What size drill bit to use to mount motherboard screws?

[Kaido]

Working on a custom case, anyone happen to know what size drill bit and/or the proper way to drill or make a hole to put a motherboard standoff screw in?

 

[mechBgon]

You want to drill & tap. What drill size depends on the tap size. The tap to use will depend on the threading of the standoffs. To find this out, one method would be to take a standoff to a hardware store and thread it into their display of female fittings in the nuts & bolts area until you determine what threading it uses. Then head over to the tools section, find the tap you need, and see what size of drill bit it takes.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
You want to drill & tap. What drill size depends on the tap size. The tap to use will depend on the threading of the standoffs. To find this out, one method would be to take a standoff to a hardware store and thread it into their display of female fittings in the nuts & bolts area until you determine what threading it uses. Then head over to the tools section, find the tap you need, and see what size of drill bit it takes.

Thanks, I'm slowly building up my tool collection & knowledge. Guess I need to get some taps to supplement the drill Santa brought me

 

[Puffnstuff]

Yeah a die and tap set comes in real handy especially if you have al cases. I had to retap a hole in a brand new nzxt case today for my son so we could move his components to it. I wasn't happy that I had to do that to a brand new case.

 

[mechBgon]

Another easy option here would be to simply drill a hole big enough for the standoff to pass through it, then put the standoff through the hole and put a nut on the other side. If you do this, then consider using nuts with nylon locking inserts, and also put a toothed lockwasher between the standoff and the sheet metal so it doesn't rotate with the mobo screw itself.

So your stacking order would be:

Mobo screw
Motherboard itself
Standoff
Toothy lockwasher
Case's sheet metal
Nut with nylon locking insert

If the case's sheet metal is not thick, then this is probably better than tapping, since your standoff would only have maybe 1 thread engaging the sheet metal of the case.

 

[swatoke]

I think most standoffs are 6-32s. Drill size for a 6-32 .106 (#36 drill)

 

[RPB]

Originally posted by: swatoke
I think most standoffs are 6-32s. Drill size for a 6-32 .106 (#36 drill)

That is correct, same as hardrive mounting screws.

A hole from .106 to .113 will do. (78% to 55% thread) I prefer .109 (7/64 drill)