Reamers

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

I have been lucky buying second hand reamers. Most have been good to excellent with only a few being no good. I suspect I may have been lucky. I only use machine reamers if possible and then only with a floating reamer holder. Doing it like that has always given me good holes. Before using the floating holder, it didn't always work out too well.

I only use hand reamers if I really have to. My technique must be very poor as the results are usually poor as well !

Andrew.

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

We had thousands of reamers at work, mostly machine, but some hand ones, plus adjustable ones for emergencies. One of the NC operators mountain bike seatpost had corroded, an aluminium post in a steel frame, and we eventually got it out by cooling it with liquid nitrogen. Out of all the reamers we had, there was nothing except an adjustable one to remove the burrs and rust from the bike frame.

The are only useful if you have nothing else.

The only type of drill which will drill a hole to size without needing a reamer is solid carbide, and they cost more than a reamer.

Edited By old mart on 27/01/2021 15:59:34

[Simon BarrParticipant @simonbarr48213]

Posted by larry phelan 1 on 27/01/2021 15:07:15:

Simon,

That looks like a knurling tool you are making.

Would love to have an idea of size since I need to make one sometime soon.

Larry, it is indeed. I finished it Sunday and it works very well. It is from a Hemmingway kit, it's their basic knurling tool model HK1110. You have to buy knurls separately from the kit but Hemmingway can supply those too. I have the fine diamond pattern pair of wheels. The kit includes drawings and all the materials needed. I was lucky and got the kit for Christmas from my wife.

Hemmingway Kits Web Site

Here it is fitted to my Warco WM180. It's 1/4 plate but I can't remember any of the other dimensions I'm afraid but could look at the drawings if you need more info.

An example of knurling on steel

Simon

[Chris GunnParticipant @chrisgunn36534]

Phil P, you could be right about that style, especially the really cheap ones. The David Brown ones are a a different kettle of fish.

Chris Gunn

[Oily RagParticipant @oilyrag]

There is no doubt that the David Brown adjustable machine reamers are the Rolls Royce of reamers especially as they are adjustable and also floating. As for the adjustable hand reamers I have found the blades need to be kept absolutely dead sharp and stored with care so they do not get damaged. All my adjustable hand reamers of this type are quality T&J make (Taylor & Jones of Honley, England) Their blades are made of a fine quality HSS and keep their sharpness well. There are many copies of this T&J reamer that are made in China and the experience I have of these is very poor, some I suspect are carbon steel blades which do not hold a keen edge. If you ever see a T&J reamer for sale on a stall – buy it!

Some of my other machine reamers have carbide brazed tips with an expander screw in the end to set size, although the range is very limited; they were, 'ahem', liberated from A. Herberts Ltd,. when I served my time there, nearly 60 years later they are still going strong. I always use them in a floating holder though.

A trick I learnt for 'upsizing' a reamer cut was to introduce a fag paper over one tooth, or two teeth for a bit more cut. I have even used a matchstick down a flute to increase the cut further with great success.

Safe reaming,

Martin

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