Drilling, boring and tapping
Also called: drilling job work, radial drilling, boring job work, tapping job work, hole making
Drilling, boring and tapping job work makes and finishes holes: drilling makes the hole, reaming or boring brings it to an accurate size, and tapping cuts the thread. It is done on radial drills, pillar drills, tapping machines and machining centres.
Quick facts
- Machines
- Radial drill, pillar drill, tapping machine, VMC, horizontal boring machine
- Drilled hole
- About ±0.05–0.1 mm
- Reamed or bored hole
- About ±0.01–0.02 mm (H7)
- Threads
- Metric, inch and pipe threads, by tap or thread mill
- Usually priced
- Per piece or per hole
- Input
- Drawing with hole positions, sizes and threads
Which method for which hole
| Method | What it does | Typical accuracy |
|---|---|---|
| Drilling | Makes the hole | About ±0.05–0.1 mm |
| Reaming | Finishes a drilled hole to size | About H7 (±0.01–0.02 mm) |
| Boring | Enlarges and trues a hole precisely | About ±0.01 mm, good roundness and position |
| Tapping | Cuts an internal thread | Thread class, e.g. 6H |
How to specify holes
- Give the diameter with a tolerance class (e.g. Ø10 H7) only where parts fit
- For threads, give size and pitch (e.g. M10 × 1.5) and the thread depth
- Through hole or blind hole, and the depth for blind holes
- Hole positions from datum edges, with position tolerances where they matter
Need drilling, boring and tapping done?
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Related job work
Questions
- What is the difference between drilling and boring?
- Drilling makes a hole quickly with a drill; boring enlarges an existing hole with a single-point tool for accurate size, roundness and position.
- What does H7 mean for a hole?
- A standard tolerance class for holes: for a 10 mm hole, roughly 0 to +0.015 mm. It is used where shafts, pins or bearings fit.
The figures on this page are typical values for guidance, written by Diemeco from standard engineering practice. They are not a specification: confirm grades and properties with the relevant standard or the supplier's mill test certificate, and tolerances with your workshop. Last checked 8 October 2026.