Jim Thompson wrote:
1/4"-20 tap calls for 0.201" tap drill (13/64")

Into a steel 1/8" panel, tap is hard enough to turn that handles flex
:-(

Is that normal, or do I need to go up one or more drill sizes?

...Jim Thompson
Here are the specs from the Morse Machinist's Practical Guide (1961)
P.37: Size of screw 0.2500, body drill 17/64, size or number of drill
for percent of full thread: 100% #13, 80% #8, 75% #7, 70% #6, 60% #4,
50% #3. Recommended sizes: for monel metal, high speed steel 50-60% #4;
for bronze, tool steel, drop forged, stainless, nickel steel, copper,
cast steel 60-70% #6; for mild steel, aluminum, cast brass, cast iron
70-75% #7; and for sheet brass, sheet nickel, duraluminum, fiber,
babbit, white metal, hard rubber 75-80% #8.

#7 is 0.2010 which conforms to 75% of full thread from the chart
above and seems to conform to the recommended size (mild steel).
13/64 _is_ "one step" higher at 0.2031, so i would say go another
step to #6 0.2040 (next one is #5 0.2055 and then #4 0.2090).