Rightsize drill for 1/8″ NPT: The appropriate drill bit size for a 1/8″ NPT pipe tap is designated as an R type, which corresponds to 0.339″ or approximately 8.6mm. National Pipe Taper (NPT): NPT, or National Pipe Taper, is a U.S.standard for tapered threads on hollow pipes and fittings.
The1/8″ NPT tap’s diameter is not 0.125 inches, but based on the thread on the end of a 1/8-inch pipe, it’s approximately 0.405 inches in the “big” diameter. Now, for the drill bit size, the secret lies in subtracting the pitch of the thread from its diameter. For a 1/8″ NPT tap, the magic letter is an R-shaped drill bit.
NationalStandard Taper Pipe (NPT) Threads Size Chart 1/16 0.3125 27 0.16 0.2611 1/8 0.405 27 0.18 4½ 2½ 0.26 1/4 0.54 18 0.2 4 3 0.401 3/8 0.675 18 0.24 4½ 3 0.408