What size drill bit do you use for 5mm leds?

[Popcorrin]

I was going to drill holes for a single led in the bottom of some Happ Transluscent buttons and was wondering what size standard drill bit works best.  Thanks 

[Knievel]

3/16" is what you want.

[Blanka]

Guess buying a 5mm bit is the easiest. Even in the U-S and A. 3/16 seems a little toit to me.

[Franco B]

Its not a standard size but 4.9mm works for me

[Popcorrin]

I tried 3/16 but it was too small.  I don't know if I can get my hands on anything metric.  Maybe I'll see if I can get my hands on a 13/64 and give it a shot.

[2600]

It's a drill vs. plastic.  Just wiggle the drill around a bit to enlarge the hole a little.

[Popcorrin]

It's a drill vs. plastic.  Just wiggle the drill around a bit to enlarge the hole a little.

I know but I will be drilling out quite a few of them and if I could get the right size it would save me the hassle.

[Knievel]

I tried 3/16 but it was too small.  I don't know if I can get my hands on anything metric.  Maybe I'll see if I can get my hands on a 13/64 and give it a shot.

Really? I've been using a 3/16" since day one, and I've done piles of LED holes.

5mm is a standard LED, right?

[2600]

Come on guys basic math.

5mm ~= 0.197 inches
3/16" = 0.1875 inches

So a 3/16" drill bit is slightly too small, 1/4" is way too big.  Just work the drill around one swipe for each button.

[Franco B]

Or you could just buy a drill to suit your LEDs. Perfect hole every time. My LEDs slide into the hole and then just pinch when the shoulder meets the hole.

Every 5mm LED I have had has been 4.9mm - 4.95mm to allow for clearance in a 5mm hole.

Here is a 4.9mm drill on UK ebay, £1.75 + 75p, im sure you US guys must be able to get one for a similar price [Linky]

[Cornchip]

  Even better...use a number drill. Plenty of choices under 5mm to try.   

[Franco B]

  Even better...use a number drill. Plenty of choices under 5mm to try.   

Good thinking Cornchip.

I had a little search and you can buy number drills even cheaper in the UK than that ebay link I linked. Check out [this] site. Number drills 9-13 (the most usefull in this application) are £0.81 including VAT+p&p

[Kevin Mullins]

#9

3/16" would work fine too I'm sure, especially if drilling by hand.... you won't have a perfect hole guaranteed.

Jeez, take a relatively close but undersized drill bit and try one.

[Zebidee]

I always just use a 5mm bit, and when I paint the panel the paint takes up the extras fraction of a millimetre to make a snug fit for the LED.

[Popcorrin]

I tried 3/16 but it was too small.  I don't know if I can get my hands on anything metric.  Maybe I'll see if I can get my hands on a 13/64 and give it a shot.

Well, I figured out what the problem was.  I got some different 5mm leds and tried them on  3/16" holes and they worked just fine.  I guess the first batch of 5mm leds I got were actually slightly larger than 5mm.   Strange.