There are actually three slightly different spindle hole sizes that are "standard" sizes. I saw an alignment protractor made by Axiom that has attachments for the three different spindle sizes. How crazy can an industry be that cannot get even this uniform?
I rarely encounter a record that is way too tight to fit on my turntable's spindle. That can easily be fixed as moonglum suggested above. I would never get a drill bit and go the route of using a power drill--it is way too easy to overdo things and end up with a bigger hole than desired or one that is not perfectly centered. I have used a sharp Exacto knife that that works perfectly fine. I have also used a round rat-tail file (even easier); all it takes is something like a quarter turn, a flip of the record and another quarter turn or so to shave off enough to make the record fit. The key is to go very slow with the process because it really does not take much to get the right fit and not much more to have gone too far.
I rarely encounter a record that is way too tight to fit on my turntable's spindle. That can easily be fixed as moonglum suggested above. I would never get a drill bit and go the route of using a power drill--it is way too easy to overdo things and end up with a bigger hole than desired or one that is not perfectly centered. I have used a sharp Exacto knife that that works perfectly fine. I have also used a round rat-tail file (even easier); all it takes is something like a quarter turn, a flip of the record and another quarter turn or so to shave off enough to make the record fit. The key is to go very slow with the process because it really does not take much to get the right fit and not much more to have gone too far.