I got a straight fluted reamer and I have never used one, sat down with a beer and pair of vice grips and started turning last night, It seems like a slow process. Can anybody give me tips on doing this?

I was thinking about drilling out the small side of the hole to be the correct diameter, Im thinking this would mean less material to be removed via the reamer?

Can I just throw it in a hand drill?

Im enlarging the whole on my steering arms and my drill press speed isn't that slow.

Thanks,

Arne Anderson

Drill or bore slightly undersize and ream to size. Use lube and a T handle will likely yield better results than vise grips. There are reamers meant for machine use, but it doesn't sound like that is what you bought. Im a little confused as to why you are reaming a straight hole in your steering arms? Or did you mean the reamer has straight flutes, but is a tapered reamer?

Or did you mean the reamer has straight flutes, but is a tapered reamer?

I want to see a reamer that isn't tapered. It wouldn't be a reamer then, would it?

Drill hole to minor diameter, turn reamer with T-handle (more leverage/torque and less chance of breaking it) and turn until it's the size you want.

No pain, no gain. Nobody said it was easy modifying a vehicle, I earn every penny I make.

Ask and you shall receive:

http://www.use-enco.com/ProductImages/0165749-11.jpg

Straight reamer

http://www.use-enco.com/ProductImages/0205700B-11.jpg

Tapered reamer

Granted all reamers have some form of chamfer to help get them started, but the whole length of the flutes are not tapered unless they are taper reamers. I am pretty sure you know this, so why are you screwing with me :D

Later,
Jason

Straight reamers are far more common that tapered ones. Good rule of thum is:

RPM should be equal to four times the material cutting speed devided by the diameter.

Cutting speed for steel is 100 SF/min., Aluminum is 200, Cast is 50, this is based on high speed steel or common cutting tools.

Ream at 1/4 speed

So a .500" reamer used on steel would be.

4X100/.5 = 800rpm.
for reaming you run at 1/4 speed so 200 rpm.

These are just guidelines. Today cutting tools are better and better everyday, so you can turn em up.

i've used a right angle milwaukee for reaming arms on the truck,that drill is geared very low and variable speed is your friend here,slow,slow,slow and use some sort of lube,if you don't have cutting oil

tapered reamer with straight flutes. Thanks for the help guys I ended up putting in the milwakee nice and slow and some wd ... worked great

arndog