| By :
William Gabriel
Conventional wisdom maintains that it is easy to create a hole in a piece of metal or brick. All you need is a drill and determination and eventually everything will work out ok. The problem with this approach is the fact it will inevitably lead to the wrong size holes being drilled or else the hole will be imperfect with extra chips of metal falling out. This means that specialist tools are needed for the job. For example, reamers are tools specifically designed to drill accurate holes. It is possible to use them in a hand drill but they is more effective when used in a drill press. Generally, reamers have a cylindrical body and parallel cutting edges. Each of these edges is ground at an angle and have a slight undercut beneath them. A reamer must be tough in order to perform the tasks asked of it and durable for long life. If this tool is used to remove large amounts of metal, it will not last long as this is contrary to how it should be used. Only use it to remove relatively small amounts of metal at a time. This will also have the effect of producing a better finish on the hole. There are several different types of reamers, each of which can be used for a different purpose. An adjustable hand reamer covers a range of sizes and has a lettered reference which dictates the size range. There are no spirals in the flutes which means they can only be used sparingly and there is also the possibility of them chattering during use. These should only be used in holes that are not already broken. A reamer is supposed to size a hole but using an adjustable one on a broken hole could cause one of its teeth to drop into the gap which will lead to the other teeth retracting from their position rendering the tool useless. A machine reamer is already aligned mechanically so there is no chance of it straying away from its course. This machine will start cutting immediately thanks to its constant cutting force which gives it an advantage over hand held cutters. When using twist drills to create holes, there is always the strong possibility that it will not do a good job, especially when it comes to pipe or tubing. It is often the case where the hole becomes chipped or is not round enough because the surface speed of these drills falls to zero during the 'dead-zone' (the line where when the two cutting angles meet up). To combat this, use an annular cutter because they are hollow and do not suffer from the 'dead-zone' issue. The edges of this cutter are all located at the very end of the tool which ensures that the surface speed never wavers when cutting. So next time you are trying to cut an accurate hole, be sure to have either reamers or annular cutters in your tool box. By using either or both of these correctly, you can guarantee that there will be no need to drill a second hole.
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