M3 thread data
| Major diameter D | 3 mm |
| Pitch P | 0.5 mm · coarse pitch |
| Pitch diameter D2 | 2.675 mm |
| Minor diameter D1 (basic profile) | 2.459 mm |
| Thread engagement H1 | 0.271 mm |
| Cutting tap drill | 2.50 mm |
| Forming tap drill, indicative range | 2.76 – 2.83 mm |
| OSG 6HX | 2.77 – 2.81 mm |
| OSG 6GX | 2.79 – 2.84 mm |
| OSG 7GX | 2.81 – 2.85 mm |
| Yamawa ISO2X | 2.76 – 2.83 mm |
| Emuge, recommended | 2.80 mm |
Clearance hole and counterbore for an M3 screw
| Clearance hole close / medium / free | 3.2 / 3.4 / 3.6 mm |
| SHCS head ISO 4762: Ø × height | 5.5 × 3 mm |
| Counterbore (DIN 974-1): Ø × depth | 6.5 × 3.4 mm |
The medium clearance hole (3.4 mm) is the normal one; close is used when the screw must locate better, free when hole position tolerances are wide. The counterbore sinks the socket head below the surface: the depth shown is the head height plus a small allowance; add the washer thickness if one is used.
Clearance holes to ISO 273, heads to ISO 4762, counterbores to DIN 974-1. Values checked against several published tables.
Why a forming tap needs a larger hole
A cutting tap removes material as chips, so the hole starts close to the minor diameter: 2.50 mm here. A forming tap does not cut: it displaces the material and pushes it up to form the thread crest. That is why the hole is larger, from 2.76 mm up: 0.26 mm more than for cutting. With the cutting drill, a forming tap would jam or break.
Where to sit within the range
Towards the minimum (2.76 mm) the thread is fuller, but the torque on the tap rises. Towards the maximum (2.83 mm) the tap runs lighter, but the crest stays more open. The right point depends on the tap and the material and comes from the manufacturer's catalogue. With forming taps every hundredth counts: use a good drill and check the hole.
What the makers say
For M3: OSG 2.77 – 2.81 mm, Yamawa 2.76 – 2.83 mm, Emuge 2.80 mm. Each maker designs the tap profile its own way, so the range shifts by a few hundredths. The range at the top runs from the lowest to the highest of these values: if you use a tap from one brand, follow that brand's catalogue.
Forming tap drills: indicative range, from the lowest to the highest value given by the tap makers (DIN 13 / ISO 965-1): OSG, forming taps guide to tap drill sizes (class 6HX); Yamawa, Quick Guide, bored hole size for thread forming (class ISO2X); Emuge, recommended tap drill sizes for cold-forming (DIN 13, tolerance 6H). Basic profile to ISO 68-1. Indicative values: the catalogue of the tap you use is what counts.