| By :
William Gabriel
Reamers are a tool that many people never use. Either because they don't need to create precisely sized holes or they just don't really understand what they do and when they should be used. In many situations, a twist drill or similar tool like a metal hole saw will be able to create a hole that is able to meet your needs, but this is not always the case. In those instances where holes are required to be exact, it might be time to turn to a reamer. In most home-based metalworking shops, a mini-lathe will be used to bore a hole that meets your required diameter. However, you may want to create a very narrow hole which cannot be easily bored out. As the inner diameter continues to decrease, the harder it becomes to create a precise hole through boring. That is where reamers come into play. Most people would describe this tool as a cross between a side mill and drill bit. It is designed to take an unfinished hole that has already been cut by a drill bit or metal hole saw and make it a perfectly round hole with a precise inner diameter. It is important to note that, in many cases, you only need to use reamers when you cannot get the inner diameter bored out on your mini-lathe. Along with being an issue of hole size, it can also be an issue of awkwardness or difficultly. One of the reasons that many people don't have an armory of reamers is because they can become expensive considering how specific their purpose is. Unlike many other tools, a reamer is not the most versatile thing you will own. However that doesn't mean that they are not useful or needed. If you have never purchased any reamers then you may not know the difference between a hand and machine reamer. In general, a hand reamer will have a much longer lead-in or taper at the end of it. This is to make starting a hole much easier. A machine reamer is much more rigid and designed to be pre-aligned before use. If your at home machine tools are not very rigid or not well aligned, then a hand reamer may be your best choice. In fact, most home workshops will get more use out of a hand reamer than a machine one. As you can see, there are a number of reasons that you may not know what reamers are or when they should be used. In most home-based metalworking shops, they will only be used in one of two situations. The first is when the inner diameter is small enough that boring the hole with a mini-lathe is too difficult. The second is that the hole needs to be created in an awkward place and your metal hole saw is going to be too large to be able to do it. While you may only use this handy tool every now and then, it's unique abilities make it a worthwhile tool to invest in.
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