill bits from china what junk cheap and nasty just does not ecplain them. Not to mention that if you look at them the wrong way they snap.

Thus the reason why I am looking for the correct drill hole sizes so I can by decent drill bits and the correct size.

 

If you like you can sharpen then on any bench grinder too.

Are you kidding? Sharpen a .031 inch drill bit? You must have much better eyes than I have!

 

I use carbide drill bits, 0.033" or 0.035". To prevent breaking them there must be no lateral forces, i.e. the board and the drill head must be rigidly held with no side movement. I use a Unimat miniature lathe set up as a drill press running at the highest speed.

 

Are you kidding? Sharpen a .031 inch drill bit? You must have much better eyes than I have!

You don't need "eyes" as such, just hold the drill bit at roughly the right angles and touch it to the grinder, as with all drillbits.

The end features of the drillbits are not that critical, I once had a drill bit that snapped, and only had a few holes left so just kept drilling with it and the broken end drilled about as good as a new drill. The important thing is just to put a sharp edge on it, not the really rounded off edge of a blunt drillbit.